What Executive Presence Really Means and How to Build It (Ep.23)

"You need to work on your executive presence."

Most executives hear some version of that feedback at some point in their careers, and it's hard to act on because it sounds so vague. What does that mean?

It can also sound like a request to be more formal, or more like somebody else. In this episode of In The Arena, Shaun Dyke and Chris Stemp break down what executive presence really means and how to build it.

Start with a simpler definition: presence is what your behavior does to a room, and putting "executive" in front of it just raises the bar. There is a core set of traits most organizations expect from their senior leaders. Past that core, it depends on the room, which is why speaking up forcefully can be expected in one company and read as combative in the next. And the person who gave you the feedback usually knows what they meant by it. That makes the most useful next step asking them. Once you're a director or a VP, though, asking can feel like admitting you don't know what you're doing. Shaun's experience with senior executives points the other way. What you'll learn: - Why "executive presence" is vague to you but not to the person who says it - The four core standards: composure, clarity, ownership, and judgment - Why the better question walking into a room is "How do I create clarity?" and not "How do I get clarity?" - The CEO who flew in expecting an update and was asked to say a few words - Karaoke leadership, and finding a version of presence that's actually yours - Kendra Scott's "high care, high bar," and how a company's own standards add to the list - Suit and tie, sleeves rolled up, then a hug: three client visits in Boston - Why the same behavior reads as meek in one room and combative in another - The sales executive in cufflinks who lasted 30 days - The most important question Shaun asks in a 360 interview - What to do when the standard you're given is a single word like "courage" - Why, in DoorTwo's data, only about 10% of people naturally ask for help - When the feedback isn't really about executive presence at all - A real gap, or a perception you have to manage? If you've been told you need more executive presence and didn't know where to start, you'll come away with four standards to check yourself against and a better question to take back to the person who said it.

⏱️ Chapters

00:00 Told you need more executive presence

02:13 What executive presence actually means

04:20 The four core standards

07:07 Create clarity, don't just go