Have you ever assessed your executive presence? Conducting an inventory of how you come across to others is eye-opening.
It’s helpful to have a few colleagues that you have such a strong relationship with that you can always ask them uncomfortable “Alisa Cohn” questions. If your boss is among that group, so much the better. Here are 5 powerful questions to ask:
-
How am I perceived as a leader by the board, key leaders and other stakeholders?
-
Who around here has strong executive presence? Who has weak executive presence? If you put those two on a continuum, where do I fall between them?
-
Picture me in a high-stakes meeting. What are some of the specific things I do that give me executive presence or detract from it?
-
When I walk into a room, does anyone notice?
-
What suggestions do you have for amping up my executive presence?
As always when you seek feedback, manage your reactions (defensiveness and disagreement are the enemies of feedback.)
I would love to hear from you about what you find out from your Executive Presence Inventory!
