Executive presence substantially influences whether you will be perceived as a leader, yet it’s an often elusive and unclear concept. The definition can even change from company to company. Frequently, it’s simply a constellation of qualities determined by implicit expectations from the dominant majority — the guys at the top. Not surprisingly, in one study, most executives described as having presence were men.

Physical appearance, projected confidence and even coercive power use claim top spots as qualities regularly named as part of executive presence. However, these traits don’t always align with the diverse range of leadership styles, cultural backgrounds and individual identities in modern workplaces. And that means that leaders, or potential leaders, must feign qualities they don’t possess or suppress parts of their authentic identities that mitigate against these ideals. In fact, over 60% of employees in a Deloitte survey reported having to hide a part of themselves at work. Withholding parts of yourself leads to stifled ideas, diminished creativity, and more traction for bad ideas due to a fear of speaking out and risking exposure.

There’s a better way to lead. It’s called strategic presence.

What Is Strategic Presence?

Strategic presence is intentionally adjusting how you show up in different situations to meet your audience’s needs and help them hear your message. Unlike executive presence, it isn’t about molding yourself to fit a specific set of criteria. Instead, it’s an inside-out approach to leadership deeply rooted in your most fundamental nature. It calls on you to activate your values, identity and purpose.

Putting Strategic Presence to Work

The best way to understand strategic presence is to put it into action. Imagine that you’re preparing for a meeting to discuss a crucial initiative that’s fallen behind schedule. Two different teams are responsible for various aspects of the project. By the meeting’s end, you want the project back on track. To determine an authentic and effective leadership stance using strategic presence, ground yourself in these five tenets:

1. Objective: Ask yourself, “What is my goal for this meeting? What does success look like?” While this sounds straightforward, be careful to set a positive, constructive objective. For example, in this scenario, you could set a goal to make sure the teams never let this kind of delay happen again. That may be a necessary conversation at some point. Still, it’s a very different aim than identifying the immediate, active steps everyone needs to take to bring the project in on time.
2. Values: Next, ask yourself, “What message do I need this audience to hear to achieve our goal?” Then, decide which of your personal values would best support you in landing that message. Choose one or two values to deliberately communicate and amplify. Let’s say you choose teamwork. Not only would you call on the group to collaborate, but you would also lead by example by embodying a team-member mentality.
3. Role: Next, find an identity you can tap into to connect with this audience that illustrates your chosen value. We all hold multiple identities at work and in our broader lives related to social functions, passions, race, gender identity, age, nationality, religion and culture, to name a few. In this case, knowing there’s friction between the competing teams, you may choose to lean into your identity as a parent. Raising teenagers may have taught you the wisdom of acting as a facilitator rather than a judge during disagreements. Adopting a facilitator’s point of view also supports your teamwork value by allowing you to be balanced and objective, encouraging ideas from both sides.
4. Intention: How do you want people on your teams to feel? Objectives, values, and roles draw on your personal goals and attributes — but always in service of connecting with the team. Intention takes the process a step further by focusing on the other’s needs and clarifying how you’ll meet them. To accomplish your objective, do people need to feel excited, inspired, soothed, challenged or something else?
5. Physicality: How do you need to show up for this message to be heard by this audience? How does that compare to your habitual way of showing up? Your voice and body are tools for delivering emotional intelligence in communication. Rather than imitating a generic leader’s tone or posture, you’re actively looking for cues from your audience that help you establish genuine connection and rapport in a way that meets the moment.

Consider adjustments you may need to make around:

• Language choices: Should your words be academic? Conversational? Inspirational?
• Tone of voice: Should your tone be humble? Humorous? Authoritative?
• Body language: Should you be formal or relaxed in body language? Expressive or more subdued?
• Clothing: Should your look be refined, unpretentious or creative?
• Interaction style: Should you be a transmitter (i.e., delivering content) or a receiver (i.e., listening deeply)? Or both?
• Thinking style: Should you focus more on the big picture or on the details?
• Decision-making style: Should you drive the final decisions or seek consensus?

Shifting from executive to strategic presence reflects a critical evolution in leadership thinking. Strategic presence is not a performance technique but a holistic strategy that calls for deep self-awareness and the ability to adjust dynamically to the needs of various situations and audiences. It empowers leaders to build on their different identities, values, and strengths, making their leadership more accessible and relevant — to everyone.