TheLeadershipNotebook

Another Look At How We Project Ourselves

 

“The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking.

It cannot be changed without changing our thinking.”

~Albert Einstein

 

Last fall I wrote an article on Executive Presence and Emotional Intelligence (EQ) for my monthly newsletter, spare change. I’ve received great feedback on the article as a useful tool to share with professionals who are looking to enhance how they “show up” in a leadership setting.

 

The premise of the article is that our emotional intelligence, (in essence how “smart” we are about using our emotions), directly impacts our executive presence. In other words, how we “show up” can be enhanced by developing various aspects of our EQ.

 

Recently, I ran across a great visual, articulated by Coach Michael Neill, which paints a vivid picture of what I’m talking about.

 

Imagine that what you display to others, your “executive presence,” is like a movie, all happening on a movie screen in front of you. In executive presence terms, the movie might portray you as confident, assertive and empathic or timid, passive and unconnected.

But what’s really occurring is not happening on the screen at all. It’s inside the movie projector that shines a light on your “video tape reel”. Your thoughts, beliefs and emotions are illuminated by the bright light of the projector and playing outside on the movie screen.

 

When looking at improving our executive presence, many look to change what’s happening on the movie screen, outside of the projector (think new clothes or other outward trappings of success). But as you know from the movies, changing what’s on the screen doesn’t work.

 

The change you seek must happen on the inside of the projector, by changing the thoughts, beliefs and emotions that run though your "projector." If you want to change how you show up, the change must happen on the inside first.

 

What do you think? Does this visual resonate with you? What is the image you project? What are the thoughts, beliefs and emotions running through your “projector” that impact how you are perceived by others?

 

To your success,

 

Mary

 

 

Do You Have “Executive Presence”?

 

“Because everything we say and do is the length and shadow of our own souls,

 our influence is determined by the quality of our being.”

~Dale E. Turner

 

On Wednesday, I had the honor of presenting at the Association for Accounting Marketing’s 2011 Summit. The Summit attracted over 500 marketing professionals whose focus is to take their member firms to new heights. I spoke to a great group of 50 in a breakout session on one of my favorite topics: Emotional Intelligence (EQ): The Cornerstone of Executive Presence.

As I shared with them, ultimately “executive presence” is all about having influence. The kind of influence that compels others to take note of your thoughts, ideas and input. And I can’t think of a group of professionals who must be more influential than marketers, especially to the CPA profession. Marketing leaders must influence their internal stakeholders to accept their ideas and strategies and they must influence their external stakeholders to select their firms.

With our executive presence, what we display on the outside comes from the core of our emotions on the inside. And so it comes as no surprise that the level of our emotional intelligence skillset is ultimately key to the power of our executive presence.

As leaders, we are continually in the spotlight. Our bosses, our direct reports, our peers look at how we display our confidence, our assertiveness and how we handle stress.

So what do you project in your spotlight? Confident, courageous communication? A calm, unflappable demeanor?

 

 

I met many great marketing professionals at the Summit. Their firms are fortunate that their marketing strategy and execution are in such capable hands.

To your success,

Mary