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How to Level Up Your Executive Presence

Command a room, even if you’re quiet.

Melody Wilding, LMSW
5 min readJan 17, 2022

At least once a week, I hear from Sensitive Strivers — deeply feeling and high-achieving leaders — who ask, “How do I project more executive presence?”

This is such a common question because most Sensitive Strivers believe they lack presence. But the fact that you’re sensitive doesn’t mean you can’t command a room. What if it meant you could more powerfully create executive presence? In fact, you can use your qualities as a Sensitive Striver to improve your assertiveness, influence, and persuasiveness to accelerate your career.

What is Executive Presence?

You may know executive presence by another name — leadership presence, executive demeanor. All of these terms are used interchangeably to refer to projecting quiet confidence without arrogance. Executive presence is talked about a lot but can feel very elusive and hard to achieve it’s a combination of many traits and skills. It’s a you-know-it-when-you-see-it quality.

Do a quick exercise with me. Right now, in your mind’s eye, think of someone whom you know that projects executive presence. How does that person carry themselves in a high-pressure situation? How do they enter a room? What does it look and sound like when they communicate? This…

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Melody Wilding, LMSW
Melody Wilding, LMSW

Written by Melody Wilding, LMSW

Author of MANAGING UP & TRUST YOURSELF. Executive coach. Human behavior professor. Featured in NYT, WSJ, CNN. https://melodywilding.com/book

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