Today’s guest blogger is Fernando Ortiz-Barbachano of Barbachano International in San Diego, California (USA). Barbachano International is the premier executive search and leadership advisory firm in the Americas with a focus on diversity and multicultural target markets. The firm is a longtime NPAworldwide member, having joined in 2007. He shares some tips below regarding building executive presence.
When you have executive presence, you exude poise and confidence. People respect you as a leader and expect you to take charge. This presence doesn’t just happen, however. Building executive presence is a deliberate act that elevates your influence and personal branding. As you work to manage and build your executive presence, one key tool you can leverage is social media.
Establishing Your Executive Presence and Brand
Your executive presence and personal brand help to set you apart from other leaders in your organization. By leveraging the elements of executive presence, you can let everyone in your sphere of influence understand what you have to offer that’s distinct from others. This effort ultimately enhances your visibility not only in your own organization but across your field nationally and even globally.
Your executive presence speaks not just to your leadership but to the way others perceive you as a leader. It starts with your personal brand — those factors that differentiate you personally from those around you — and moves into an expanded sphere of influence and leadership.
Executive presence is, in essence, the way you express your personal brand as you interact with others and take increased responsibility for your actions and decisions as a leader. Your ability to project confidence (even in dicey situations), to communicate passionately and clearly to any audience, and to come across as someone who commands respect are all elements undergirding your executive presence.
Social Media and Executive Presence
You undoubtedly already have a social media presence online. As new platforms continue to emerge and evolve, your ability to expand your influence via social media is growing. Now you can establish yourself as a thought leader and enhance your executive presence via social media, going beyond the basic networking uses of traditional social media platforms.
The Basics: LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook
LinkedIn continues to be one of the must-have social media homes for rising executives. By keeping your LinkedIn profile current and sharing relevant content, you make sure people know where to find you and can keep up on the latest. You can also connect with groups and individuals that can help you expand your online presence.
In addition, Twitter is a useful platform for promoting any content and establishing yourself as a thought leader in your field. Other social media platforms, such as Facebook or YouTube, may be of value to some executives depending on the industry, but often they’re best relegated to use for personal connections rather than business networking.
The New Kids in Town: Clubhouse, Discord and Yes, Even TikTok
You probably have a history of networking and expanding your presence via in-person events such as industry panels, conferences, and other events. In recent years, those types of opportunities have begun to flourish online. Through leveraging some of the newer social media platforms, you can widen your influence and reach people in your field you might never have access to at an in-person event.
Clubhouse is an audio platform that prioritizes real-time conversations with thought leaders. While it’s not specific to any one industry, it does carry a sense of exclusivity, since not everyone is allowed to be a speaker. By joining public or private Clubhouse rooms, you can connect with others interested in specific topics and establish yourself as a thought leader.
Discord began as a voice chat and chat room platform for gamers, but it has quickly expanded into new areas of content. Its users tend to be younger than you’ll find on, say, LinkedIn — something that’s especially true of TikTok as well. Executives looking to connect with younger consumers or influencers and those who want to champion diversity and inclusion can turn to these newer platforms to establish themselves as thought leaders with a new generation.
As you build your executive presence and personal brand, you help your organization shine as well. By leveraging social media smartly, you can open new doors for yourself while burnishing your company’s prospects too.