The Extrovert and Executive Presence
Throughout the last few years, executive presence has been redefined in many ways, mostly due to a substantial shift in remote work. But there are a few core traits that have remained: confidence, decisiveness, and communication, to name a few. Yet these executive presence traits show up differently in introverts than they do in extroverts—and both personality types are needed in leadership.
In this article, we discuss how executive presence shows up in an extrovert and also share three coaching tips for an extrovert to grow in their executive presence.
How Executive Presence Shows Up in an Extrovert
Decision-making. Extroverted people are usually risk-takers. They’re often excited by challenge and don’t fear failure (or act like they don’t). And these qualities enable them to make quick decisions and stay agile in the fast-moving business world. Because when there are uncertain economic indicators or rapidly advancing technology (like artificial intelligence) then innovation becomes necessary, requiring quick change. And extroverts aren’t usually afraid of change.
Influence. Extroverts are often known for being friendly, warm, engaging, and exciting to be around. And people are typically drawn to these personality traits, automatically gaining the extrovert influence. So, if you’re an extroverted leader, it’s incredibly important to understand that you have the power to influence others. It’s a gift; and to be used with both wisdom and caution. Extroverts are often visionary leaders who can rally a group together toward a shared goal—which is key in executive presence.
3 Ways an Extrovert Can Grow in Executive Presence
Practice active listening. An extrovert is usually talkative. They often excel in public-speaking and have strong verbal communication skills. However, communication works two ways—you must also hear, not only be heard. Active listening is a growth area for most extroverts. You can begin practicing it by demonstrating curiosity. Ask more questions than you usually would and listen for the full answer—before interjecting with your opinion. This can be hard to do, especially if you see your perspective as the right one. But it doesn’t matter if you’re right; what matters is that the people you lead feel heard, respected, and understood by you.
Seek other perspectives. To have a strong executive presence, you must become known as someone who seeks out other perspectives. In doing so, you’ll show that you value the opinions of others. In the workplace, this will afford you more buy-in from those you lead when you make a decision that impacts them. And it will also enhance your decision-making by informing you of potential ramifications or roadblocks that you might not have otherwise seen. And don’t always only ask the same people for insight. Different decisions will require different perspectives. Honor the people who are most impacted by a circumstance or situation by asking for their thoughts. This will strengthen your executive presence, equip you to make wise choices, and grow your influence with those you lead.
Pause—and process internally first. Most extroverts are verbal processors. So be careful who you process out loud with. As a leader, you must discern when it’s appropriate to share what and with who. If you verbally process too often with those you lead, you might unintentionally hurt your executive presence as they might see you as someone who is taking up time they need to be getting their work done. And that doesn’t mean that you can’t invite people into your thinking—you absolutely should, at times—but you need to be clear on when that’s appropriate within your team and organization. Be aware of workloads and don’t hinder progress.
If you’d like to strengthen your executive presence, our coaches would love to work with you. We’ve partnered with thousands of leaders to help them grow their strengths and develop their weaknesses so that they can be the best leader they can be. Reach out today to schedule a free consultation and learn more about our Executive Coaching offering.
