Manage Smarter 250- Joel Garfinkle- Executive Presence

Joel Garfinkle is a distinguished executive coach with over 20 years of experience guiding leaders to maximize their executive presence and leadership skills. Author of 11 books, including the influential "Executive Presence: Step into Your Power, Convey Confidence and Lead with Conviction," Joel is renowned for his expertise in personal branding and strategic communication.

He has coached thousands across various sectors, helping them to harness their potential and project confidence and clarity in their roles. His profound insights on leadership and career advancement are frequently featured in major media outlets, making him a trusted advisor in the field of executive development.

In this podcast for sales managers and sales leaders, Audrey, Lee and Joel Garfinkle discuss:

Importance of Executive Presence: Executive presence is not just about confidence and command; it encompasses a range of competencies including gravitas, authority, and the ability to express oneself clearly and decisively. The discussion highlights that having executive presence is a critical trait that senior leadership values highly when considering candidates for advancement. It's about showing up with confidence, charisma, and clarity in every interaction, whether upward with senior leaders or downward managing one’s team.
Building and Demonstrating Credibility When Leading: Credibility is foundational to building trust and establishing executive presence. The podcast points out that to be perceived as a leader, one must first establish credibility through consistent, reliable actions and clear communication. This is crucial not only in direct interactions but also in how one is perceived in larger organizational contexts. Losing credibility can significantly impact one’s ability to lead effectively and influence others.
Adapting Executive Presence in Remote Settings: With the increase in remote work, maintaining executive presence virtually has become a new challenge. The episode discusses strategies to ensure one’s presence is felt even when not physically in the room, such as being vocal during meetings, engaging actively, and preparing to contribute meaningfully. This adaptation is crucial to ensure that one remains visible and influential, regardless of physical location.
Continuous Self-Evaluation and Improvement: The podcast emphasizes the importance of continually evaluating one's competencies in executive presence across different settings and interactions. Recognizing areas for improvement, whether it’s being more decisive, expressing ideas more clearly, or demonstrating confidence, is crucial for leadership development. The speakers suggest using a structured approach to assess and enhance each competency, enabling leaders to adapt and excel in various corporate environments.
Overcoming Imposter Syndrome: A significant portion of the discussion revolves around dealing with imposter syndrome, where leaders doubt their capabilities despite external affirmations of their competence. The podcast offers advice on focusing on areas of strength, accepting positive feedback, and allowing oneself to internalize the confidence others have in them. This approach helps in aligning one's self-perception with the positive perceptions of peers and superiors, thus enhancing genuine executive presence.

"When you show up with executive presence, people feel your presence, they feel your power, they feel your strength and they feel like that's a leader I want on my team, that's a leader I want in our company.”
Joel Garfinkle

Manage Smarter 250 — Joel Garfinkle: Executive Presence for Elevating Your Influence and Leading with Confidence

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