When you walk into the room, are you recognized as the leader? Leadership presence has two major ingredients: nonverbal professional polish mixed with positive energy. To boost your leadership presence, here are the 8 tips.
1. Stand up straight.
What does your posture say? Did you know that taller people make more money? What is that true? Height is interpreted as authority and authority transmutes into leadership. I can still hear my mom and dad telling me to “Stand up straight, you’ll look better.”
2. Walk with confidence.
What does your walk say? I love the way athletes walk – you can see them comfortable in their own skin. Their confidence is attractive.
Here are some walking tips:
> Look forward – not down, not up, not around.
> Moderate the size of your stride – not too large, not too small.
> Walk slightly slow – a fast rate indicates you are in a hurry. Hurriedness indicates stress and de-powers you.
Instead you need to project calm energy.
3. Care for your image.
Clothes tell your story and make an impact. On the first day of class, as a professor, I wear a dark business suit with a white shirt. I send a purposeful message by wearing the socially acceptable business uniform.
A brain tidbit: One of the jobs of the human brain is to seek patterns and to categorize. This behavior can go into judging and stereotyping. Therefore, be intentional about your image as others are putting you into a category.
4. Do extreme self-care.
You are telling others how well you will take care of them by the level that you take care of yourself. It’s your responsibility to rest well, eat well and exercise your body.
5. What do you sound like?
Listen to the sound of your voice to build your credibility as well. You don’t want a nasal sound or a high pitched squeak, etc. Don’t talk too fast or too slow.
6. Choose positive energy.
Cesar Milan, The Dog Whisperer, is a wonderful example of a person who controls his energy. He teaches us that it’s the leader’s responsibility to feel calm assertive energy so that our followers will feel the calm assertive energy. It’s a leaders responsibility to build to confidence in his/her mission, in his/her organization, and in his/her leadership.
Expansion: We are always in a feeling state: happy, sad, angry, frustrated, stressed, silly; the list goes on and on. To understand the power of your emotions, here’s a great exercise. Record on paper what you are feeling at the top of every hour for one full day. This exercise will show how fundamental emotions are to decision-making.
7. Emotions are contagious.
We are social beings at our core. In Daniel Goldman’s book Social Intelligence, he explains that the power of our emotions’ ability to influence others’ behavior. Can you remember getting caught up in an emotion at work not even intellectually supporting the notion.
8. Leaders create the organizational culture.
Your energy (positive or negative0 permeates and sets the tone of the office. Be sure you intentionally demonstrate the emotion that you want others living. Followers follow.
Both ingredients, nonverbal professional polish and positive energy combine into your authenticity. Be confident and allow your realness to be felt and followed – all the while, stay polished and professional.
Walk confidently; and remember, you are always communicating.
Successful Business Communication 