Articles
Be Presidential In Your Presence
July 13, 2011 (Number 23) I recently worked with a brilliant, younger executive who was quite animated in his voice and mannerisms. It seemed he had a bit more energy than he knew what to do with. Some of his older colleagues interpreted this as a lack of maturity. In subtle ways, they were discounting him."What if," I asked him, "you funneled all your energy — like a laser — into an absolute focus in each of your conversations?" This wasn't easy for him as torrents of thoughts and emotions were continuously disrupting him. But after a few months of sincere effort, he finally got it. His fidgetiness subsided, replaced by a resolute steadiness. And his energy became so concentrated that he could almost knock people over with the quiet directness of his gaze.
This didn't feel like mere "executive presence." Rather, it felt truly presidential.
Perhaps the myriad thoughts and feelings percolating within you are not so obvious as they were in this case, but can you sense how they impair others' experience of you? What if you instead consistently showed up as exquisitely still and unperturbed? If that interests you, consider these tips:
- Practice noticing your emotions and thoughts — and the associated, usual stream of self-criticism — as they arise in your meetings and conversations. Observe this internal commotion with calm self-acceptance. Then repeatedly set it all aside and return to an intent focus on the interaction.
- Notice how your colleagues telegraph their emotions with countless, fleeting facial expressions — some subtle and others more obvious. Take note how this detracts from their presence. Challenge yourself to show up with greater grace and ease.
- Safeguard your capacity to stay present by maintaining appropriate control over your conversations. For example, when you notice yourself growing impatient or bored, interrupt to redirect the flow of the interaction or to gracefully end your participation.
- Feel continuously and deeply into your belly as you interact with others. Have 50% of your attention there and 50% on the conversation. Amaze yourself at how powerful, serene and attuned this makes you feel.
Dean Herman
