Have a positive powerful presence!
Having a powerful presence means that people experience an emotion, either positive or negative, when they are in your company. Great leaders have a powerful and positive presence. They radiate confidence and inspire and motivate their audience. This is a conscious choice that can be developed.
In her book “Presence”, Amy Cuddy defines presence as:
“The state of being attuned to, and able to comfortably express our true thoughts, feelings, values and potential.”
Amy Cuddy, a Harvard professor, is best known for her now famous TED Talk on how your body language may shape who you are, and the benefits of “power-posing”. I discussed how to use power-posing to increase confidence on this previous post. Prof. Cuddy proposes that presence derives from confidence:
“Presence stems from believing in and trusting yourself—your real, honest feelings, values, and abilities...”
People who have presence have an inner radiance, they are comfortable and content within themselves. They also have an attitude of certainty, which is different from arrogance. Their certainty derives from the knowledge that they have been in difficult situations in the past and were able to solve them. As a result, they have the inner confidence to be able to solve any problem. In the words of Tony Robbins,
“To be a leader, bring certainty to an environment where there isn’t any.”
It is easy to see that presence and confidence are two essential characteristics of a successful leader.
How can we develop a positive powerful presence? Since it derives from expressing our true thoughts, feelings and values, transparency is essential. Our actions, and our physical and facial expressions must be in alignment with our principles. In other words, if our behaviors are not consistent with our values, we won’t feel true to ourselves and it will be evident in all our interactions. Therefore, other people will perceive us as not authentic and will tend to distrust us.
Be transparent, by making sure that your actions and your physical and facial expressions are in alignment with your principles
The other important element of presence is a positive attitude and enthusiasm. People are naturally drawn to individuals that show passion and zest when sharing their ideas. When we lead with our strengths and true values, our passion transpires and is contagious.
Show passion and zest when sharing your ideas
In summary, I encourage you to start practicing these principles so you develop a powerful and positive presence.
Are you ready to move your career to the next level? Consider working with me.
The support that I offer can be as simple as a one-time video call to discuss a specific situation, or a more prolonged relationship where I am your trusted counselor.
