Personal presence may be difficult to define but we all know it when we see it. Management can create interest with presence and integrity. When someone has presence and walks into a room – people step aside. Conversation opens up to include someone with presence. People with presence ask and people answer. The dictionary defines presence as “a person’s bearing especially when it commands respectful attention.” One of the best ways to demonstrate leadership is to show that you are present – with presence and integrity.
In business management, being present means you engage others with sincere interest and seek to understand needs by soliciting input and offer reasoned guidance. When you have integrity, you come command respect.
In our management training, we specifically focus our effort to increase the awareness of the importance of the way, you look, talk, think and act. We believe these are key factors that will strengthen presence, credibility, and influence. Your ability to impact and articulate your genuine self by the way you look, talk think and act will create interest in your listeners and convey integrity to help you achieve your personal and career goals.
Leadership presence is about making others better. When someone looks at you, hears you, understands your thinking and sees your actions, they gain confidence and get inspired to be more than they are. But how do you create interest and improve through presence? You do it by the way you improve the way you look, talk, think and act:
- LOOK – How you look and how you dress will create interest. Appearances make the first impression, so make sure your outward appearance reflects who you are inwardly. Aim to represent yourself authentically and appropriately.
- TALK – Your words create interest, unveil character, education, preparation and communicate the essence of your identity. The art of communication is the language of leadership. Grow your presence by learning how to use words that matter in your story telling.
- THINK – The way you think influences those around you, whether it is negative or positive. It will be felt by those around you. Great leadership presence is practiced not so much in words as in attitudes.
- ACT – Motivate and inspire others by your actions. Great leaders not only share with people what they know but show them how it gets done. Take time to accomplish tasks. Body language sends clear messages, even when people are not speaking. Make sure your own body language is consistent with what you say. To have presence and integrity is to accept responsibility for your actions and be accountable for your results.
Some people think management training is about learning how to get power. Actually, Management training is about learning how to increase your leadership presence through integrity and values that are reflected in the way you look, talk, think, and act. When you have a leadership presence, it becomes a central part of your reputation. When your reputation is built on your integrity and values, it is who you really are that defines how others see you.
Train to win.