Summary

Key Quotes

Appropriate to environment, authentic to you

Build a personal brand that gives you lots of latitude to be you

Executive presence rests on three pillars: gravitas (how you act), communication (how you speak), and appearance (how you look). Gravitas means unshakable confidence under fire, decisiveness, and speaking truth to power. Communication is mostly delivery — passion, voice quality, and presence account for 65% of persuasion while content is just 15%. Appearance opens doors but only accounts for 5% after that. The central tension: conformity vs authenticity. Only you can determine what compromises your authenticity.

Key Takeaways

Notes

1: What is executive presence?

• 3 pillars of EP / image:
  • Gravitas: how you act
  • Communication: how you speak
  • Appearance: how you look
• Tension: conformity vs authenticity

2: Gravitas

• unshakable confidence under fire
• public decisiveness: showing teeth
  • Use sparingly
• courage: speak truth to power
• demonstrate EQ: read the room
• right sizing your reputation
  • Public brand, environment
• vision + charisma
  • Brutally optimistic
• Blunders
  • Lack of integrity
  • Sexual impropriety
• Traits / skills
  • Ambitious goal + clear plan
  • Surround yourself with smart people
  • Know your weaknesses, fill w others
  • Be generous with credit
  • Show humility
  • High energy
  • Empower others → visibility

3: Communication

• Communication is how you say it
• Elements of persuasion: passion 27%, voice quality 23%, presence 15%, content 15%
• Accent, pitch (125 hz)
• Establish connection with audience: human
  • Root for you while giving the impression you don’t need to be
• Speak slower, use pauses
• Stories > facts + data
• Eye contact
• Be succinct
• Be forceful and assertive
• Master pre-meeting banter
• Body language, gestures, stance, fidgeting

4: Appearance

• Looking good → looking capable
• Appearance opens doors (only 5% after)
• The more makeup, the better
• “Appropriate to environment, authentic to you”
• Look healthy
• Dress for the job you want, not have
• Follow convention + unique twist
• Craft your image

5: Feedback features

• Good feedback: timely, specific, prescriptive
• How to get EP feedback:
  • Show you can take tough feedback
• Ask how it’s negatively affecting outcomes
• Call out improvements
• Preface with “best interests at heart”

6: Walk the tightrope

• Likability vs confidence tradeoff
• “Build a personal brand that gives you lots of latitude to be you”
• Minorities have to muzzle themselves

7: Authenticity vs conformity

• Only you can determine what’s a compromise to your authenticity