Ask an Expert: How Can I Build Executive Presence As A Leader?

First, I want to say—you’re not alone in this. Many strong, capable leaders feel exactly this way when they step into new executive roles, even when they have all the credentials to be there. There’s also no shortcut to building executive presence and confidence … it develops over time. While there is a little “fake it until you make it”, I would encourage you to think of this as “practice it until you own it”.  

At its simplest, executive presence is your ability to inspire confidence. You know it when you experience it from others—and in yourself—and that feeling is powerful, even if it can seem a bit intangible.  

One of the clearest ways I’ve seen this broken down comes from economist and researcher Sylvia Ann Hewlett, who studied executive presence extensively. Her work found that there are three core elements: gravitas, communication, and appearance. Believe it or not, appearance accounts for only 5% of executive presence; communication is 28%, and your actions and behaviors—your gravitas—make up the rest.  What you do, more than any other factor, defines how you are perceived. People don’t just hear what you say, they feel how you’re coming across – your energy, your decisiveness, your confidence, and your authenticity.  That’s what creates trust and confidence… and trust is what people are actually responding too.  (For a deeper dive, Sylvia Hewlett’s Executive Presence 2.0 is a great resource.”)

In terms of executive presence, it’s not something you put on and take off, like Superman’s cape. Sometimes leaders feel that they lack executive presence or come up with reasons why it’s beyond their reach. They’ll say things like, “It feels fake,” or “That’s just not me,” or “I’m too introverted.” The reality is that executive presence isn’t a performance. It’s the result of developing resilience and building your internal leadership. When you’ve built personal resilience, you can exert personal agency, which means you feel confident raising your voice and making choices. This then allows you to step forward with confidence which others experience as executive presence.  That sense of personal agency is what people respond to … it’s the outward expression of internal confidence.

What does this mean for you? It means that stepping into leadership isn’t about “psyching yourself up”, it’s about doing the internal leadership development work first. In our work with public sector executives, this is often the turning point—when leaders stop trying to perform the role and start building the internal clarity and confidence to truly step into it. There are a few ways you can build your own confidence as a leader that will translate into better executive presence.

Understand yourself

Oftentimes, people who are motivated and passionate (like you) are advanced into leadership roles, but aren’t given adequate training on the ins and outs of people management and leadership. That’s incredibly common—and it can leave strong leaders with blind spots they’re not even aware of.  Consider a leadership assessment, whether self-directed or conducted by a trusted professional.  An objective view of your patterns, strengths, and tendencies can be a game changer. It helps you understand what’s working and where you may be getting in your own way.  You have to know yourself to lead yourself and from there, you can lead others more confidently and authentically.

Find your people

Leadership doesn’t mean being isolated from other people—far from it. In fact, one of the biggest mistakes new leaders make is trying to do it alone.  Strong leaders build a peer group of growth-minded people who can help them continue to learn and grow in their roles. For some, that means finding a structured group of people in similar roles who are motivated to share insights and support each other. Programs like UpNext and other leadership cohorts designed specifically for public sector leaders can be incredibly powerful in helping emerging leaders build confidence, perspective, and presence. 

Seek expert help

If you need support and guidance as you build confidence and executive presence, a coach can be a powerful next step. Executive coaching creates space to work through real challenges, build awareness, and practice new ways of leading.  The most effective coaching—especially in the public sector—pairs real-world executive experience with coaching expertise, so you’re not just learning theory, you’re working through the actual challenges you’re facing in real time.  MRG offers executive coaching that has proven to help leaders overcome roadblocks and build their skills as executive leaders. If you go this route, I strongly recommend finding someone who understands or comes from the public sector, because context matters.

Whatever your approach, know that you’re on the right track. No one steps into leadership fully confident or fully formed. Keep practicing!  And over time, you won’t just feel more confident, you’ll realize you’ve already grown into the leader you were trying to become.