Executive Presence Isn’t Polish, It’s Trust
- Mar 17
- 4 min read
Written by Lisa Sheerin, ICF PCC Executive Coach | Transforming Confidence, Communication & Leadership
Lisa works as an executive public speaking coach, actor, and fitness enthusiast. She is passionate about helping people overcome imposter syndrome and find their authentic voice to unlock career success in business and beyond. She is the founder of Speak Proud.
I recently read a Fast Company article describing executive presence as “the new currency of business growth.” It struck me because it names something that comes up constantly in my work with senior leaders, even if people rarely say it quite that directly.
By the time someone reaches Director or Senior Leader level, technical competence is usually not the issue. These are people who already know their field. They have experience, judgement, and results behind them. They have earned their place in the room.
At a certain point, the question changes. It is no longer simply are you capable? The more subtle question becomes whether your communication reflects the level you have reached.
When the pressure rises in a meeting, do you steady the conversation or speed it up? Do people instinctively trust your judgement when you speak? Do you sound like someone others want to follow?
This is where executive presence begins to matter. Not in a superficial way and not in the performative sense that people sometimes assume. It is not about becoming louder, more polished or adopting some kind of artificial “executive voice.” At its core, executive presence is about trust.
When pressure rises, your communication needs to build confidence in others. Senior leadership communication is not only about transferring information. It is about signalling steadiness. People are listening for clarity, composure, and conviction. They are deciding whether your voice brings calm to the room or adds to the uncertainty.
Executive presence is one of those leadership qualities that is constantly assessed but rarely defined clearly. Instead, it tends to surface in vague feedback. Leaders are told they need to “command the room more,” or “show more gravitas,” or “sound more confident at board level,” but very few people explain what those phrases actually mean in practice.
Often, what it really means is this: under pressure, your communication is not yet fully matching the level of responsibility you hold.
This usually becomes visible in moments that matter. A board presentation. A promotion panel. An executive interview. A major client conversation. A keynote in front of colleagues or stakeholders. A leader can be highly capable, well prepared, and absolutely ready for the discussion, yet once they start speaking, something shifts. They begin to rush. They over-explain their thinking. Their voice tightens or loses its authority. They sound less certain than they actually are.
Afterwards, many leaders say some version of the same thing: “That didn’t sound like me,” or “I didn’t sound at my level.” That moment matters because it is rarely a knowledge problem. In most cases, it is a communication pattern problem, and communication patterns can be changed.
One of the biggest misconceptions about executive presence is that it belongs to a particular personality type. People often imagine the charismatic extrovert or the naturally dominant speaker. In reality, some of the strongest executive presence comes from leaders who are calm, measured, and thoughtful. Presence is not about personality or performance. It is about alignment.
Your voice, pace and delivery need to reflect the authority you already hold. When they do, people experience you as credible, steady, and clear. When they do not, even highly capable leaders can be underestimated.
This is where executive presence coaching becomes valuable. The work is not about teaching someone to perform or imitate another style of leadership. Instead, it focuses on helping senior leaders communicate with greater clarity, authority, and composure in the moments that matter most. That might involve preparing for board presentations, promotion panels, executive interviews or high-stakes stakeholder conversations. It might also involve addressing communication habits that quietly undermine credibility, such as speaking too quickly, over-explaining ideas, trailing off at the end of sentences, or losing structure when under pressure.
When those patterns shift, the change in how a leader is perceived can be immediate. Not because they have become slicker or more theatrical, but because they have become more trusted.
At a certain stage in a career, the question most leaders quietly start asking is no longer “Am I capable of doing this role?” The deeper question is whether their communication reflects the level they are already operating at.
Leadership decisions are not made only through analysis. They are made in rooms where people are listening carefully to how ideas are expressed. Confidence shapes perception. Sometimes the person who progresses is not the smartest person there, but the one whose communication makes others feel safest in their judgement. That is not fake polish. It is leadership communication.
I work with Directors and Senior Leaders who want their voice and communication to reflect the level they have reached, particularly in career-defining moments such as board presentations, promotion panels, and executive interviews. If your role has grown but your communication still feels one level behind, that gap can be closed. You can start by taking my short assessment to measure your executive presence, or find out more about executive voice and presence coaching in London at Speak Proud.
Read more from Lisa Sheerin
Lisa Sheerin, ICF PCC Executive Coach | Transforming Confidence, Communication & Leadership
Lisa works as an executive public speaking coach, actor, and group fitness instructor with over 20 years of experience. A graduate of a three-year drama school program in London, she began her career in theatre and film, where she faced and overcame imposter syndrome. Today, she empowers others to embrace their authenticity and transform self-doubt into confidence, combining her acting expertise, fitness training, and passion for personal growth. Her mission is to guide others toward a life where they can speak and live proudly.
