Think of leaders who command thought leadership and clarity in their online communications. They post insightful content on their social media, comment on other people’s posts with depth, and share their professional wins (and failures).
That is executive presence at play.
In this blog, we’ll explore some of the best examples of executive presence you can emulate to boost your presence across different scenarios.
Remember, executive presence isn’t limited to a physical room. It’s also about how you are perceived online.
At Crackerjack Marketing, we have over 15 years of experience providing B2B digital marketing services. We help B2B brands build visibility and authority through tailored content marketing, SEO, and social media management strategies.
Get in touch and discover how we can help you elevate your digital executive presence and position you as a trusted voice.
What is Executive Presence?
Executive presence refers to how people perceive your online presence, what they see, read, and feel about you after visiting your online profiles.
It involves inspiring confidence and positioning yourself as a trusted authority in your industry through your online behavior and content.
Key Components of Executive Presence
Next, let’s see what makes a leader show up and be perceived as an online leader:
- Optimized Profile: Position yourself as a thought leader by using clear professional photos, keyword-rich headlines, and an engaging summary section.
- High-Quality Content: Share high-quality content regularly on your LinkedIn profile to showcase yourself as a thought leader in your industry.
- Consistent Engagement: Master creating engaging LinkedIn content that provides insights on industry trends and expertise, tailor it to your audience’s needs, and use a consistent tone.
6 Examples of Leaders with Strong Executive Presence
Looking for some executive inspiration?
Here are some notable people who display excellent executive presence on LinkedIn:
1. Irina Novoselsky
As the CEO of Hootsuite, Irina Novoselsky demonstrates executive presence through clarity and resilience. Her digital presence reflects confidence, where she communicates her strengths in marketing and driving revenue through social media.
She also positions herself as a trusted leader who inspires both the sales teams and stakeholders.
2. Thasunda Brown Duckett
The president and CEO of TIAA, Thasunda Brown Duckett, showcases her executive presence by blending authority with authenticity.
She often shares insights on financial habits, leadership, and equity. She creates posts on her digital platform to demonstrate how a leader can be both inspirational and strategic.
3. Stephanie Schwab
Founder of Crackerjack Marketing, Stephanie Schwab, walks the talk of demonstrating to executive leaders that they can elevate their executive presence online.
She does this by creating strategic and insightful posts. She also consistently shares her perspective on brand storytelling and digital content strategy in a relatable voice. Overall, she has become an authoritative and engaging voice in the digital marketing industry.
4. Avani Mehta Desai
Avani Mehta Desai, the CEO of Schellman, uses her platform to discuss technology, cybersecurity, and ethical leadership.
She shows how to build executive presence and credibility by creating thought leadership content. Ultimately, by sharing her expertise and regular posts, she has become a trustworthy and influential name in cybersecurity.
5. Dara Treseder
Dara Treseder, a chief marketing executive at Autodesk, reflects her strong executive presence through her visionary communication.
She consistently demonstrates her creativity and inclusion in her messaging. Her digital presence showcases her confidence while inspiring others to adopt bold leadership.
6. Andrew Davies
A recognized executive director and CMO, Andrew Davies shows executive presence by consistently using simple language to talk about complex ideas.
His communication focuses on reflections on the company, which helps align teams and attract industry attention. Overall, he has a balance of authority and relatability in his executive presence.
7. Manish Hirapara
As CEO of PeakActivity, Manish Hirapara defines his executive presence by creating posts that demonstrate his entrepreneurial innovation with an empathetic voice.
He shares insights on digital transformation and business growth, positioning himself as both a visionary and a practical leader. His presence highlights a consistent and credible executive presence.
How to Develop Executive Presence
Want to command attention like the executives we’ve seen above?
Here are the steps you should take to develop your executive presence:
1. Define Your Executive Presence
What does executive presence look like to you? Do you want to gain credibility in your niche, attract the right connections, or improve engagement with your audience?
Once you’ve decided on your goals, come up with a strategy on how to achieve them.
2. Set Realistic and Attainable Goals
After defining the executive presence skills you want to achieve, set realistic, time-bound goals to help gauge your progress. Let’s say you want to master practical communication skills to maintain composure under pressure.
Your SMART goal could be:
Specific: I want to improve how I craft my LinkedIn posts and consistently reflect my thought leadership.
Measurable: I will track my engagement (likes, comments, and shares) across my social media platforms.
Achievable: I will dedicate 30 minutes to writing posts and engaging with the community.
Relevant: I will develop this skill to position myself as a credible leader and an industry authority.
Time-bound: I aim to consistently share my insights on LinkedIn and secure at least 10 new connections within 90 days.
3. Engage with Other Industry Leaders
Attend online forums and groups to connect with industry experts in your field and potential clients.
Also, remember to engage on relevant posts and offer insightful comments. Additionally, you can share posts from other thought leaders to spark new conversations with your audience.
4. Create Consistent Content
To establish a strong executive presence, position yourself as a thought leader in your niche.
Share your insights on your social media channels and create posts that showcase your professional experiences to attract meaningful connections. Remember to engage with your audience by responding to their comments and answering their questions.
5. Monitor Your Progress
Like any business strategy, you should track key performance indicators such as mentions, comments, shares, likes, and sentiments to gauge the success of your executive performance strategies.
Utilize social media insights to uncover high-performing content that resonates with your audience and pinpoint areas for improvement.
Unsure about crafting compelling yet professional content for your LinkedIn profile?
Leave it to us—Crackerjack Marketing. With our specialized LinkedIn services, we offer expert strategic LinkedIn management that helps you build a robust presence on the platform, aligning with your brand’s goals and boosting engagement.
Our LinkedIn specialists:
- Tailor your messaging to showcase your value strategically.
- Curate testimonials and expertly written LinkedIn bios to help you attract the right connections.
- Craft LinkedIn posts that align with how you lead in real life.
Contact us today, and let us show you how to make your LinkedIn presence work as hard as you do.
How to Improve Executive Presence
Want to take it a step further and improve your executive presence and influence?
Here are 5 actionable steps to take:
1. Stay Informed
Stay informed by following industry news for the latest updates, attending conferences to connect with experts, and engaging in meaningful discussions with your colleagues.
Staying up-to-date with relevant industry trends will enable you to provide your followers with meaningful insights.
2. Improve Your Virtual Confidence
Confidence in your digital presence entails being purposeful in building trust and credibility in your online relationships. So, be authentic in your online interactions and concise about the digital content you create across platforms.
Remember to respond effectively to your audience’s comments and use a consistent tone to enhance your conversations. You can also offer information and resources that are relevant to your niche.
3. Work on Your Storytelling
Storytelling connects you with your audience on an emotional level, inspires action, and clarifies complex ideas. Build a collection of stories of personal experiences or historical examples that you can use to share your expertise with others in your field.
Additionally, learn how to craft a LinkedIn post that resonates with your online audience.
4. Display a Sense of Lightheartedness
To avoid monotony, intentionally inject playful remarks and witty comments when commenting on social media posts.
Lightheartedness will make you relatable and approachable even in your digital executive presence.
5. Ask for Feedback
Gather opinions from your peers, subordinates, and online audience regarding your posts and other content, and note key areas for improvement.
You can also use anonymous feedback mechanisms to encourage honest opinions.
Common Mistakes That Hurt Executive Presence
Avoiding mistakes is as important as taking action to improve your executive presence. Here are some pitfalls to avoid if you want to develop an executive presence:
- Breaking Digital Rules: Even in digital communication, you must follow the rules. Some of the rules you need to follow include maintaining a polite tone, avoiding hurtful remarks, and not oversharing personal information. Also, avoid posting generic content that dilutes your voice and impact.
- Neglecting Your Online Profiles: When your digital profiles have unprofessional images, missing sections, and unclear headlines, they can hurt your influence and credibility.
- Inauthenticity: Attempting to emulate a persona that doesn’t align with your values and beliefs can undermine your credibility and make you appear inauthentic.
- Not Creating Content for the Target Audience: Another mistake is not writing content specifically tailored to your target audience, which hinders the building of deep connections with your audience.
- Overusing Hashtags: Stuffing your online posts with too many or irrelevant hashtags can make you look spammy or overwhelm your audience.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Lastly, let’s answer some common questions about executive presence:
Can Introverts Have Executive Presence?
Absolutely!
Introverts can develop executive presence by practicing practical communication skills, such as active listening, clear articulation, and writing thoughtful and valuable comments on others’ posts.
What Are the Best Books on Developing Executive Presence?
Here are 3 book picks to jumpstart your executive presence journey:
- The LinkedIn Branding Book by Sandra Long
- Digital Body Language by Erica Dhawan
- Executive Presence 2.0 by Sylvia Ann Hewlett
Does Executive Presence Differ Across Industries?
Yes. While core traits like digital communication skills are universal, executive presence varies across different industries.
For instance, technology emphasizes building relationships on online platforms and adaptability in online communication. At the same time, sectors such as healthcare may focus more on building credibility through professional bios and publishing research-backed content.
Conclusion
We hope our examples have helped you understand how to display executive presence in different settings. Remember to follow our outlined steps to grow your presence and influence and take your career to greater heights.
Want to boost your presence across social media platforms and content?
Our B2B digital marketing services are tailored to help you position your brand as a thought leader through blog content, elevate your leadership on LinkedIn, and craft a credible personal brand across channels.
Book a conversation to take your digital executive presence to the next level.
Think of leaders who command thought leadership and clarity in their online communications. They post insightful content on their social media, comment on other people’s posts with depth, and share their professional wins (and failures).
That is executive presence at play.
In this blog, we’ll explore some of the best examples of executive presence you can emulate to boost your presence across different scenarios.
Remember, executive presence isn’t limited to a physical room. It’s also about how you are perceived online.
At Crackerjack Marketing, we have over 15 years of experience providing B2B digital marketing services. We help B2B brands build visibility and authority through tailored content marketing, SEO, and social media management strategies.
Get in touch and discover how we can help you elevate your digital executive presence and position you as a trusted voice.
What is Executive Presence?
Executive presence refers to how people perceive your online presence, what they see, read, and feel about you after visiting your online profiles.
It involves inspiring confidence and positioning yourself as a trusted authority in your industry through your online behavior and content.
Key Components of Executive Presence
Next, let’s see what makes a leader show up and be perceived as an online leader:
- Optimized Profile: Position yourself as a thought leader by using clear professional photos, keyword-rich headlines, and an engaging summary section.
- High-Quality Content: Share high-quality content regularly on your LinkedIn profile to showcase yourself as a thought leader in your industry.
- Consistent Engagement: Master creating engaging LinkedIn content that provides insights on industry trends and expertise, tailor it to your audience’s needs, and use a consistent tone.
6 Examples of Leaders with Strong Executive Presence
Looking for some executive inspiration?
Here are some notable people who display excellent executive presence on LinkedIn:
1. Irina Novoselsky
As the CEO of Hootsuite, Irina Novoselsky demonstrates executive presence through clarity and resilience. Her digital presence reflects confidence, where she communicates her strengths in marketing and driving revenue through social media.
She also positions herself as a trusted leader who inspires both the sales teams and stakeholders.
2. Thasunda Brown Duckett
The president and CEO of TIAA, Thasunda Brown Duckett, showcases her executive presence by blending authority with authenticity.
She often shares insights on financial habits, leadership, and equity. She creates posts on her digital platform to demonstrate how a leader can be both inspirational and strategic.
3. Stephanie Schwab
Founder of Crackerjack Marketing, Stephanie Schwab, walks the talk of demonstrating to executive leaders that they can elevate their executive presence online.
She does this by creating strategic and insightful posts. She also consistently shares her perspective on brand storytelling and digital content strategy in a relatable voice. Overall, she has become an authoritative and engaging voice in the digital marketing industry.
4. Avani Mehta Desai
Avani Mehta Desai, the CEO of Schellman, uses her platform to discuss technology, cybersecurity, and ethical leadership.
She shows how to build executive presence and credibility by creating thought leadership content. Ultimately, by sharing her expertise and regular posts, she has become a trustworthy and influential name in cybersecurity.
5. Dara Treseder
Dara Treseder, a chief marketing executive at Autodesk, reflects her strong executive presence through her visionary communication.
She consistently demonstrates her creativity and inclusion in her messaging. Her digital presence showcases her confidence while inspiring others to adopt bold leadership.
6. Andrew Davies
A recognized executive director and CMO, Andrew Davies shows executive presence by consistently using simple language to talk about complex ideas.
His communication focuses on reflections on the company, which helps align teams and attract industry attention. Overall, he has a balance of authority and relatability in his executive presence.
7. Manish Hirapara
As CEO of PeakActivity, Manish Hirapara defines his executive presence by creating posts that demonstrate his entrepreneurial innovation with an empathetic voice.
He shares insights on digital transformation and business growth, positioning himself as both a visionary and a practical leader. His presence highlights a consistent and credible executive presence.
How to Develop Executive Presence
Want to command attention like the executives we’ve seen above?
Here are the steps you should take to develop your executive presence:
1. Define Your Executive Presence
What does executive presence look like to you? Do you want to gain credibility in your niche, attract the right connections, or improve engagement with your audience?
Once you’ve decided on your goals, come up with a strategy on how to achieve them.
2. Set Realistic and Attainable Goals
After defining the executive presence skills you want to achieve, set realistic, time-bound goals to help gauge your progress. Let’s say you want to master practical communication skills to maintain composure under pressure.
Your SMART goal could be:
Specific: I want to improve how I craft my LinkedIn posts and consistently reflect my thought leadership.
Measurable: I will track my engagement (likes, comments, and shares) across my social media platforms.
Achievable: I will dedicate 30 minutes to writing posts and engaging with the community.
Relevant: I will develop this skill to position myself as a credible leader and an industry authority.
Time-bound: I aim to consistently share my insights on LinkedIn and secure at least 10 new connections within 90 days.
3. Engage with Other Industry Leaders
Attend online forums and groups to connect with industry experts in your field and potential clients.
Also, remember to engage on relevant posts and offer insightful comments. Additionally, you can share posts from other thought leaders to spark new conversations with your audience.
4. Create Consistent Content
To establish a strong executive presence, position yourself as a thought leader in your niche.
Share your insights on your social media channels and create posts that showcase your professional experiences to attract meaningful connections. Remember to engage with your audience by responding to their comments and answering their questions.
5. Monitor Your Progress
Like any business strategy, you should track key performance indicators such as mentions, comments, shares, likes, and sentiments to gauge the success of your executive performance strategies.
Utilize social media insights to uncover high-performing content that resonates with your audience and pinpoint areas for improvement.
Unsure about crafting compelling yet professional content for your LinkedIn profile?
Leave it to us—Crackerjack Marketing. With our specialized LinkedIn services, we offer expert strategic LinkedIn management that helps you build a robust presence on the platform, aligning with your brand’s goals and boosting engagement.
Our LinkedIn specialists:
- Tailor your messaging to showcase your value strategically.
- Curate testimonials and expertly written LinkedIn bios to help you attract the right connections.
- Craft LinkedIn posts that align with how you lead in real life.
Contact us today, and let us show you how to make your LinkedIn presence work as hard as you do.
How to Improve Executive Presence
Want to take it a step further and improve your executive presence and influence?
Here are 5 actionable steps to take:
1. Stay Informed
Stay informed by following industry news for the latest updates, attending conferences to connect with experts, and engaging in meaningful discussions with your colleagues.
Staying up-to-date with relevant industry trends will enable you to provide your followers with meaningful insights.
2. Improve Your Virtual Confidence
Confidence in your digital presence entails being purposeful in building trust and credibility in your online relationships. So, be authentic in your online interactions and concise about the digital content you create across platforms.
Remember to respond effectively to your audience’s comments and use a consistent tone to enhance your conversations. You can also offer information and resources that are relevant to your niche.
3. Work on Your Storytelling
Storytelling connects you with your audience on an emotional level, inspires action, and clarifies complex ideas. Build a collection of stories of personal experiences or historical examples that you can use to share your expertise with others in your field.
Additionally, learn how to craft a LinkedIn post that resonates with your online audience.
4. Display a Sense of Lightheartedness
To avoid monotony, intentionally inject playful remarks and witty comments when commenting on social media posts.
Lightheartedness will make you relatable and approachable even in your digital executive presence.
5. Ask for Feedback
Gather opinions from your peers, subordinates, and online audience regarding your posts and other content, and note key areas for improvement.
You can also use anonymous feedback mechanisms to encourage honest opinions.
Common Mistakes That Hurt Executive Presence
Avoiding mistakes is as important as taking action to improve your executive presence. Here are some pitfalls to avoid if you want to develop an executive presence:
- Breaking Digital Rules: Even in digital communication, you must follow the rules. Some of the rules you need to follow include maintaining a polite tone, avoiding hurtful remarks, and not oversharing personal information. Also, avoid posting generic content that dilutes your voice and impact.
- Neglecting Your Online Profiles: When your digital profiles have unprofessional images, missing sections, and unclear headlines, they can hurt your influence and credibility.
- Inauthenticity: Attempting to emulate a persona that doesn’t align with your values and beliefs can undermine your credibility and make you appear inauthentic.
- Not Creating Content for the Target Audience: Another mistake is not writing content specifically tailored to your target audience, which hinders the building of deep connections with your audience.
- Overusing Hashtags: Stuffing your online posts with too many or irrelevant hashtags can make you look spammy or overwhelm your audience.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Lastly, let’s answer some common questions about executive presence:
Can Introverts Have Executive Presence?
Absolutely!
Introverts can develop executive presence by practicing practical communication skills, such as active listening, clear articulation, and writing thoughtful and valuable comments on others’ posts.
What Are the Best Books on Developing Executive Presence?
Here are 3 book picks to jumpstart your executive presence journey:
- The LinkedIn Branding Book by Sandra Long
- Digital Body Language by Erica Dhawan
- Executive Presence 2.0 by Sylvia Ann Hewlett
Does Executive Presence Differ Across Industries?
Yes. While core traits like digital communication skills are universal, executive presence varies across different industries.
For instance, technology emphasizes building relationships on online platforms and adaptability in online communication. At the same time, sectors such as healthcare may focus more on building credibility through professional bios and publishing research-backed content.
Conclusion
We hope our examples have helped you understand how to display executive presence in different settings. Remember to follow our outlined steps to grow your presence and influence and take your career to greater heights.
Want to boost your presence across social media platforms and content?
Our B2B digital marketing services are tailored to help you position your brand as a thought leader through blog content, elevate your leadership on LinkedIn, and craft a credible personal brand across channels.
Book a conversation to take your digital executive presence to the next level.
