Executive presence course: The Power of Presence

The New Power of Presence

• What executive/professional presence is, and what it is not
• Warmth vs. competence
• How expectations of leadership presence have evolved
• Professional presence as a learnable skill
• Self-assessment: How do others experience my presence?

Gravitas: The Foundation of Presence

• Confidence, competence, credibility, and authenticity
• Personal brand and the signals you send
• Stance, posture, energy, and nonverbal presence
• Responding effectively to friction, challenge, and pressure
• Balancing confidence with humility and curiosity
• Hands-on practice: Building presence in high-stakes moments
  • Impromptu speaking: headline/structure; ethos, pathos, logos
• Inclusiveness: Deliver informed empathy and volunteer as a “value add”
• Respect for others: Hire and utilize diverse talent and look beyond pedigree

Communication: Turning Presence into Influence

• Communicating with clarity, confidence, and purpose
• Balancing advocacy with active listening
• Navigating difficult conversations
• Connecting with diverse audiences and perspectives
• Making an impact in meetings and presentations through storytelling
• Communicating effectively in today’s hybrid and virtual environments
• Hands-on practice: Applying presence to real-world communication scenarios
• Command of Zoom: Ace the visuals and proactively manage virtual meetings
• “Listen and learn” orientation: Engage eye-to-eye and go beyond your comfort zone

Appearance: The Signal of Presence

• Understanding the role of appearance in professional presence
• Aligning professional presentation with personal brand
• Creating consistency between how you look, communicate, and lead
• Authenticity: Showcase your roots and values and dress for the new normal
• Online and in-person presence: Use social media to shape your brand and build relationships in person

Your Power of Presence Action Plan

• Identifying individual strengths and opportunities
• Selecting specific behaviors to practice
• Building an intentional plan for greater leadership impact

No. The program is designed for professionals at different stages of their careers who need to communicate ideas, influence others, lead conversations, and present recommendations effectively. It can be particularly valuable for emerging leaders, new managers, subject matter experts, project leaders, and professionals preparing for higher-visibility roles.

An executive presence course guides professionals to develop the communication, behaviors, confidence, credibility, and influence needed to make an impact in professional settings. The Power of Presence course focuses on practical communication strategies that can help you communicate more effectively in high-stakes situations, navigate difficult conversations, and influence others.

The program addresses communication in both face-to-face and virtual settings, including strategies for strengthening your visual presence and communicating effectively across different workplace environments.

Yes. The Power of Presence is highly interactive and includes hands-on exercises, real-world scenarios, and opportunities to practice communication skills and receive feedback. Participants also take part in a crisis communication simulation, where they develop and deliver a crisis communication strategy before participating in a mock press interview with real-time peer and instructor feedback.

To develop executive presence at work, focus on how you communicate ideas, navigate challenging conversations, adapt to different audiences, and project confidence and credibility. The Power of Presence provides frameworks and practical strategies to help you strengthen these skills and apply them in your workplace.

Strong executive presence can help leaders communicate ideas with greater clarity, build credibility, influence others, and navigate high-stakes conversations more effectively. The Power of Presence focuses on these communication behaviors through practical application and feedback.

Come prepared to participate, practice, and apply the communication strategies covered throughout the program to situations you encounter in your professional life.