Most people misunderstand what executive presence really is.​
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They think it’s about being polished, speaking confidently, having the right title, or always knowing the answer. Those things alone won’t help you gain influence, earn trust, or get promoted faster.

According to a recent Gartner study, 89% of HR leaders say executive presence is a key factor in determining leadership potential, yet less than 1/3 of employees demonstrate it consistently. Why?

Real executive presence isn’t just about performance. It’s about perception.

It’s how people experience your leadership, especially when stakes are high.

If you’ve ever walked out of a meeting feeling unheard or overlooked, even though your ideas were solid…
The problem likely isn’t your ideas. It’s how you’re delivering them.

So let’s fix that! Here's what it really takes to build true executive presence and become someone others want to follow, promote, and listen to.

3 ways to strengthen your executive presence

1. Communicate with clarity and precision

Strong communicators don’t say more. They say what matters clearly, calmly, and with conviction.
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When speaking with senior leaders, there’s no room for filler, rambling, or uncertainty. The goal is to make it impossible to misinterpret your message. Here's how.

→ Lead with the “so what”: In other words, why should this matter to them?

"This strategy will help us hit our Q3 revenue target. Here's the plan in place to support that.""Our customer experience score is down 12% and here’s what’s driving it."
"These changes will cut onboarding time in half and save approximately 200 hours this quarter."

→ Use a confident tone: End your sentences on a downward note to convey authority. If your voice rises at the end (like a question), it signals hesitation.

Also, use intentional pauses to create emphasis, especially before or after key points. Pauses give your audience time to process and signal that you’re comfortable holding the room.

→ Trim the fat: Avoid long preambles or unnecessary details that dilute your message.

"I recommend we adjust the timeline to meet our delivery goals.""We should test a new campaign message to improve engagement given our goal this year."
"The team needs clearer next steps on [X] to stay aligned on upcoming deliverables."

→ Don't overshare: Less is more. Volunteer additional information only if needed.

"After recent input from supply chain, marketing and finance, we’re ready to move forward with the final launch plan."

→ Close with clarity: Never leave a room wondering what your point was.

"I’m requesting your approval to begin rollout Monday."
"The next step is allocating the additional funds to this initiative. Are you aligned?"

Pro tip: Practice putting together executive summaries before key meetings. Ask yourself, if you only 60 seconds, what's the #1 outcome you need to achieve and which 3 messages would you share to get there?

This was a key area we supported one of our clients on which improved her executive presence, and led her to secure a major PR feature of her work that was chosen as the cover story, a first for her company!

2. Persuade through storytelling

Data earns attention, but storytelling captures hearts and earns buy-in.

Executives don’t just want numbers. They want context, relevance, and meaning. They want to know why it matters, what problem it solves, and how it supports the bigger picture.

→ Start with the business outcome, not the full backstory: Share the headlines and build from there.

Instead of "We ran a pilot in 3 markets and spent a few weeks testing creative assets…"
Use: "The pilot increased market share by 8% and here’s what made it work."

→ Anchor your story in business priorities: Make it easy for your audience to connect the dots between your work and their goals.

"This initiative directly supports our Q3 priority to improve retention and reduce churn by 10%."
"Our findings reinforce our long-term goal of becoming the market leader in sustainability."

→ Position your audience as the decision-maker: Show that you value their leadership and trust their judgment. It makes them more engaged and invested in what you share.

"We explored 3 go-to-market paths. I’d love your input on which aligns best with your vision."
"There are 2 viable options, both address our challenge in different ways. I'd recommend option A because of [X reason], and I’m open to your input too."

→ Highlight moments of resilience or adaptability: Great stories include tension and resolution. They also show how you can lead through challenges.

"When our first plan fell through, we pivoted within 48 hours, secured a new vendor, and still hit our deadline 1 week ahead of schedule."

[Check out my LinkedIn Learning course on Storytelling to Influence Leadership and Decision-Makers]

3. Build strategic relationships with intention

Executive presence isn’t built in presentations and meetings alone. It’s established in the quiet moments like side conversations, cross-functional efforts, and how others describe you when you’re not in the room.

Leaders who influence at the highest levels are backed by trusted relationships across the business. Here's how you can build these relationships in the right way.

→ Pre-vet your ideas: Before presenting a big idea or recommendation, get early input from key stakeholders who will influence the decision-making.

"I’d love to run this by you before I present it next week. Anything you’d add or challenge?"

This does 3 things at once:
(1) It strengthens your idea as you're gaining complimentary insight and feedback.
(2) It earns early buy-in from those influencing the decision as well.
(3) It shows you’re inclusive and proactively doing your due diligence.

→ Be seen as a trusted advisor: Move away from being a doer and position yourself as someone who helps others succeed.

"Here’s a resource I think might help with your launch."
"I noticed a potential overlap between our teams and see some strong synergies as it relates to [X goal]. Would you like to collaborate more on this?"

→ Expand your visibility across teams: If only your direct manager knows your value, you’re capped. Seek cross-functional projects or offer to contribute outside your immediate team.

"If you're pulling together a task force for that initiative, I’d love to get involved too."
"I’ve worked on something similar. Happy to share some best practices with your team."

→ Be known for lifting others up: Mentoring others and supporting peers creates a halo effect that reflects positively on you as a leader.

"You might want to bring Jamie into that meeting. She’s been leading this part of the work really well and I believe she should be in on this too."

Pro tip: At least once a quarter, audit your internal network to see where you want to close any gaps:

• Who knows your work and impact?

• Who advocates for you when you’re not around?

• Where do you need stronger visibility?

Leveraging this approach helped our client secure a major speaking engagement in her field.

You've got this!