Improve your leadership presence!

Leadership presence is a vital aspect of being an effective leader. It refers to how you carry yourself, communicate, and interact with others. Your leadership presence can inspire and motivate people to follow you or create a sense of unease and reluctance.

To improve your leadership presence, here are some tips that can help.

  1. Define your leadership style: Before changing your leadership presence, you need to define your leadership style. Are you authoritative, democratic, or transformational? Understanding your leadership style will help you identify areas that need improvement and develop a plan to change your leadership presence.
  2. Develop your communication skills: Communication is a crucial component of leadership presence. Improving your communication skills will help you articulate your vision, build relationships, and connect with people more deeply. You can improve your communication skills by actively listening, asking open-ended questions, and speaking clearly and confidently.
  3. Work on your body language: Your body language can speak volumes about your leadership presence. For example, slouching, avoiding eye contact, or fidgeting can convey disinterest or lack of confidence. On the other hand, standing tall, making eye contact, and using appropriate gestures can bring a sense of confidence, competence, and authority.
  4. Develop your emotional intelligence: Emotional intelligence is the ability to understand and manage your emotions and those of others. Leaders with high emotional intelligence are better equipped to build relationships, resolve conflicts, and inspire others. You can develop your emotional intelligence by practicing empathy, self-awareness, and emotional regulation.
  5. Build a strong network: A strong network of colleagues, mentors, and peers can help you develop your leadership presence. By surrounding yourself with supportive, challenging, and knowledgeable people, you can gain valuable insights and feedback, expand your knowledge and skills, and build your confidence.
  6. Invest in your personal development: Finally, investing in your personal development is essential to improving your leadership presence. This may include attending leadership training programs, reading books, seeking coaching or mentoring, or participating in networking events. By continually learning and growing, you can enhance your leadership presence and become a more effective leader.

Changing your leadership presence requires self-awareness, commitment, and effort. By defining your leadership style, developing your communication skills, working on your body language, building your emotional intelligence, building a solid network, and investing in your personal development, you can enhance your leadership presence and become a more effective leader. Remember, leadership presence is not a fixed trait; it can be developed and improved with deliberate practice and intention.

About Richard Jones

Rich Jones is the Founder/Principal of Leading2Leadership LLC. Before starting his strategic planning agency, he spent over 20 years in leadership roles in the financial services sector. Before becoming an executive in the financial services sector, Rich was an entrepreneur, building and selling two businesses and working for early-stage start-up companies in executive roles in marketing, business development, and seeking investment partners. With more than three decades of experience, he brings innovative thought to companies and executives. Rich published “Leading2Leadership, a Situational Primer to Leadership Excellence.” The book is available on Amazon.com and was designed to be used as a book study for leadership development programs; it breaks leadership skills into manageable situations for discussion and reflection. Rich works with credit unions, CUSOs, and vendors, designing digital, data, culture, marketing, and branding transformation strategies. In 2014, Chosen as a Credit Union Rock Star by CU Magazine, and in 2018, Rich received the Lifetime Achievement Award from CUNA Marketing and Business Development Council. A Marine and graduate of Colorado State University, Jones shares his expertise at www.leading2leadership.com.

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