Leadership Today Update

Use Your Leadership Presence for Impact when Interviewing

A high potential executive who knows my work as a leadership coach asked me how he could incorporate the concepts of leadership presence as he interviewed for a senior position in a new division of the company where he works. In previous blogs, I've talked about various facets of leadership presence including integrity, communication, and self-trust. 

Here's another angle: whether you are interviewing for a job, a consulting assignment or a new position within your current company, leadership presence can help you conduct yourself with authenticity and impact.

Prepare as a leader

Your interview begins well before you meet with the decision makers. It starts with thorough preparation. You'll undoubtedly research the company history, financials, and current leadership team. But it will also be important to gain an understanding of the vision and objectives of the organization.  By including the following questions in your research, you will lay the groundwork for presenting yourself effectively:

• What is the organization known for? What is its reputation? Does it do what it claims it does? How does the organization present itself to the public? Its stakeholders?
• What are the business imperatives for the organization? How does it see its future?
• What is the culture of the organization? What are the organization's strengths? Challenges?

Then dig deeper: 

• Who are your interviewers? What can you learn about senior management, potential peers and direct reports?
• Make time to meet and talk with employees - their perspective will enhance your sense of the organization's culture.
• How do the leaders demonstrate the organization's values? What is your sense of their alignment?
• What is the track record for achieving results?
• Identify areas where you feel you may be able to add value.

Reach out to your own professional network and find out who might have additional knowledge about the organization that will be helpful for you.

Investing time in research and preparation helps you gain a sense of the areas where your own core values and leadership style are genuinely aligned with those of the organization and will give you some useful common ground for the interview.

Attitude is important

You don't have control of what your interviewers may be thinking about you, but you do have control of your attitude and how you present yourself during the interview process. Some points to remember:

• Review your talking points before the interview so that you are clear in your own mind about the most important things you want the interviewers to know about you.
• Interviews are a two way street - think of them as a conversation, not a monologue. Listen. Ask clarifying questions. Make your points clearly and succinctly.
• Be natural: give interviewers an opportunity to experience the authentic you. Your actions and behaviors during the interview are a reflection and expression of your core values and leadership style.

Be present in the moment

The day of the interview arrives. You are prepared and have a positive attitude. Now how will you act? What first and lasting impressions will you leave?

Start by being present in the moment - be focused on the here and now, not distracted by your thoughts of what else you have to accomplish that day. Turn off your phone. Take a couple of deep breaths and get centered.

Remember your body language:

• Walk into the building, down the hallways and into the interview room with a smile.
• Make eye contact with each person in the room and greet them with a smile.
• Posture is important. Show your interest by leaning into the conversation.
• Maintain a professional demeanor,

Stay focused:

• Be mindful of the time - use it wisely.
• When asked a question, paraphrase your understanding of the meaning of the question and when you are not sure, ask for clarification.
• It is very likely that you will be asked open-ended questions.  The interviewer will really listen to how you answer.   Be clear about the point you want to make.
• As the interview concludes, take a moment and recap what you have learned about them and what you want them to have learned about you.   Offer to address any additional areas that may be helpful.
• It is likely the interviewers will tell you where they are in the process, however if they don't - ask.

Sincerely thank your interviewers for their time. When you hand-write your thank you note, recap something that resonated with you from the interview. If possible, mail your note the same day.

Have you interviewed recently or do you have an interview coming up? What would you add to our tips for conducting yourself with leadership presence on an interview? Tell us!

Start Building Your Authentic Leadership Presence with 7 Questions

I've talked in previous blog posts about leadership presence and also highlighted Brian Davis as an example of authenticity and integrity - leadership presence in action. But how do people start building their own leadership presence?

Making a conscious commitment to change is the first step. As Mahatma Gandhi said, "We must become the change we want to see." Authentic leadership presence starts by getting to the essence of what you stand for, what you believe, how you behave and communicate.  It is grounded in your identity and self image.

Investing the time to reflect on seven simple yet powerful questions can help you begin to develop your own authentic leadership presence.

As a leader you must first and foremost have self-trust. Two crucial questions to reflect on here are:

1. Do I really trust me?
2. How do I build trust among my colleagues and within my organization?

The answers may initially seem pretty simple: "Of course I trust myself", but it means really looking and discovering those areas where you do - and maybe don't - trust yourself.  When you trust yourself, you begin to pave the way for others to trust you as well.

You must also connect with your core values. Ask yourself:

3. What is important to me?
4. What do I, as a leader, need to become and do more of and less of?

Many of us know effective leadership when we see it. A helpful exercise is to focus on a great and often everyday leader, and look at the leadership traits that person possesses. This helps you to build awareness of the conscious effort, specific traits and skills that are useful ingredients in the foundation of authentic leadership presence.

I'm a baseball fan, so I like to use Yankee team captain Derek Jeter as an example. Jeter would likely be considered a Level 5 leader by Jim Collins because he is personally modest yet has a professional will and strong passion for the team. Looking at Jeter - or any leader you prefer - ask yourself:

5. Beyond first impressions, what are the specific leadership competencies and characteristics I see in this person? 
6. What competencies and characteristics do I see in this person that I don't see in myself? 
7. How can I begin to incorporate some of these into my own leadership approach?

By reflecting on these seven questions, you can develop the self-trust, reinforce your core values and awareness that are the foundation of your own leadership presence.

Share your thoughts: What do you think is important to building authentic leadership presence?

Leadership and Integrity: Will Anybody Really Notice What Happened?

One of the best examples of integrity and leadership presence took place recently on the 2010 PGA Tour.

In the playoff hole at the Verizon Heritage Tournament in Hilton Head, Brian Davis brought to the attention of Tournament director, Slugger White, that he, Davis, had inadvertently moved a loose impediment during his backswing while in a hazard.  Nobody had seen it, including the official.  In essence, Davis imposed a penalty on himself. 

What did Davis' honesty cost? His first PGA tour victory and more than $400,000. Ouch.

When Davis was asked by Jim Furyk, the winner of the tournament, if he was sure he moved the impediment he said, "I know I did. I could not have lived with myself, if I had not called it on myself." 

Davis' victory - doing the right thing - demonstrated his character and core values.

In a recent Leadership Today Update, I stated that when an individual is confident and centered in his or her beliefs, when their intentions, communication, actions and behaviors are consistent, that's when they gain the credibility that is the essence of leadership presence.  Like Brian Davis, they are viewed as genuine and trustworthy - they are authentic. There is no hidden agenda, no game-playing.  There is integrity.  

Such individuals approach things with their own style that reflects a conscious attitude about who they are.  Said Davis, "I am proud to uphold the values that my parents taught me, and I teach my kids the same stuff. Be honest in your sport and in your life and simply do your best. That's all you can do." 

How many times in a single day at our workplace, at home or in a social setting are we faced with moments when we can choose to act with integrity?  How often do we do what is right?

It is a common practice in organizations of all sizes to include integrity and trust in their value statements and guiding principles.  We see statements on walls, in brochures, on web sites, and on laminated pocket-size cards.  I think that people really believe in these values - who wouldn't?  But there are times in every organization that, even though it may not be intentional, people slip up. Maybe some of the values that are displayed on the walls are viewed with skepticism and are not really a reflection of the organization's actions.  Sometimes it's just plain hard to do the right thing. Like Brian Davis, we may run the risk of losing the big, obvious prize if we act with integrity.

What examples of integrity have you seen?  When could someone you know have acted with integrity, but didn't? Let me know in the Comments section.

photo by particlem (flickr.com)

Authentic Leadership Presence - Built on Trust and Integrity

Genuine, reliable, trustworthy, legitimate, dependable ... you can hardly read or hear a news story these days where authenticity doesn't come into play. 

Whether it's about a major auto manufacturer or a financial institution that regularly fills the news; or maybe even the very organization you work for, how often do you ask yourself: what does this organization and its people really stand for? What do their actions say about their beliefs and values? Are they worthy of anyone's trust?

It starts at the top. More than ever, organizations need senior executives who are trustworthy, credible leaders who can inspire others and earn their confidence. As Craig Newmark, founder of Craigslist said, "Trust is the new black."

Critical Leadership Skills

The stakes are higher than ever for leaders today. They have more - and often conflicting - priorities, and are under tremendous pressure to produce results.  Every personal interaction, decision, and communication counts. These interactions determine whether they are viewed as credible, trustworthy, and someone people want to follow.

But how does a person go from being a competent mid-level manager to being the one with the critical leadership skills to succeed in a more complex senior role?

I believe that developing authentic leadership presence - built on trust and integrity - is an integral step. It is how a competent executive becomes a leader who sees the big picture, knows how to frame issues and goals, is willing to ask thoughtful, meaningful and provocative questions, and whose actions are a reflection of his or her own true character.  Such a leader can connect with the hearts and minds of others and have an enormous positive impact on an organization.

Self Knowledge Is the Beginning

I have learned in my own leadership journey that self-knowledge is at the core of authentic leadership presence. As Ann Fudge, current board member for GE and former CEO and Chairman of Young & Rubicam, puts it, "All of us have the spark of leadership in us. The challenge is to understand ourselves well enough to discover where we can use our leadership gifts to serve others."

I know that when an individual is confident and centered in his or her beliefs, when their intentions, communication, actions and behaviors are consistent, that's when they gain the credibility that is the essence of leadership presence. They are viewed as genuine and trustworthy - they are authentic. There is no hidden agenda, no game-playing. There is integrity. These are individuals who approach things with their own style that reflects a conscious attitude about who they are.

Balance and Being Present

Two other characteristics are important to authentic leadership presence: balance, and being present in the moment. Balance can be about a lot of things, but in this context it's about knowing when to act, and when not to act; when to let things happen and when to put on the brakes. That's not necessarily easy, especially for executives who are hard driving, "get it done now" types.

The second characteristic - being present - is often referred to as "being in the moment".  I commented before about connecting with the hearts and minds of others. This connection can only happen when a leader engages his or her own heart and emotions and is focused on what is going on in the here and now. That's not easy.  With all the distractions - meetings, email, phone, Blackberry - staying focused in the moment can take an extraordinary effort.
In my next blog post I'll talk about steps an executive can take to develop authentic leadership presence.

Do you know a leader who is genuine and trustworthy? Do you think they have authentic leadership presence? Tell  us about them in the Comments section below.