What the Heck is Executive Presence Anyway?
(Surprise! It's Energy.)
"Executive presence" is having a moment. Everyone from coaches to leaders is being told they need an executive presence to succeed.
So what the heck is executive presence?
And why is it so important?
What is Executive Presence?
Executive presence a compelling personal energy that emanates confidence and instills respect.
I’m serious. Executive presence is energy.
And energy is vibration.
So executive presence, at its core, is a vibe.
Why is Executive Presence important?
Executive presence means that who you are inspires people. Your team buzzes with motivation and action. People trust you to provide guidance. You engage intelligently with conflict. You deeply get it that people need to thrive, not just survive. With executive presence, people want to engage with your vision. You are confident, respected, and compelling.
So how do you become this amazing leader?
Here are three foundational Executive Energy Flow exercises that my clients love because they are quick, and they work!
Being Confident: Yes-Breath.
I learned this life-changing practice from The Hendricks Institute. In a wonderful weekend training, Katie Hendricks said to us: “If you do 10 Yes-Breaths a day for a year, even if you remember not one other thing from this weekend, your life will change drastically.”
She was right. And that is why I make Yes-Breath the foundational skill training for all my clients.
The Practice:
1. Grounding: Begin by sitting on the edge of a chair or bed with your feet firmly planted on the floor. This grounding posture establishes a stable foundation for you to experience a greater sense of ease and flow throughout the practice.
2. Rocking: Gently rock back and forth on your sitz bones (the bones you sit on). This movement opens the diaphragm and extends the lower belly so you naturally begin to breathe more deeply.
3. Breathing: Place your attention on your lower torso, allowing your breath to flow downward into the lower belly area. Pro-tip: you are doing this perfectly. There is no way to do it wrong.
4. Syncing: Notice the undulation up and down your spine. Allow your breath to synchronize with this movement. (In-breath as you rock forward; out-breath as you rock backward.) Release any need to force or control the breath; simply allow it to flow in rhythm with your body’s motion.
5. Flowing: Continue this practice for several minutes, allowing yourself to sink deeper into the rhythm of your breath and movement. Notice any sensations or emotions that arise. Gently allow your body any micro-adjustments it wants to release any glitchiness and increase your sense of flow.
The Benefits:
Yes-breath physically creates more space in the lower belly, so you’re no longer stress-breathing from your upper chest. Belly breathing makes you feel more calm and grounded, which is the source of authentic confidence. If you do 10 Yes-Breaths a day for 10 days, your body will respond better to stress: naturally adjusting itself to flow better, which generates a delicious energy of calm confidence.
Being Respected: Productivity Chop
This exercise draws upon the principles of acupressure, combining focused touch with mindful movement to activate energy flow and promote mental clarity. By stimulating specific points on your hands and engaging in rhythmic chopping motions, you will magnetize a subtle shift in your energy that others will notice and respect.
The Practice:
1. Locate the Point: Find your wristbone. Then find the knob near the base of your pinkie finger. Locate a point about midway between. In traditional Chinese energy practices, this point is associated with well-planned action that is so deeply aligned, orchestrated, and overseen that everything unfolds smoothly, without problems or obstacles.
2. Activate the Point: Gently tap this point a few times with the fingertips of your other hand, while taking slow, deep breaths. This gentle stimulation helps to awaken the energy in this acupressure point and prepare it for further activation.
3. Repeat on the Other Hand: Locate the corresponding point on your other hand and repeat the tapping process, activating the energy flow on both sides of your body.
4. Chop: Now, bring these two points together. The pinkie side of one hand connects to the pinkie side of the other hand. Firmly "chop,” so that the two activated points stimulate each other. You may notice a shift–anywhere from a subtle tingling to a sharp sensation– as you chop and the energy flow intensifies.
5. Amplify by Walking: To further enhance the effect, begin walking around,and continuing to chop your hands together. This rhythmic movement combined with the acupressure stimulation creates a pleasurable groundedness that promotes clarity and focus.
The Benefits:
The Productivity Chop is a versatile technique that you can incorporate into your daily routine. Practice full out when you are alone. And try just Step 2 when you feel stressed in a meeting. You can use this technique to overcome procrastination and enhance your sense of grounded confidence. With regular use, the Productivity Chop can keep your energies clear, compassionate, and focused, generating both self-respect and respect from others in your work and personal life.
Being Compelling: The Diamond Heart visualization
I have adapted this visualization from one that Deepak Chopra teaches. It is a proven and powerful way to expand the energy of your heart’s authentic value and purpose into the space around you.
The Practice:
1. Find a Quiet Space: Choose a quiet and comfortable space where you can relax and focus without distractions. Sit or stand in a comfortable position, allowing your body to settle and your mind to quiet down.
2. Center Your Attention: Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. Rest your palms on your heart center, in the middle of your chest. Breathe and bring your attention to the very center of your heart.
3. Visualize the Diamond: Staying with your breath, bring to mind someone you love, perhaps a child or even an animal. Bring the feeling of that light-filled sweetness into your heart center, as a glowing star or a radiant diamond nestled within. Breathe and imagine brilliant rays expanding and growing, filling your entire heart.
4. Radiate Outward: Feel or imagine this light expanding beyond your body, radiating outward. Feel it fill the room, the building, your entire neighborhood and city. Feel yourself sharing this loving, purposeful energy with the entire world and beyond, touching into the bright lights of other purposeful, loving hearts.
5. Embody the Diamond: Continue this visualization for as long as you like, allowing yourself to fully embody this expansion. When you are ready, bring your attention back from the universe to the world, to your city, neighborhood, building, and room. Fill your heart with this expanded, compelling energy of value, purpose, and love. Feel its strength and clarity permeating your being, empowering you to provide direction in a compelling and deeply compassionate way.
The Benefits:
The Diamond Heart exercise is a powerful tool for cultivating a compelling presence that draws others in. By connecting with your core values and radiating your authentic energy out and then drawing it back in, you inspire trust, build rapport, and create ease-filled, depth-filled collaboration opportunities
From my heart–I hope that one of more of these practices is helpful to you as practice becoming your most authentic self, expressing Executive Presence as naturally as walking into a room full of people who love you.
Written by - Dr. Lynnea Brumbaugh
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