I recognize this item is very subjective, especially because it is directly related to Trust and Carrying Authority, which is something that can be worked but it takes time and effort, some executives might be more natural than others, but even those that are naturals require practice. In my vision is something that can be acquired and mastered, with discipline, constancy and a lot, a lot of practice.

What is executive presence? To keep it simple, I will say executive presence is that effortless composure some leaders have. I mean is a combination of personal traits and behaviors that allows create an image that allows execute leadership. It is developed within experience, but I would say not technical experience, is the experience that is cultivated based on a mindset that allows demonstrate Authenticity, Confidence, Competence and Trustworthiness, what I like to call the ability to influence beyond authority.  The executives that understand this concept, understand that making an impression is not a choice, and understand the difference between the first impression and lasting impressions, and they know for sure last impression change over time.

Why executive presence is important in IT Portfolio management? Let’s be honest about this, IT Portfolio Management is and will be always a challenge, and to overcome those challenges it is needed to plan and communicate effectively as the results will highly depend on those two items. If a leader wants to communicate effectively needs to understand physical presence is important, understand the rules of communications like more than 80% of the communication is not verbal, project confidence, speak clear and loud, and always consider the tone of the voice, however leaders need to understand communication requires to believe in the message, have clear and sharp vision, because at the end it is needed to connect with strategic and key portfolio stakeholders. Executive presence is important because it will allow you to spread a message effectively, spread a message that matters, spread a message full of trust a message carrying authority.

How could you improve your executive presence?
This is what I’m doing and is working for me: Those Ted Talks with executive CEOs work very well, The Steve Jobs talks work for me as well. I always listen carefully and learn from the Executives of the companies I work for. All the time I’m changing the way I listen, and how I react, I’m always working in my empathy and emotional intelligence, and you know sometimes is good as well to understand the rules of power, how the power works, because at the end power will help you to influence others as well.

I really hope you enjoy these ideas, as always, I will invite you to share yours, please leave a comment.