In Yesterday’s Advisor, we heard from Jennifer Lee, from JB Training Solutions, on how today’s professional woman can make the most of her executive presence. Today, more tips from Lee.
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Yesterday, Lee covered two of three main points no executive presence: gravitas, and communication. Today we’ll look at her final point: perception.
Perception
Lee gave a great example of how you can get gravitas and communication down but still have trouble.
I used to work for an HR Director … she was dressed in Gucci head to toe. She looked amazing, she had the posture, the gravitas, and everything right. But people didn’t trust her because she wasn’t authentic. Just because you have the right wardrobe doesn’t mean you have the presence.
Lee offers a number of tips on how to improve how others perceive you.
Look the part. The most important thing about how you look, according to Lee, is to match the environment. “You have to blend in so people can trust you.” Lee uses two examples. If you work at a creative agency, you can dress creatively. If you work at a luxury hotel, you’ll have fewer choices in what you need to wear. “You want to think to yourself, are people going to feel comfortable walking into my office and trusting me with benefits?” If the answer is no, you need to change your attire. To put it into context, Lee quotes research from CTI: 83% of senior executives said that unkempt attire distracts from a woman’s executive appearance.
Personal presentation. Lee suggests taking a look in the mirror and asking yourself if you think you have credibility. It’s a great place to start.
She also notes that if you have a huge handbag, get a small compartment for the things you need during a presentation. Having to go through your whole purse for a business card doesn’t exactly express your organizational skills.
Gossip. Lee strongly believes that gossip is a bad idea. “It’s easy to go down that path, but if I gossip with you, we have something in common, and now we are friends. Do not build relationships through gossip,” says Lee. These are not the kinds of relationships that will benefit you professionally.
Final Words
If you attempt to take all of Lee’s suggestions, you might feel a little overwhelmed. Lee acknowledges that it won’t be easy. She left the audience with some words of encouragement. “You have to keep trying, no matter what. If you feel like you don’t have a good executive presence, work on it. Put some habits in place, and work on it. You’ll get there step by step, day by day.”
We didn’t’ have enough room to include all of Lee’s great ideas. If you want to learn more, please check them out here.