Presence as a Leader
The Dalai Lama, Adolf Hitler, Barack Obama, Gandhi, Richard Branson, Queen Elizabeth II, Genghis Khan, Moses, Jesus, Lord Krishna, Buddha.
Who are these people, why have I started with their names on my blog this week?
Whenever I do a Leadership Workshop, I ask the delegates to consider people (leaders) that have influence over decisions that have been made or are going to make, whether in business or on a personal level - in factI ask what presence do they have, that engages or holds an audiences attention.
Everyone I have mentioned, and there are hundreds more, are different. Some we have witnessed having that 'presence' through the various media of video, speech etc. Others we can only take the word of 'bygone ages' and 'diluted' scripts.
Gandhi used to sit, wearing his crisp white dhoti and shawl, spinning cotton. he would have politicians in his audience and they would talk - he would never tell them what to do, he just spoke, they just listened and then they acted. the power of that is amazing, the presence he had was intense but not energised.
Hitler on the other hand used to stand on a podium in front of thousands of spectators - shouting, being angry, and bang his fists on the stand in front of him. he held an audience in a different way, telling people what his visions were and telling them how they were going to achieve it.
These are two very different people, yet had a presence that captivated anyone in their presence - yet they still achieved what they intended to do.
So my question to you is, 'what type of presence do you have?'
Are you the person that imitates the Hitler approach, almost bullish in your approach to 'win' people over, or do you use the more gentle approach?
The reason it is important to know how people perceive you is, because you will be able to achieve so much more when you understand how the characteristics you present impact the way in which people understand, appreciate and want to listen to what you have to say.
In my last post, to be a true leader, I said that 'you can't be a leader, only others can see you as a leader.' Meaning that, if you demonstrate the right qualities, YOUR presence is how you are perceived.
Think about the following:
The Energy you exude
The Humility you have
The Vision you share
Your Appearance
These are things that make you stand out over everyone else. Think about how these are/were demonstrated by the names I gave at the beginning. As a leader in business, you must be yourself but also have these qualities.
Your presence should not be demanding, but engaging and inclusive. Don't think "I need to be a God amongst Kings". But consider how you can be "A Person with the People".
You should think about the next time you enter a room, how to people react to you? Is your presence perceived as arrogant and demanding - or is it perceived as confident and inspiring.
If you can Inspire them. They will Aspire to achieve.
Jay Acharya | Director
