9 Helpful Executive Presence Discussion Questions

Executive presence can be hard to evaluate—at least, without the right tools. But good tools, like discussion questions on the executive presence competencies, can help you quickly begin to understand your level of executive presence.

Do you display a strong executive presence in your role? And which executive presence qualities do you most need to develop? These 9 executive presence discussion questions will help you identify areas for growth, as well as hidden strengths.

9 Executive Presence Discussion Questions

1. How do you feel around leaders who are senior to you? Do you convey confidence around them, or are you timid and quiet?

   Consider how you act around people like your boss’s boss. Do you hold back around leaders at that level, not projecting confidence and allowing your strengths to shine?

   Confidence is a core executive presence quality you need to display in every type of interaction. Often it’s easier to show confidence around direct reports and peers, but more difficult to appear confident around superiors. As you learn to exude confidence around senior leaders, though, you’ll make a much stronger impression.

2. What would you do if a big opportunity came up that no one had yet been appointed to lead. Would you volunteer for the job?

   Think about whether you’d seize the opportunity to take on a high-profile task that would leverage your skill set. Would you doubt your preparedness, or would you take the leap?

   Being commanding establishes you as a poised and capable leader. Commanding leaders welcome greater challenges and take charge when a situation needs strong leadership.

3. Do people feel inspired and energized by your presence?

   When leading a project, consider whether you easily motivate people to pursue a common goal. Do they feel driven to succeed, or are they dragging their feet? Do they believe in their collective mission, or do they feel confused about their purpose?

   Charisma will lead people to feel motivated and energized by your presence. You’ll naturally draw others to you as you exude passion for your work, and you’ll cause them to believe in your vision as well.

4. You have to make a big decision that will define one of your division’s key initiatives this quarter. Do you promptly make the decision with certainty, or do you debate the options endlessly?

   Consider how sure you sound when you announce your decision, too. Do you feel conviction about your choice, taking a firm stance to back it up? Or do you sound tentative, leading others to poke holes in the decision?

   Decisiveness will lead others to trust you and quickly embark on a clear course of action. Endlessly circling back through the options and seeking more opinions will hold back progress. Wise leaders know that they’ll never have perfect information, so they need to act with the insights they have.

5. When you have an idea that may be controversial, do you boldly voice it—or do you stay quiet?

   You’re sitting in a meeting, and an unconventional idea has been brewing in your mind. It could really rock the boat, challenging the status quo. Do you speak up and advocate for your idea, or do you keep it to yourself?

   Boldness will help you achieve big things with your organization. You’ll make a name for yourself as an innovative thinker who doesn’t fear change.

6. When others have a new idea, do they seek out your input?

   Imagine that a colleague has come up with a promising new project idea. Does he ask for your opinion and advice before bringing it to the group? Does he seem concerned about getting your buy-in?

   Cultivating influence will lead others to value your opinion and want your approval. They’ll want your help with fine-tuning ideas and will know that your opinion will shape how others receive them.

7. Do you have a strong presence in every meeting, participating actively in the discussion? Or do you remain silent, rarely chiming in?

   In a typical meeting, consider your level of participation. Do you weigh in on most agenda items and engage in a dialogue about them, or do you let a couple of dominant voices take over?

   Being vocal will establish you as a key voice at the table. Sharing your thoughts adds value to any discussion while giving you a more visible presence.

8. In the past couple of weeks, how have you branded yourself as insightful? What insights have you shared with others?

   Think about ideas, analysis, news, and facts you’ve shared with the group, or ways you’ve synthesized ideas during discussion. Have you demonstrated insightfulness in any of these ways? Or have you been too caught up in the daily grind to have time to develop insights?

   Insightfulness demonstrates a leader’s creative thinking ability and intelligence. Spending time generating and nurturing these ideas will greatly enhance your contributions.

9. After you’ve articulated a plan, do others feel clear on the steps they need to take? Or do you see a lot of confused looks?

   Consider whether you succinctly explain concepts and ideas, or whether you ramble or struggle to organize your thoughts. Do others act in the ways you’ve instructed, or do you need to reexplain and redirect them? Do they accurately paraphrase your ideas to confirm understanding, or do they seem unclear?

   Being clear will make you a more effective leader because you’ll get your point across immediately. People won’t struggle to understand what you’re saying.

Each of these 9 qualities is essential to executive presence. Discuss these executive presence questions with a peer, mentor, or coach to deepen your understanding of where you need to grow. And take an executive presence quiz to evaluate your own abilities. Getting feedback from them will provide crucial insights that help you understand how you’re showing up at work.

Is lack of executive presence holding you back from advancement—or from heightened success in your current role? Contact Joel today to start cultivating a strong executive presence that will make you a more effective leader. You can utilize his executive presence coaching or corporate training program. You can also peruse his collection of articles on executive presence and purchase his book for your employees: Executive Presence: Step into Your Power, Convey Confidence and Lead with Conviction.