The Presence of a Leader

AJ City Manager George Hoffman recommended an article from the Public Management Magazine, which address the topic of executive presence. The tricky part in learning about executive presence is that it is not easy to define.

Some may say that the presence of an individual leader is one's personality, which can influence a group of individuals. This is a characteristic of a true leader and oftentimes is crucial for leaders to become chief executives of their companies, organizations, or governments.

My experience firsthand observing executive presence is at my full time job at American Express. During my training class, Jim Bush, the Executive Vice President of World Service at American Express, did a visit through the entire building and made a specific appointment to visit the 15 or so individuals in our training class.

He is basically my boss' boss' boss' boss' boss. I have no idea if there's a general term other than VP to describe my relationship to him as an employee...perhaps it's just he's really really important!

As he entered the room, I could tell by his demeanor and the tone of his voice that he was comfortable, confident, and someone who could take charge of almost anything. Being asked a question by him was intimidating even with his relaxed expression.

The article mentions that executive presence is not the same as leadership, rather that it is a byproduct of leadership. Executive presence is built upon the character, trustworthiness, and effectiveness of a leader. Jim Bush has done a lot for American Express, specifically in the area of customer service where he helped establish a prominently used survey question to measure the effectiveness of customer service agents.

The main takeaway from this article is the primary areas of executive presence that I can work on:

• "Seriousness of Purpose": the willingness to be very prepared for major decisions and tasks
• "The Ability to Forge Relationships Built on Trust": being consistent in my actions and developing relationships where I can be counted on to give my all even if I do not always succeed
• "Strong Personal Connection": keeping up clean and neat appearances while maintaining strong and consistent body language as well as being confident under pressure
• "Focused Awareness": the realization of the many dynamics going on around me and how I need to be attentive to the many needs and problems that arise