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Your Personal Presence impacts on ALL your Conversations, Presentations and
Interpersonal Communications
PRESENCE
What is it?
Confidence. Influence. Gravitas.
You might find it quite a challenge to accurately describe Presence - to give a clear definition. But you know it when you see it, don't you?
Your Personal Presence is the way you 'hold' yourself, how you present to others and engage with them in a whole host of situations.
It's not just an aura around someone (do you remember those old 'Ready Brek' adverts?!) but they do seem to have something special - some kind of 'stand out' quality - hopefully for good reasons.
They seem to be genuine, important, successful - they can hold (or perhaps command) a room or an audience. It's much more than just making a good presentation though. It includes how you 'carry' yourself.
Not aloof or too distant, yet not quite 'at the coal face'. Approachable and amiable, yet selective.
Professional - with integrity and dignity. Yet have made many mistakes along the way - lessons of life. Genuine.
Who do you think of? Typically people say Bill Clinton and Nelson Mandela - Mother Theresa and Malala Yousafzai - Ghandi and Muhammad Ali (quite polar opposites in so many ways).
Think of sports stars and rock stars - and of course people in your own family or social circle and, yes, even politicians!
GRAVITAS
Makes You More
Impressive and Compelling
PRESENCE
Why want it?
'Executive Presence' counts for
26% of what it takes to get promoted
So there's a real benefit to enhancing your Presence.
If it helps with promotion that means it can help with winning clients' business too. It helps you deliver your professional service with more Professionalism - more credibility, gravitas and probably, therefore, more profit.
The same study* says that Gravitas is at the core of executive presence - but you may feel that may not apply to your leadership or personal style, so there is flexibility.
*That's according to the 2012 study by the Center for Talent Innovation in New York. It concluded that being perceived as leadership material is essential to being promoted into leadership positions.
#over-coached!?
We know 'Presence' when we see it - and we know when we don't!
I wonder if poor George Osborne was 'over-coached' for his conference speech.
It seems to be a deliberate 'power pose' ploy for these Conservative MPs as David Cameron, Theresa May and Michael Gove have all used it as well.
Then in May 2018 Sajid Javid was doing it too, on the very day he became UK Home Secretary. It became an internet sensation - but not in a good way. Do YOU think this gives them more power - more Gravitas?
Maybe their coach was an opposition voter! Rest assured, I will NEVER advise you to look - to Present - like this!
You Can Be
Impressive and Compelling
PRESENCE
How can I get it?
Real presence comes from being self-assured - though not arrogant. Comfortable in your own skin and in the roles you conduct, in business and in life. There's a natural passion, often accompanied by by a real flair - though sometimes a real 'clunkiness' can work too!
It's not just about learning to speak in the right way or to use your body language in the right move at the right time. That can so easily come across as robotic and fake, can't it?
It's more about learning to build gravitas and connection (as well as 'looking and sounding the part') whilst being yourself.
Even if that becomes a new-ish you.
Can 'it' be learned?
Or is it something which can only 'happen' naturally? Well, if that were true, it would mean that some people could never have it.
I firmly believe that we can all develop greater gravitas and more Presence if we really want to - for some it will come more easily than others. Have you seen the movie 'The King's Speech'...?
We can all learn to enhance our Presence. The challenge is to remain authentic to yourself - and not just become an unpleasant 'show off'.
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