Hi Reader,

If you're beginning to think about performance conversations, this is the newsletter for you. Recently, I've been hearing this from the people in my workshops, "I'm doing great work. Why am I not getting the next role?"

Often, one of the answers is related to executive presence. In fact, it might not even be something your manager tells you, but how you carry yourself creates the impression people have of you.

So what is executive presence?

According to the Center for Talent Innovation, executive presence is broken down like this:

gravitas - 67%
communication - 28%
appearance - 5%

Notice the last number. Executive presence isn't about the blazer. It's about how you show up when it matters. So how can you be mindful of this in your next meeting? Keep reading...

🎉 What I'm excited about...

I was in Dallas, TX this week speaking at the SchoolCEO Conference! My keynote was, "The Communication Advantage: How to Influence, Impact, and Connect in the Age of AI,"

What I talked about:

Change is moving faster than ever
A growth mindset is needed to build resilience
Visibility isn't promotion, it's transparency

What anchors it all? Communications.

Want to learn more? Check out this page.

Here are 3 speaking scripts to help you build executive presence:

1) Say: "Let me take a moment to think about that." When someone asks you a tough question, the instinct is to fill the silence fast. But gravitas is really about composure. In fact, 79% of executives said exuding confidence and grace under fire contributes to a woman's executive presence, and 76% said the same for men. A short pause tells people you're thoughtful. It also gives you time to come up with a better answer.

2) Say: "My recommendation is..." Many of us save our best point for the end. However, leaders lead with the headline. If people want more detail, they'll ask, and when they do, you'll know you have their attention.

3) Say: "What's one thing I could do differently to show I'm ready for the next level?" Research has shown that professionals who get feedback on executive presence don't actually know what it means. If you want clarity, ask for it. Tell your boss to give you an example of how executive presence could've looked like in a previous meeting.

Executive presence isn't something you're born with. It's a set of behaviors you can practice. You don't have to be the loudest person in the room. You just have to be the clearest and calmest when it counts.

If you want to go deeper, this new video gives you more tips. You can watch it here: