(3-4 Min Read)
If last week we asked “WTF is Executive Presence anyway?” Then this week, I want to make it practical. Because here’s the thing: executive presence isn’t about power suits, deep voices, or mimicking the CEO’s hand gestures. It’s about the way people experience you in high-stakes situations. Do they walk away thinking: “They’ve got this. I trust them. I’d follow their lead”?
That trust is built on three pillars: Clarity, Calm, and Credibility.
1. Clarity
Think of clarity as the antidote to corporate fog. Too many smart professionals lose impact because they bury their insights under a mountain of caveats, jargon, or endless context.
Clarity is about:
Getting to the point quickly (without being blunt).
Communicating decisions and ideas in a way that’s easy to understand.
Aligning everyone in the room so no one leaves confused about what’s next.
When you’re clear, you cut through noise. You’re not just another voice in the meeting, you’re the one people quote afterward.
2. Calm
Ever notice how some leaders walk into chaos and somehow everyone else takes a deep breath? That’s calm.
It doesn’t mean being emotionless. It means:
Staying grounded when stakes are high.
Responding thoughtfully instead of reacting impulsively.
Projecting steadiness so others can trust your leadership in tough moments.
Calm is contagious. If you can keep your head while others are spiraling, you instantly elevate the room - and yourself.
3. Credibility
Here’s the truth: people won’t follow you just because you say the right things. They need to believe you are the right person to lead.
Credibility is built by:
Following through on your word.
Owning mistakes with integrity.
Balancing expertise with humility (you don’t need to know everything, but you do need to show you’re trustworthy).
Over time, credibility compounds. It’s the foundation that makes your clarity and calm believable.
Let’s Pull This Altogether
Together, these three pillars form the bedrock of executive presence. And the greatest thing about them? They’re not innate personality traits. They’re skills you can learn, practice and master.
✨ Want to go deeper? I put together a simple, practical guide called the CLEAR Framework that breaks down how to actually apply clarity, calm, and credibility in your day-to-day work.
It’s the exact process I walk my clients through - and now I’m giving it to you for free.
👉🏽 https://pdflink.to/cd59ff7a/
Keep it handy before your next meeting or presentation - you’ll be surprised how much more confident you sound.
Next week, I’ll share how to build executive presence without burning out (because let’s be real, too many of us are already at the edge).
👋🏽 Hi! I’m Minal - a Career Success & Leadership Coach for 1st & 2nd gen professionals (first in your family to build a career here, or the child of immigrants balancing two cultures). I help you move past outdated work advice, communicate with confidence and clarity, and show up as a strong, credible leader so that you can earn promotions (and raises) faster - without burning out, shrinking yourself or pretending to be someone you’re not.
👉🏽 If you enjoyed today’s issue, please subscribe and if you have a friend who’s too smart to still be ignored at work, do them a favor and forward this along. They’ll thank you when they get promoted. ;) Let’s rise together.
See you next week!
