Ever Been Told That You Are Lacking "Presence"?
Often used as a reason to withhold your promotion - Issue #17
Several people who have hit a promotion ceiling in their careers tell me that they’ve received feedback that they are “lacking presence.” If they are a manager or junior leader, they may hear, “You lack executive presence.”
Have you ever been told that? If so, I can understand if you’ve been frustrated by this criticism. It is such a cop-out.
It is a catch-all phrase that is meant to capture myriad issues when managers can’t be pinned down. But, I’ve been in many employee review meetings from the leadership side of the table. I also work with managers who are trying to coach their direct reports through this “presence problem.” What I’ve learned is that they are often dissatisfied with one or more of the following issues:
You don’t seem very confident
Your behavior or appearance isn’t professional
The team doesn’t see you as a senior leader
Your public speaking skills are lacking
You don’t handle conflict very well
You lack political savvy
You aren’t ready to “swim with the sharks”
You can’t th…