Insights: Leadership
How Senior Leaders Work With Teams
“Members of senior teams have a dilemma. On the one hand, they are responsible for leading their own organizational units. On the other, they are expected to be fully engaged and committed members of the enterprise’s senior team. It can feel like being caught in two powerful crosscurrents.” —Senior Leadership Teams: What it Takes to […]
Five Habits for Senior Executives
Years ago I coached a new manager who was frustrated by the amount of time he spent in meetings. “I don’t have any time to do my real work!” he said. I walked him through an exercise. On the bottom half of a whiteboard, we brainstormed all his previous individual contributor work, the things he […]
Leading a Sustainable Company
More and more, companies are finding ways to improve their social and environmental impact while increasing their business performance. Today, 90% of managers believe a sustainability strategy is “essential to remaining competitive,” and there is now a robust business case for sustainability. In one meta-analysis of over 200 sources, 88% of research reviewed shows a […]
Manage Stress and Boost Your Well-Being
The idea that well-being is a crucial underpinning of good leadership has gained a great deal of attention in recent years. And it makes sense: physical health and positive emotions go a long way towards helping leaders be their best. In 2017 Sierra Leadership reviewed the stress management literature, and we came across a real […]
Executive Presence and Your Voice
In the drug development process, there is sometimes a crucial moment when a team of pharmaceutical executives is asked to present and answer questions in Washington, D.C. before a panel of experts and the FDA in an open public meeting. Hundreds of millions—sometimes billions—of dollars, years of work and the entire future of the company […]
How Body Language Affects Executive Presence
Body language can have a strong impact on executive presence. In general, you want to make sure that your body says what you want it to say: that you are relaxed, comfortable and confident. Everyone’s body language is different. Different cultures and organizations also have different norms that help define what executive presence looks like. […]
Developing Executive Presence: Why Your Words Matter
To some extent, you can identify someone with executive presence by what they say and how they organize their words. People with executive presence use words that are simple, clear and understandable. They participate and share their ideas fully, but they are efficient and don’t talk on and on in circles. How do they do […]
To Increase Your Executive Presence, Be Authentic
David was a leader in a technology company. Highly driven and successful, he had been on a fast-track through a series of quick promotions, and he was known for adding tremendous value and getting things done. People liked David, but they didn’t fully trust him. When you talked with David, he was just a little […]
To Develop Executive Presence, Learn to Listen
Executive presence is one of the most commonly asked for areas in leadership development and coaching. But, what is it? There is something of a mystery surrounding executive presence. Some see it as a high level of confidence and gravitas, the ability to command attention, to be seen and heard. Others equate it to asking […]