As a Professor of Communication at the Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode, my interaction with industry experts, entrepreneurs, and employers has led me to believe in the impact that executive presence has on impression management.
People often misunderstand this term as solely focusing on appearance, leading them to enhance their outward appearance without considering their orientation and intent. Executive presence affects not only how others perceive you but also positively impacts your own self-esteem
As a Professor of Communication at the Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode, my interaction with industry experts, entrepreneurs, and employers has led me to believe in the impact that executive presence has on impression management. People often misunderstand this term as solely focusing on appearance, leading them to enhance their outward appearance without considering their orientation and intent. Executive presence affects not only how others perceive you but also positively impacts your own self-esteem.
Based on my interactions and understanding of the concept, “Executive presence is the way in which one conducts oneself with dignity, poise, and grace. Conduct includes verbal communication and nonverbal behaviour, and is an outcome of one’s orientation towards the self and towards others.” While polishing my expertise in business and corporate communication, I have been working meticulously on my executive presence, and I have found that it has a remarkable impact on getting the desired outcome. I chalked out the VITAL framework as an action plan for increasing my executive presence, and it worked wonders. Here it goes:
VITAL
Vision:
Having a vision is important. It entails clarity of objectives and long-term goals. Vision includes a forward-looking, progressive thought process, identification of opportunities, and charting a plan of action. Develop the skill of thinking strategically so that you are able to think ahead of the instant and decide your imminent success. Articulating the vision is equally important. The way you craft and communicate a persuasive narrative of your vision instills others’ confidence in you and motivates them.
Image:
Your image is built on appearance and confidence. Appearance is not about a glamourous look; it is about your persona, your demeanour. It is an important component of your first impression. Professionalism is crucial to your appearance. Dress for the occasion with a keen eye to details in grooming, attire, footwear, and hair in order to portray a graceful appearance. Your nonverbal communication through kinesics, including your posture, gestures, and facial expressions, is also paramount to your appearance. Confidence adds to your image. It originates from your belief in your skills and prudence. It reflects on your decisions and your ability to handle crises and challenges. Confidence results in assertive behaviour which augments your impression. Assertiveness is the ability to express yourself objectively, firmly, and humbly.
Tact:
Tact envisages behaviour and composure. Your behaviour at the workplace should be respectful and positive. Maintain your self-esteem and refrain from hurting others’ self-respect. Be tactful in communication, but don’t be unethical. Be sensitive to context, people, and cultures. Disagree without demeaning others, and gracefully acknowledge their disagreement with you. Your composure includes stress management, maintaining your calm even in adverse situations, and making every conscious effort to respond rather than react abruptly and impulsively. Be aware of your emotions and manage them. This will result in fewer conflicts and clarity of thought.
Articulation:
Articulation encapsulates communication and listening skills. Succinct communication involves clear content, flow of thoughts, and accuracy in expression. Instead of using flowery language that leaves room for interpretation and potential misinterpretation, use words that your receiver can understand. Remember, communication is a dialogue. Engage with your receiver using persuasive language, storytelling, and influence to make your interactions more meaningful. Listen actively. Train yourself to listen by maintaining eye contact, having a good posture, and giving verbal and nonverbal cues and feedback indicating your interest.
Links: Networking and relationships form the foundation of links. Build connections, nurture your professional relationships, give advice when sought, offer support, and engage with your networks by attending industry events, contributing to professional groups in the real world and on social media platforms. Carve healthy relationships by associating with people who can stimulate your personal and professional growth. Relationships gain trust when you demonstrate reliability, trustworthiness, and integrity. To strengthen relationships, nurture the skill of collaboration in a camaraderie environment.
With the VITAL framework, you can enrich your executive presence, ensuring that you lead with clarity, confidence, and composure while building meaningful and productive relationships.
In conclusion, the VITAL framework is a powerful tool for developing executive presence, essential to leadership and professional success. The framework, by highlighting Vision, Image, Tact, Articulation, and Links, provides a systematic approach to shaping one’s own and others’ perceptions. Instituting a captivating executive presence involves a clear vision, an elegant image, tact, flawless articulation, and resilient links. As leadership expectations change, the VITAL framework may help leaders succeed in complicated professional environments.
Prof. Deepa Sethi
Professor of Communication
Dean (Outreach, Executive Education, and Internationalization)
Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode
Recipient of:
Prof. Indira Parikh 50 Women in Education Leaders Title in 2019
Shrimati Sushma Swaraj Stree Shakti Samman 2024