Executive Presence is How You Show Up as a Leader
There is a difference between executive acumen and executive presence. Acumen is about what you know as an expert. Presence is about how you show up as a leader.
Executive presence is a powerful combination of authenticity, reliability, and confidence–the ability to inspire and influence different audiences in different situations. At the heart of presence is your ability to communicate effectively. It isn’t something you’re born with; it’s something you build with feedback and practice.
Take Our Executive Presence Assessment
We’ve created a 20-question assessment to give you an idea of where you stand in these four areas.
- Audience Engagement
- Persuasion + Influence
- Consistency + Reliability
- Confidence + Vision
Take the Assessment
Are You a C-Suite Talker or Converse Averse? Read Your Results.
This assessment is scored from 0-100. The higher your score, the stronger your executive presence. We like to break it down into levels like this:
80-100: C-Suite Talker
60-79: Fluent Influencer
40-59: Presentable Presenter
20-39: Occasional Orator
1-19: Converse Averse
If you scored high on this assessment
Bravo–your presence is truly a present! When you log into a Zoom room, people pay attention. They want to listen to you, whether you’re pitching a big idea or running a daily stand-up. You’re cool-as-a-cucumber no matter how high the stakes of the situation or the emotions of the people around you. You aren’t afraid to say “I don’t know” and don’t get defensive when challenged. You have a reputation for knowing what people want–and more importantly, what they need—even when they don’t know themselves.
If you scored lower than you expected
Call us before you get called out! Joking aside, it’s possible that your presence could be holding you back. We need executive presence for people to trust us, to follow us through times of change (hello, 2023), and frankly, to get more of what we want. Your score could reflect opportunities for growth in delivering your messages, reading the room, navigating conflict, and persuading others.
Whatever your results, The Creative Executive can help you cultivate your authentic style of leadership and presence. We believe that presence isn’t about being sterile, boring, or traditional. We don’t want you to communicate like leaders 50—hell, even 10—years ago. Our approach to coaching executive presence is modern, unique, and inclusive. We focus on relevant communications skills like influencing, inspiring, listening, storytelling, and analyzing your audience. We customize your coaching program based on cutting-edge research, extensive experience helping leaders, your organizational circumstances, and your unique personality. Because it’s not just about communicating like a leader—it’s about communicating like a human.
Learn more about The Creative Executive and our coaching and development offerings.
