Experiences That Force You to Grow

A common question we get from aspiring leaders, especially among ERG groups, like women’s groups and minority groups, is how do you develop executive presence? What would be your advice to them?

I think, one, it’s always great to do training, I think it’s important. Media training, public speaking training. I think watching yourself back is probably the most painful thing to have to do when…

Yes.

No one wants to see themselves… I almost never still go back and watch myself on anything. And I think as a learning journey, it’s important to see, “Oh, I didn’t realize I always tap my finger when I’m talking or I didn’t realize.” And so, I think just becoming aware of yourself from outside of yourself is very helpful, one.

And I think two, is looking for opportunities to put yourself in experiences that force you to grow. I think there’s this like, “Oh, I’m on a learning path, and I’m going to do it at my pace. I think there are…

You show up at something and you have to speak… if you’ve only ever spoken to three people, you have to speak to 50 people, you’re forced to grow through that. And so, I think really putting yourselves in those experiences is important with the right amount of prep and training and all of that.

And then the last thing I would say is, recognize that a lot of times when you’re being called upon, you are the expert in what you’re there to talk about. And so it might all situationally be very intimidating, you’re there because of what you’re good at. And if you can bring that confidence and comfort, whether it’s because you write memos, or because you design logos or whatever it is that you do, bringing that into the room is actually what makes people want to listen to what you have to say, not, “I’ve never actually been in front of a room of 50 people before.”