Training Industry Magazine - March/April 2020 - 25

the ability to sense other people's
emotions, you become more open
to understanding their perspectives.
Additionally, being aware of your
organizational culture helps you build
networks and cross-team collaborations.
Together, these attributes ensure that
customer needs are met.
RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT
The fourth domain of EI is relationship
management. As you evolve your
executive presence, consider your
ability to take charge and inspire
others. Can you positively influence
and develop the talents and
contributions of others on your team?
With clear communication, you can
engage and guide teams and become
a catalyst for change within your
organization. Working with teams, of
course, will also require proficiency
in resolving disagreements and
cultivating relationships.

HOW DO YOU DEVELOP
EXECUTIVE PRESENCE?
Executive presence is consistently
rated as the most important skill of
an effective leader. Extending beyond
technical and functional knowledge,
mastery of executive presence can
become your "wow factor." Consider
the following:
* Do you project confidence and
communicate clearly? Speak in
clear, well-modulated tones that fit
the occasion and audience. People

MASTERING THE
ATTRIBUTES OF
EMOTIONAL
INTELLIGENCE CAN
DYNAMICALLY IMPACT
EXECUTIVE PRESENCE.

connect with energy, passion and
joy. You are always communicating
yourself to others, and 55% percent
of your nonverbal communication
involves your attire. Dress well and
appropriately for the occasion at hand.
* Do people listen when you speak?
Learn to command a room. Be
comfortable sharing engaging stories,
metaphors and anecdotes.
* Do you know how to influence
outcomes? Authentic leaders are
able to master the art of influencing
outcomes. If you are not influential,
you are not leading. What you know
may not matter to people unless they
first know how much you care. In
order to develop acumen in executive
presence, you must learn how to
win hearts and minds by developing
empathy and relating to others.
It is also important to be mindful of
other elements that impact executive
presence, such as body language
and
non-verbal
communication.
Surprisingly, only 7% of what people
remember from interactions include
the spoken word while 38% accounts
for the tone of your delivery. The
remaining 55% represents the nonverbal aspects of communication.
For example, your handshake is a
significant medium of communication.
Touch is another non-verbal cue
for promoting a bond and making a
lasting impression. Indeed, people
are twice as likely to remember you
after shaking hands. When developing
executive presence, be mindful of
making eye contact and using wellplaced gestures.
EI is a key element in developing
executive presence.
According to
Goleman in "An EI-Based Theory of
Performance," emotional intelligence
can affect an individual's success and
upward mobility in an organization.

WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF
EXECUTIVE PRESENCE?
Being perceived as leadership material
is essential for advancement. According
to a new study by the Center for

MASTERING EXECUTIVE
PRESENCE
Mastery of executive presence can
become your "wow factor." Here
are a few tips to get you started:
* Project confidence and
communicate clearly.
* Expand your emotional
intelligence.
* Be authentic.

Talent Innovation, executive presence
accounts for 26% of what it takes to
advance within an organization. The
research also highlights the significance
of first impressions, as people tend to
make personality assessments in under
five minutes.
Travis Bradberry, Ph.D., a leading
authority in emotional intelligence,
states that people with a high degree
of EI earn more money than people with
a low degree of EI. The difference in
salary? Almost $30,000 more per year! A
person could earn $1,300 more per year
for every point increase in emotional
intelligence. Indeed, mastering the
attributes of EI can dynamically impact
executive presence.
Ultimately, executive presence is
shaped by emotional intelligence,
image, interactions and impressions.
It doesn't happen overnight. Invest in
cultivating your executive presence.
You will be rewarded with personal
fulfilment, promotion and the potential
to reach your ultimate goals.
Charlie E. Hardy is the CEO for the Centre
for Excellence, LLC. He is a certified
leadership coach with the John C.
Maxwell Team and a certified COREMAP
life coach. He is also the faculty lead
for professional development in the
Percy J. Vaughn, Jr. College of Business
Administration at Alabama State
University. Email Charlie.

T R A I N I N G I N DUSTR Y MAGAZ INE - MODERN LEADERS 2020 I WWW. T RAI NINGINDU S T RY . C OM/ MAGAZ I NE

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Training Industry Magazine - March/April 2020

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