Leadership presence is your ability to command a room, communicate with charisma, and engage others to follow you. It is the brand that you are known for as a leader. It is what others say about you and think of you when you are not in the room.
When you are someone who has authority or power over others, your presence extends far further than the physical space you occupy.
Every word you speak, every action you take — and even words unspoken and actions not taken — are interpreted by those who are under your care and/or authority as being about them.
I’ve held many leadership positions (school AP, CEO, ED, Director, COO) and it took me several experiences to realize that while I’m simply walking the halls or sitting quietly in a meeting, those around me are making assumptions that their behaviors, actions, or performances are what occupies my mind. But the truth is that most of the time they are far from my thoughts.
Just like this picture of a tiny fern frond poking through this fence, your leadership presence is far greater than what you can imagine.
Be intentional with the shadow your presence casts as you walk your leadership journey.
I created a Leadership Presence Guide and Assessment, which you can download for free (along with my other free tools):
http://ncdsolution.com/free-tools
What will be your next steps towards developing your leadership presence?
-Beth