Interactive Workshop
Welcome to Your
Executive Presence Session
The Wheel Framework
This session will guide you through the eight elements of leadership presence. You'll analyze where you stand today and build a plan for tomorrow.
What is Executive Presence?
"The ability to project confidence, credibility, and calm under pressure—inspiring others to follow your lead."
It's not just about "looking the part." Executive presence is the unique combination of what you are (BE) and what you do (DO).26% of what it takes to get promoted to senior leadership roles.
— Center for Talent Innovation
It's the missing link between merit and success.
The Executive Presence Wheel
BE — Who You Are
The foundational elements of your presence: confidence, energy, assertiveness, and appearance.
DO — What You Accomplish
The action-oriented elements: communication, strategic thinking, execution, and relationships.
Key insight: Executive presence isn't choosing between Be and Do—it's the integration of both.
The Eight Elements
Each element contributes to your overall executive presence. Explore what low and high presence looks like for each.
Confidence
Executives need to be confident, but not cocky. People don't follow meek leaders.
LOW PRESENCE
- •Hedging language ("I'm not sure, but...")
- •Seeking excessive validation
- •Over-apologizing for taking space
HIGH PRESENCE
- •Clear point of view stated directly
- •Making decisions and owning outcomes
- •Comfortable commanding attention
DERAILERS
- • Arrogance (confidence without humility)
- • False bravado (faking certainty)
- • Imposter spiral (internal doubt becoming external hesitation)
QUICK WINS
- •Eliminate "I think" and "I feel" from the start of sentences when stating professional opinions. Just state the opinion.
- •Practice "The Pause": Before answering a complex question, take a full 3-second pause. It projects confidence and thought.
- •Accept compliments with a simple "Thank you," rather than deflecting or minimizing the achievement.
Energy
Energy and enthusiasm are infectious. Find your authentic energy—and let it show.
LOW PRESENCE
- •Monotone delivery
- •Slumped posture
- •Going through the motions
- •Disconnected demeanor
HIGH PRESENCE
- •Vocal variety (pace, tone, volume)
- •Upright and open posture
- •Energy rises to meet the moment
- •Fully present
DERAILERS
- • Performative energy (forced enthusiasm feels fake)
- • Always "on" (exhausts people)
- • Mistaking volume for energy
QUICK WINS
- •Before important meetings, do a 2-minute physical reset—stand up, move, take deep breaths. Physiology drives energy.
- •Vary your vocal tempo. Intentionally speed up when excited and slow down when emphasizing a critical point.
- •Start your next 3 meetings with a genuine, positive observation or "win" to set the energetic tone for the room.
Assertiveness
Leaders with high executive presence take a point of view on controversial issues. Strong opinions, loosely held.
LOW PRESENCE
- •Avoiding conflict or hard conversations
- •Deferring decisions to others
- •Staying silent when you disagree
- •Going along to get along
HIGH PRESENCE
- •Addressing issues directly and promptly
- •Making calls in uncertainty
- •Voicing dissent respectfully but clearly
- •Taking positions
DERAILERS
- • Bulldozing (assertive without empathy becomes aggression)
- • Over-indexing on autonomy (abdicating decisions only you should make)
- • Stubbornness (opinions should be loosely held)
QUICK WINS
- •In your next meeting where you have a perspective, share it first rather than waiting to see what others think.
- •Practice the formula "I notice [observation], duplicable [impact], so I suggest [path forward]" for difficult feedback.
- •Stop asking for permission on decisions within your scope. Inform stakeholders of your plan instead of asking if it's okay.
Appearance
Appearance matters. Yes, even remotely. Yes, even in casual industries.
LOW PRESENCE
- •Disheveled or didn't consider audience
- •Distracting habits
- •Poor virtual setup
- •Closed body language
HIGH PRESENCE
- •Intentional and context-appropriate presentation
- •Controlled purposeful body language
- •Professional virtual environment
DERAILERS
- • Over-polished (looking like you tried too hard)
- • Ignoring virtual presence (your Zoom setup IS your appearance)
- • "Judge me on my work" naivety (first impressions form in seconds)
QUICK WINS
- •Audit your virtual setup this week. Invest in good lighting, raise your camera to eye level, and curate your background.
- •Review your calendar for the week and identify "high stakes" moments. Plan your attire specifically for those audiences.
- •Check your "rest face" in a mirror or video recording. Ensure your neutral expression looks engaged, not bored or angry.
Communication
Communicate like a busy executive listens—lead with the headline.
LOW PRESENCE
- •Buries the lead
- •Rambles without structure
- •Uses hedging language
- •Uses excessive filler words
HIGH PRESENCE
- •Leads with conclusion then context
- •Concise structured delivery
- •Matches medium to message
- •Listens more than talks
DERAILERS
- • Over-explaining
- • Failing to read the room
- • One-way broadcasting
QUICK WINS
- •For your next recommendation, write the conclusion (the "ask") in the first sentence. Then add only necessary context.
- •Eliminate the "pre-ramble." Start your updates immediately with the news, without the 2 minutes of warm-up context.
- •Use the "Rule of 3" for structuring complex ideas: "There are 3 key factors here..." It makes you sound organized and clear.
Strategic Thinking
The world today is over-managed and under-led. Know the difference between strategy and tactics.
LOW PRESENCE
- •Constantly in the weeds
- •Treats every issue as equally urgent
- •Can't explain the "why" behind decisions
- •Brings problems without context
HIGH PRESENCE
- •Regularly zooms out to see patterns
- •Distinguishes urgent from important
- •Articulates strategic rationale clearly
- •Frames issues in terms of organizational priorities
DERAILERS
- • Analysis paralysis (strategic thinking that never becomes action)
- • Ivory tower syndrome (so focused on strategy you're disconnected from execution)
- • Urgency addiction (dopamine hit of firefighting crowds out strategic work)
QUICK WINS
- •Block 90 minutes weekly on your calendar labeled "Strategic Thinking"—no agenda, no email, just space to zoom out.
- •In your next team meeting, explicitly link a current tactical project to the broader organizational 3-year goals.
- •When presented with a problem, practice asking "What is the root cause?" three times before jumping to solve the symptom.
Execution
Executive presence is more than just talk. You need to get things done.
LOW PRESENCE
- •Great ideas that never materialize
- •Vague commitments without clear ownership
- •Delegates and disappears
- •Meetings without decisions
HIGH PRESENCE
- •Track record of getting things done
- •Specific outcomes with names and dates
- •Relentless follow-through
- •Meetings end with clear actions
DERAILERS
- • Micromanagement (so focused on execution you strangle people)
- • Doing vs. leading (getting pulled into execution rather than enabling others)
- • Confusing activity with progress
QUICK WINS
- •End every meeting you run by verbally confirming: "Who is doing what by when?" Don't leave until it's crystal clear.
- •Implement a "red/yellow/green" status helper for your key projects. Communicate bad news (red) early, not at the deadline.
- •Pick one stalled initiative and define the single "next physical action" required to move it forward today. Do it.
Relationships
Trust is the currency of leadership. Without it, every initiative faces friction.
LOW PRESENCE
- •Transactional (engages only when needs something)
- •Known for self-interest
- •Burns bridges
- •Avoids organizational politics
- •Shallow network
HIGH PRESENCE
- •Proactive investment in relationships
- •Organizational focus over self-interest
- •Maintains relationships through conflict
- •Navigates politics with integrity
- •Cultivates relationships before needing them
DERAILERS
- • Being a pleaser (prioritizing liked over respected)
- • Confusing networking with relationships
- • Political naivety (pretending politics don't exist doesn't make you virtuous)
QUICK WINS
- •Identify one important relationship you've neglected. Reach out this week with no agenda—just to reconnect.
- •Practice "active constructive responding." When someone shares good news, stop what you are doing and celebrate it with them.
- •Map your key stakeholders for your current project. Identify one person whose support is "neutral" and plan a coffee chat.
Self-Assessment
Rate yourself on each of the eight elements. Be honest—this is for your development.
Confidence
How would you rate your confidence in professional settings?
Confidence
How would you rate your confidence in professional settings?