Presence. Ya, what is that?
“You lack presence.” What does that mean, really? I evaluated potential leaders on their presence countless times in the Army. It was a critical factor in determining if I would place the lives of soldiers and care of their families under a certain person. In business one assumes responsibility for the livelihoods of their people and survival of the business. Presence matters. As leaders we want to select those we believe others will follow. Presence encompasses a lot and it is typically measured through the visible and verbal traits of a person. It is deeper than that though. Let me share what I look for in presence.
Physical presence. Posture. Standing and sitting up straight. Not slouching. Walking with confidence. Making eye contact. All of this, even in a Zoom session!
Balancing confidence and vulnerability. A humble person, grateful for the privilege to lead and loyal to the position they hold. Confident in word and deed yet humble enough to ask for help and admit what they do not know.
Communication. Articulate with their words and directives. Able to explain and justify things. Inspiring communication which motivates teams to achieve greatness. Able to communicate effectively to superiors and subordinates.
Selflessness. It’s about the team and others, not self. Espousing selflessness through words and actions.
Courage. Will stand up for what is right and protect their people.
Maturity. Applying judgement and wisdom (even if sought by others) not emotions, to lead.
Intellect. Able to grasp concepts, learn and adapt.
Confidence. There must be some level of confidence or the thirst for growth.
Leaders are made, not born and all of this can be trained and instilled in a person hungry for the mantle of leadership. Even if a person is a bit weak in one or more of these areas, if they can demonstrate that they care deeply for both their people and the mission they can lead.
Develop presence in those you want to lead in your organization. I can help!
Make it Personal!
Rob
Rob Campbell