One of the better-known books on executive presence has a title that speaks to the importance of the concept: Executive Presence: The Missing Link Between Merit and Success.

Leadership presence, interchangeable with executive presence, is that intangible leadership quality, that “missing link,” that can propel a leader to great standing or rob them of their credibility and following.

Leadership presence should be an area of study for leaders, especially those new to a leadership role, as it plays a vital role in the leader’s overall effectiveness. While leadership presence is made up of many different elements, five are especially important.

Pride in Appearance

The ideal goal here is a fit, well-groomed, and impeccable attire.

In the military, attention to detail is emphasized constantly, and that includes personal appearance. This is not just the standard for special occasions; it is the standard for every day. Non-uniform attire does not have to be expensive, but it should always be clean, pressed, well-maintained, and properly fitted.

Not everyone achieves their desired level of fitness, but even when that is the case, there is no reason that we cannot excel in the other two areas. In fact, it is probably even more important that we do.

Striving for the best appearance possible enhances our credibility, strengthens our presence, and builds confidence. Anything less can, and often will, detract from our message.

Gravitas

Let’s define gravitas as the way we carry ourselves. As leaders, we must get gravitas right. In one study, 67% of senior executives surveyed identified gravitas as the core characteristic of executive presence (Center for Talent Innovation, 2013).

Some in leadership roles mistake gravitas for pretentiousness or condescension. It is neither. Gravitas is not about acting as though we are better than others; it is about carrying ourselves in a way that reflects the respect and dignity of the position we hold. There is a fine line here. If our people must first consult with one another about our mood of the day before deciding whether to bring us an idea, concern, or problem, we are getting it wrong.

Adventure racer Robyn Benincasa offers one of the best contemporary quotes on leadership: “You don’t inspire your teammates by showing them how amazing you are. You inspire them by showing them how amazing they are.” This philosophy cannot coexist in a leader who is also conceited, arrogant and overly self-important because of their role.

Knowledge

It is inescapable: we can only have a strong leadership presence if we are perceived as having strong job knowledge. Great leaders know their craft. They do not need to know every detail of everyone else’s job, but they do need to know their own.

Kevin O’Leary, the highly successful businessman known for his role on Shark Tank, frequently tells leaders, “Know your numbers!” Spot on, but strong job knowledge extends well beyond numbers. If you are a chief, you certainly need to know the numbers related to crime statistics, internal affairs complaints, community approval, agency staffing, and demographics. But you must also understand budgeting and line-item expenditures, strategic planning, employment and disciplinary law, and the many other areas that come with leading an organization.

For lower-ranking personnel, having a strong job knowledge can earn you a seat at the table. Become the go-to person on search and seizure, and ranked personnel will seek you out for answers. Develop expertise in street gangs, and you may find yourself invited to upper-level meetings where gang activity and strategy are being discussed. Expertise creates influence, even when rank does not.

There is no question that knowledge is power. When you become known as a highly knowledgeable leader, it strengthens your leadership presence and builds credibility. Over time, that expertise becomes part of your reputation.

Communication

Everything else can be perfect, but if the leader cannot effectively communicate, it will undermine the leader’s overall ability to be effective in the role.

It is also important to recognize that communication covers a tremendous amount of ground: what we say and how we say it, speaking technique, our ability to inspire and persuade, the frequency of our communication, the methods we use to communicate, and much more.

The good news is that, regardless of where we currently fall on the communication-skill spectrum, communication is a learned skill which means every aspect of it can be improved.

It is easy to forget that communication is about both transmitting and receiving information. In law enforcement, we are often required to make decisions with incomplete information. That makes it even more important that we gather as much information as possible, which brings us to the importance of listening.

While many leaders may write this one off as “Mission accomplished,” survey after survey suggests that our people do not always see it the same way. Great leaders do more than simply hear what others are saying; they are proactive listeners.

At some point, the leader must process the information and make a decision. The leader needs to take a command role and clearly and effectively communicate the plan to operational personnel or whoever will carry out the decided course of action. Do you have the ability to give a clear and concise overview? Do you have the ability to take the command role laying out the plan and organizing the effort? How are you at the head of the conference table or behind the podium? Again, these are learned skills, but the sooner you develop them, the better off you will be when the opportunity presents itself.

Don’t minimize the importance of communication, either. In an Interact/Harris Poll of approximately 1,000 U.S. workers, 91% said communication issues can undermine a leader’s effectiveness (Solomon, 2015).

How would your people rate your communication skills? If you are really interested in knowing, ask them. Or put out an anonymous poll to your people. The results might be eye-opening.

Reputation

When you stand in front of a room you bring yesterday, last week, and last year with you. How you treat your people in the day-to-day is a critical part of your leadership presence. You are not materializing in front of your people for the first time; they know you. They have experienced your decisions, your demeanor, your consistency, and the way you treat people.

This is why leadership is built from the day-to-day, often mundane interactions much more than from the crises. This might be the most significant part of leadership presence. Consider an agency executive known for being arrogant, selfish, and condescending entering a room to address a command staff meeting. Her history would shape the room before she ever said a word. She would elicit a very different reaction than an executive known for being kind, empowering, and an exceptional coach. All the gravitas in the world cannot erase a reputation built through repeated negative interactions.

Leadership in the macro is built on the individual relationships we establish with our people in the micro.

In Closing

There is a difference between being obsessed with what others think and being intentional about what we project as leaders. Great leaders understand that how they are perceived directly impacts organizational environment, culture, and whether they will get buy-in on their vision.

Leadership presence is capital. The more we build, the greater our ability to influence, improve, and effect positive change within our organizations. And in the end, isn’t that what leadership is about?

References

Hewlett, S. A., Allwood, N., Sumberg, K., Scharf, S., & Fargnoli, C. (2013). Cracking the code: Executive presence and multicultural professionals [Executive summary]. Center for Talent Innovation.

Solomon, L. (2015, June 24). The top complaints from employees about their leaders. Harvard Business Review.