To be a successful leader - to truly influence outcomes and inspire others - it is paramount that you project a leadership presence on a daily basis. Leaders gain the confidence of others by showing that they are in control of themselves and their immediate environment. Your leadership presence is not a facade that you create. It is your actual belief in your abilities, which is expressed through your words, deeds, and behaviours.
Here are a few simple - though often overlooked - ways that you can project your leadership presence:
Dress the part. While you do not need to spend a fortune to ensure that you are wearing the latest fashion, you do need to make sure that your outward appearance is neat and appropriate to the standards set by your company. Looking as if you just rolled out of bed is no way to inspire the confidence of others.
Clean up your workspace. Your immediate environment says a lot about you. Take a look at your desk. Does it project a sense of organisation and competence? Or, does it scream dishevelled mess? Even worse, does it communicate to your colleagues that you have just given up?
Slow down! Constantly rushing from one meeting to another and arriving exasperated projects to others that you are not in control of your own schedule. Being over-committed does not show others how important you are, it shows that you cannot competently keep up with your current demands.
Control those emotions. Flying off the handle or breaking down in tears each time something does not go your way gives others the impression that you cannot be counted on during the difficult times - when leaders are needed the most.
As a leader, colleagues look to you to provide the example to which they aspire. Start setting the best leadership example today by projecting a leadership presence and see just how influential you can become!
