Every so often, a client will share feedback they’ve received along these lines: “I was told I need greater executive presence to land that C-suite promotion,” or “They turned me down for the role because I didn’t have enough executive presence.” This feedback can sound like a verdict on who you are. It’s very addressable, however, if you focus on the underlying traits driving executive presence, meaning their confidence in your readiness to lead with credibility and authority.
These seven learnable, interrelated behaviors and traits (improve one and you often strengthen the others) are derived largely from my 18+ years coaching leaders and observing the differences between those who have executive presence and those who don’t.
1. Communication
You can have unshakable confidence and brilliant ideas and still not be seen as a leader if you can’t get your ideas across. Do you talk over others? Ramble and lose the room? Respond before understanding what’s being asked? Hold back when you really should say something? These common issues are very fixable.
The starting point: listen carefully to what’s really being said, then tailor your response. And for many, a mindset shift can improve nearly every communication: move your focus from yourself – “How am I doing?” – to your audience – “What do they need (or need to hear)?”
Presentations matter, too, because the presenter is placed in a position to lead. How you handle Q&A in particular reveals a great deal: Do you listen, respond thoughtfully, and stay calm when faced with a challenging question?
2. Confidence
Confidence conveys credibility and trust because it shows that you trust yourself. Key elements include:
Decisiveness. Use the 80/20 rule: make the call with 80% of the information rather than waiting for the 100% that never arrives.
Calm under pressure. When situations become tense, people look to whoever remains measured and thoughtful as the leader.
Confident language. Uptalk, hedging, and verbal throat-clearing (“I might be wrong, but…”) undercut what follows. This differs from asking a good question, one of the most powerful forms of influence. A smart question from a confident person directs the room.
3. An Incisive Point of View
Gravitas—a word often associated with executive presence—comes from confidence, clear thinking, and a point of view worth hearing. You need to contribute an insight, a read on the bigger picture, or a vision for a better way forward. Without value-added ideas, polish alone won’t make you leadership material.
4. Presence, Literally
People need to know where you stand. If you’re too quiet in meetings, you become less visible—less present in the most literal sense.
The answer isn’t talking for its own sake, which could backfire. But “I agree, and here’s why” can be genuinely useful. Better yet, prepare beforehand so you arrive with something meaningful to add. Much of what looks like effortless presence is preparation.
5. Emotional Intelligence
Nearly every successful C-suite executive I’ve coached shares several EQ-related traits: they take other perspectives seriously, treat people with respect, reflect on their own behavior, and bring a positive, can-do attitude.
6. Relationship-Building
Relationships account for at least 50% of success in an executive role, if not more. They are central to executive presence because they drive your ability to influence—the essence of leadership. Leaders with strong executive presence cultivate connections across teams and functions. That helps them understand competing priorities and informal dynamics while building credibility and strategic awareness.
I suggest creating a “Stakeholder Map” that includes everyone above, at, and below your level whom you depend on—or who depends on you—for success. For each person, ask:
What would this person say about me in a room I’m not in?
What, if anything, can I do to improve the relationship?
Review the map quarterly. Seeing these relationships on paper forces you to assess whether you are building the support and reputation you need.
7. The Ability to Inspire and Influence
Motivating people to follow you requires a vision for a better way of doing things, and the relationship skills or charisma and communication skills to bring them on board. You can inspire from any level of an organization; you don’t need direct reports.
How to Build Executive Presence
The short answer is feedback and practice. More specifically:
Expect a lag. Perception is a lagging indicator. You may change your behavior months before others update their view of you. Lasting change in reputation requires repeated exposure to the new behavior.
Ask trusted colleagues for targeted feedback. Don’t ask whether you have executive presence; be more specific. Ask, “When I presented to the leadership team, could I have done anything to make me appear more effective or more like a leader?” Formal 360s can help for the same reason – specific, targeted feedback.
Start with one trait. Trying to change several behaviors at once can be overwhelming. Choose an issue that repeatedly appears in your feedback and work on it for a quarter.
Practice where the stakes are moderate. Try new behaviors in a lower-stakes meeting, not in a board presentation.
Observe yourself. Record a meeting or presentation and play it back. You’ll quickly spot habits you need to change.
What They Mean By “Executive Presence,” and How to Get It
September 1, 2026 by Robert Hellmann • Job-Search Strategy, On-the-job Success
Every so often, a client will share feedback they’ve received along these lines: “I was told I need greater executive presence to land that C-suite promotion,” or “They turned me down for the role because I didn’t have enough executive presence.” This feedback can sound like a verdict on who you are. It’s very addressable, however, if you focus on the underlying traits driving executive presence, meaning their confidence in your readiness to lead with credibility and authority.
These seven learnable, interrelated behaviors and traits (improve one and you often strengthen the others) are derived largely from my 18+ years coaching leaders and observing the differences between those who have executive presence and those who don’t.
1. Communication
You can have unshakable confidence and brilliant ideas and still not be seen as a leader if you can’t get your ideas across. Do you talk over others? Ramble and lose the room? Respond before understanding what’s being asked? Hold back when you really should say something? These common issues are very fixable.
The starting point: listen carefully to what’s really being said, then tailor your response. And for many, a mindset shift can improve nearly every communication: move your focus from yourself – “How am I doing?” – to your audience – “What do they need (or need to hear)?”
Presentations matter, too, because the presenter is placed in a position to lead. How you handle Q&A in particular reveals a great deal: Do you listen, respond thoughtfully, and stay calm when faced with a challenging question?
2. Confidence
Confidence conveys credibility and trust because it shows that you trust yourself. Key elements include:
3. An Incisive Point of View
Gravitas—a word often associated with executive presence—comes from confidence, clear thinking, and a point of view worth hearing. You need to contribute an insight, a read on the bigger picture, or a vision for a better way forward. Without value-added ideas, polish alone won’t make you leadership material.
4. Presence, Literally
People need to know where you stand. If you’re too quiet in meetings, you become less visible—less present in the most literal sense.
The answer isn’t talking for its own sake, which could backfire. But “I agree, and here’s why” can be genuinely useful. Better yet, prepare beforehand so you arrive with something meaningful to add. Much of what looks like effortless presence is preparation.
5. Emotional Intelligence
Nearly every successful C-suite executive I’ve coached shares several EQ-related traits: they take other perspectives seriously, treat people with respect, reflect on their own behavior, and bring a positive, can-do attitude.
6. Relationship-Building
Relationships account for at least 50% of success in an executive role, if not more. They are central to executive presence because they drive your ability to influence—the essence of leadership. Leaders with strong executive presence cultivate connections across teams and functions. That helps them understand competing priorities and informal dynamics while building credibility and strategic awareness.
I suggest creating a “Stakeholder Map” that includes everyone above, at, and below your level whom you depend on—or who depends on you—for success. For each person, ask:
Review the map quarterly. Seeing these relationships on paper forces you to assess whether you are building the support and reputation you need.
7. The Ability to Inspire and Influence
Motivating people to follow you requires a vision for a better way of doing things, and the relationship skills or charisma and communication skills to bring them on board. You can inspire from any level of an organization; you don’t need direct reports.
How to Build Executive Presence
The short answer is feedback and practice. More specifically:
Expect a lag. Perception is a lagging indicator. You may change your behavior months before others update their view of you. Lasting change in reputation requires repeated exposure to the new behavior.
Ask trusted colleagues for targeted feedback. Don’t ask whether you have executive presence; be more specific. Ask, “When I presented to the leadership team, could I have done anything to make me appear more effective or more like a leader?” Formal 360s can help for the same reason – specific, targeted feedback.
Start with one trait. Trying to change several behaviors at once can be overwhelming. Choose an issue that repeatedly appears in your feedback and work on it for a quarter.
Practice where the stakes are moderate. Try new behaviors in a lower-stakes meeting, not in a board presentation.
Observe yourself. Record a meeting or presentation and play it back. You’ll quickly spot habits you need to change.