Do You Have Executive Presence?
by Connie Glaser
Best-selling author and keynote speaker Connie
Glaser is one of the country's leading experts on gender communication and women
in leadership . Exploring communication differences
between men and women, Connie offers corporate seminars on effective communications
and overcoming barriers to leadership.
When industrial psychologists recently analyzed performance evaluations
of some 61,000 senior-level executives, they were astonished by the results:
Female managers ranked higher than their male counterparts in almost every
measure except confidence -- and confidence is key to royal presence. The
good news is confidence is easier to develop than competence.
These findings were no fluke. In fact, the researchers were studying the
qualities of strong leaders; they weren't even looking at gender differences.
What's more, the evaluations they analyzed came from a diversity of companies
-- high tech, health care, financial services, manufacturing and consumer
goods. Many of these executives had been evaluated by up to two dozen people,
including their bosses, peers and subordinates.
womens strengths? Some came as no surprise. For example, female executives
scored higher in areas such as "motivating others," "fostering
communication," "goal-setting," and "listening to others."
But many stereotypes were shattered as well. Women outperformed men at "producing
high-quality work," "recognizing trends" and "generating
new ideas and acting on them."
Obviously, women have the right stuff to run America's top companies. So
why aren't more of them at the helm? What is missing? If it's not something
measurable -- like level of education or number of degrees -- then it's probably
an elusive X factor quality.
Executive presence is more important today than ever. And it matters just
as much as -- maybe even more than -- impeccable credentials and an impressive
track record. It may even compensate for resume weaknesses.
Headhunters estimate that, on average, executive presence accounts for as
much as 70 percent of first impressions we make. But that figure applies
to men. Throw a highly qualified female into the mix and that figure soars
to 85 percent. As former Texas governor Ann Richards once quipped, "Ginger
had to do everything that Fred did -- only backwards and in high heels."
What's more, in recent years, executive presence has emerged as such an
essential prerequisite for career advancement that major corporations such
as Shell Group and JP Morgan Chase have sent many of their high-potential
female managers to special seminars to develop this elusive quality, reports
Business Week columnist Michelle Conlin.
What exactly is executive presence? Some experts think of it as a frame
around your other credentials and experience because, if you don't have good
professional presence, it's almost like having a terrific painting that has
been placed in a tacky frame. And we all know that a cheap frame will detract
from the beauty of a painting, while a great one will enhance it.
Executive presence is just the sort of boost that any ambitious woman can use to super charge her career.
