What is executive presence, and why does it matter?
Intuitively, leaders know it’s important to their success. Sometimes we hear it described as presentation skill, polish, charisma, or professional image. However, these fall short of capturing deeper-level qualities that great leaders exhibit. Lacking a clear definition of executive presence, or a compelling reason it matters, leaders may not be motivated to develop it. They don’t know how to cultivate these qualities, and those who advise leaders have no standard or common language for helping them to develop it.
This is where the ExPI™ comes in. We conducted the first, science-based research into executive presence to uncover the specific behaviors behind what people mean by executive presence. The results of our research led us to build a leadership model and assessment, the Executive Presence Index, that:
- Defines the 15 different sets of observable behaviors that influence a leader’s ability to engage, inspire, and align people to drive team and organizational performance.
- Gives leaders a comprehensive, research-based, actionable framework for understanding the observable behaviors that make leaders effective and pinpointing the specific levers to improve leadership performance within their business context.
The ExPI™ is a ground-breaking, unique, research-based, valid assessment that provides leaders with actionable data they can’t get anywhere else to understand their strengths and development needs in the context of their business situation.
The ExPI™ is unique in several ways. Unlike many assessments, we assume the leader’s adaptability, in other words, that these qualities are ones that can be (and are) developed. The data is also interpreted in the context of the business giving them reason to care beyond their own development. It guides leaders to appreciate the difference between their intentions and others’ perceptions in qualities often thought of as difficult to measure. And, it is multidisciplinary in its construction and depth – a valid survey based on rigorous research in a wide variety of disciplines.
Thousands of global leaders at the world’s largest companies have tapped into the data and insights that came out of their ExPI™ profile to engage and inspire their teams, and deliver on big growth goals, critical market-making moves, transformational reorganizations, game-changing acquisitions, and other important bets.
Download the whitepaper to learn more about this powerful leadership tool.
