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I’ve learned that the term Executive Presence means different things to different people at different places. Your Executive Presence exists in the minds of the beholders. It’s about perceptions. And negative perceptions begin when others observe a variety of behaviors and attributes that include:
To develop your Gravitas, you must become a leader with the attributes in the image above.
Looking at the definition’s outcomes for gravitas, leaders who have it get more respect and trust than those who lack it. What leader wouldn’t want more respect and trust?
Considering the three factors above: Inattention to important details, Lack of assertiveness, and Presentation Fear, and their effect on a leader’s Executive Presence, developing your gravitas will serve to reduce others’ skepticism.
You develop confidence from the inside out. It’s a product of your belief system. If you’re strapped with limiting beliefs your confidence will suffer. If you believe you can fake it, you’ve just discovered a belief you need to address. How do you work on enhancing your confidence? My biased answer is to work with a coach who has a holistic approach to leadership development.
It depends.
If you’re an over-the-top, no-nonsense leader, perhaps not. But, how well can you read the room? What might overdeveloped gravitas do to morale? Seriousness alone does not give you gravitas. How well-developed are your empathy skills?
If you’re not an over-the-top, no-nonsense type the perceptions of your Executive Presence will likely benefit from the crash course in Transactional Analysis below.
Do you sense that you need to be taken more seriously by those you lead?
It’s important to take results and outcomes seriously. It’s less important to take yourself seriously.
Respect and trust must be earned. Seeking to shortcut the process can actually prolong or damage your cause.
Awareness of Transactional Analysis can help you avoid being over-the-top with an overly serious approach to communication. So here’s a quick overview.
In Transactional Analysis, individuals operate from one of three ego states: Parent, Adult, and Child. These ego states serve as psychological frameworks that influence behavior and communication.
1. Parent Ego State: The Parent ego state is akin to the ingrained lessons and values we’ve internalized from our caregivers and authority figures. It manifests in behaviors that mirror parental responses, ranging from nurturing and caring to strict and authoritative. When in the Parent ego state, individuals may offer guidance, set boundaries, or provide support based on learned experiences.
2. Adult Ego State: The Adult ego state represents a rational and objective approach to situations. It embodies the capacity for independent, critical thinking, free from emotional biases or preconceptions. When in the Adult ego state, individuals engage in logical analysis, make decisions based on facts, and communicate clearly and directly.
3. Child Ego State: The Child ego state reflects our emotional and instinctual reactions, often rooted in early experiences and feelings. This state can encompass both playful, spontaneous behavior and more vulnerable, dependent responses. When in the Child ego state, individuals may express curiosity, joy, or vulnerability, or they may exhibit behaviors associated with frustration or fear.
Influence on Behavior and Communication: The dominant ego state at any given moment profoundly impacts how we perceive and respond to the world. Understanding these states allows us to recognize patterns in our behavior and gain insight into how we interact with others. For instance, when communicating from the Parent ego state, one may take on a nurturing or authoritative tone. The Adult ego state enables clear, factual communication, while the Child ego state may evoke emotions, spontaneity, or vulnerability.
By recognizing and consciously shifting between these ego states, individuals can enhance their self-awareness and improve their interactions with others. This awareness facilitates more effective communication, decision-making, and relationship-building, both personally and in leadership roles.
For example, there are ways of moving you out of adult state and into the child state.
Each of the three ego states can serve a purpose. Until it doesn’t. So the effectiveness of each state is highly situational.
For your important interactions:
For rational decision-making to occur, you eventually need to have adult-to-adult conversations. And, you can’t move others into the adult ego state without having the gravitas to go there first. You need to be serious without being parental.
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