Others will not see you as a leader until you look and act like a leader. While projecting Leadership Presence in-person can be a challenge, the virtual environment creates additional obstacles. Yet the ability to project Leadership Presence remains a key skill for promotion and leadership opportunities.
Think about a leader you admire
Leadership presence can be a critical differentiator, yet it’s often difficult for people to define. You know it when you see it—and it’s conspicuously absent when people that you’d expect to have it don’t. Recognizing leadership presence in others is key to understanding and developing our own. Think about a leader you admire—someone who is able to build connections, gain recognition, and inspire others. When that leader walks into a room or engages on a virtual platform, what traits or characteristics do they project? What, exactly, makes that person such an admirable leader?What we recognize are key attributes that have been developed over time:
- Confidence
- Authenticity
- Credibility
- Knowledge
- Being inspirational
Cultivate Your Leadership Presence
Cultivating these attributes and being seen as a leader takes practice. Here are 3 ways to begin cultivating your leadership presence:- Connect through listening and empathy. It may be surprising, but the most influential leaders are often master listeners. Listening and empathy enable you to create connections and build relationships that are crucial for effective leadership. Specifically, you can try to:
- Be present in the moment (no multitasking!) when having a conversation. It’s especially tempting in remote conversations to let your attention wander to an email or other notifications. Stay focused! Giving people your undivided attention enables you to connect and to understand what’s going on in their world.
- Show empathy by taking time to let people know you care about their experience (whether challenging or joyful). When communicating remotely, avoid the tendency to jump right into business. Start by connecting and checking in.
- Project confidence and credibility. Your body language, voice, and verbal message all contribute to how you are perceived. Consider how your appearance might project confidence, competence, and approachability. In virtual environments, optimize your lighting, camera angle, and background. Record and listen to your voice. Is your tone calm and genuine? Is your message clear—avoiding unnecessary qualifiers and jargon? One way to enhance your message is using a communication framework such as PREP:
- Position: Start by stating your position.
- Reason: Provide a reason for what you believe. Remember to align the reason with what’s important to the person or people listening.
- Example(s): Give examples of how this approach will make an impact. Be descriptive so people can really envision it.
- Position: Return to your original position and a call to action.
- Use stories. Great leaders are great storytellers. Stories can change the way people think, act, and feel. Using descriptive language and relatable stories helps to lower defenses so that people can embrace new ideas. When communicating virtually, stories are essential for keeping people engaged in your message.