Leadership Presence

Leadership is about making others better as a result of your presence and making sure that impact lasts in your absence.  ~  Sheryl Sandberg, COO, Facebook

Most people don’t think about their leadership presence.

When was the last time you thought about yours?

My point…exactly.

More than likely you are busy with your daily to-do list.

I can pretty much guarantee that your leadership presence is not on it.

Right?

So why should you care?

Leadership presence is the confidence you exude from the core of who you are and what you stand for.

It’s the total package of you represented in the behaviors you exhibit on a daily basis.

Yes, on a daily basis!

We assume it’s an automatic thing. And that it happens by osmosis.

But it’s not automatic and there’s no osmosis involved.

Your leadership presence is something you are in control of. It needs your constant care and attention.

Why?

Because it influences everything you say and do.

I’m often asked to coach women leaders to help them with their leadership (executive) presence.
These women are smart, at the top of their game, respected and held in high regard.

But they don’t know how to take control of their leadership presence.

Often times, deep inside they doubt themselves. They let male colleagues speak over them in meetings.

They have trouble really listening (due to the negative chatter in their head) so they miss important elements of conversations.

Maybe they are slow in making decisions or procrastinate on projects due to their fear of failure or criticism.

Or maybe they put in a lot of extra time trying to get their work perfect.

It might even be as seemingly simple as saying “I’m sorry” too often.

What does leadership presence have to do with these things you ask?

When you take control of your leadership presence you’ve done the inner work to know what you stand for and how you want to be perceived.

You find your unique voice. You know how you want to present yourself to foster the success that matters to you.

You know what to do to bring forth the best of who you are and the best of what you have to offer.
You’re real, grounded and authentic.

You know your values and what you want and why you want it.

You know your strengths and the unique attributes that make you who you are. And you apply those strengths and attributes at the right time and in the right place.

You get good at saying ‘no’.

You trust in what you know.

All of these behaviors are connected with owning your power.

In its purest form, Leadership Presence is about owning all the authentic parts of you and deliberately choosing behaviors and actions that maximize your greatness.

When you know how to nurture and apply your leadership presence in every moment of every day, you are happier, lighter and more successful.

You live in the joy and delight of being you. Which is a good thing because that’s what the world wants most!

If you find you're not giving your leadership presence enough attention and care lately, email me. Rita@wiseleader.net
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I’d love to help you be more of who you really are, especially at work. We’ll work together to annihilate any shards of judgment hindering you and lay a solid foundation for living every day full of energy, authenticity and deliberate actions.

Until next time!
Dr. Rita

P.S. I have a brand new Leadership Presence training (virtual or in person) that is receiving rave reviews. If your team or training department wants to learn more, get in touch.

612-598-6614
Rita@wiseleader.net
http://www.wiseleader.net/​

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