The old adage “You can’t manage what you can’t measure,” has thus far been a challenge when approaching the elusive idea of Executive Presence. In ALL THE LEADER YOU CAN BE: The Science of Achieving Extraordinary Executive Presence (McGraw-Hill Professional; February 2016), executive coach and bestselling author of Speak Like a CEO, Suzanne Bates, and her co-author, William Macaux, demystify the “X-Factor” behind executive presence and offer a blueprint for leaders to climb the ladder with concrete measurement of their influence and impact.
Everyone recognizes leaders with “presence”; they stand out for their seemingly innate ability to command attention and inspire commitment. But until now, it’s been virtually impossible for organizations to measure and ultimately leverage the true value of this secret sauce of leadership. With groundbreaking original research, Bates and her team examine what it really takes to get ahead and how to amplify their strengths and to build upon their perceived needs.
In All the Leader You Can Be, Bates deconstructs Executive Presence and provides a framework in which to fortify their leadership skills by tackling imperative questions, such as:
· Are we already hard-wired with Executive Presence or do we inherit it?
· How can leaders demonstrate qualities of leadership that build trust, such as composure and resonance?
· Why do facets of a leader’s character, such as humility, concern for others, and integrity, matter when it comes to driving business results?
· What does it take to inspire trust within our teams?
· How can we, as leaders, thrive in a crisis and overcome daily challenges?
· Does appearance matter when it comes to Executive Presence?
Filled with stories of effective leaders with powerful presence and the latest scientific research translated into actionable habits, this authoritative guide puts a little-understood, but potentially game-changing tool within everyone's reach. Beyond this, Bates and her team provide valuable data about how Executive Presence is perceived among various groups, such as high potential leaders, women, and leaders of diverse backgrounds. While some leaders look like they are born with Executive Presence, the research Bates has done shows that most successful leaders have developed this feature through their own experiences and efforts.
Leaders everywhere will be able to add a whole new dimension to succession planning and talent management that guides good decisions and puts the right people in the right place at the right time. At a time when our the skills gap is making career advancement more challenging than ever, All the Leader You Can Be provides readers at every level on the career ladder the guidance they need to stay relevant, keep our skills fresh, and make the leap from working like an executive to feeling like an executive.
-- Love Rae
