Five simple ways to stand out as a leader

Why is it that some leaders seem to have a strong influence over people while others struggle to do the same no matter who they’re talking to? Influential leaders have presence, or what I like to call the “X factor.”

Consider a quick pop culture example. As of February 24th, a Google search of Prince William and Princess Kate totaled 3.6 million results. People adore them: Their wedding was one of the most watched television events of the last half decade, and almost everything their son or daughter does seems to go viral.

Now consider William’s dad, Prince Charles. A similar Google search showed 700,000 results, and last year, The Daily Beast called Charles “the monarch nobody wants.” Harsh.

Charles and William are both in line for the throne, they’ve both been raised as nobles, and the English (and the rest of the world) have had context for them for decades. So why is there such a difference in perception?

Charles is a great dignitary, but he hasn’t seemed to master leadership presence to the same degree as William has. In fact, both William and Kate exude presence. They leave a lasting positive impression on people. They know how to communicate through various channels, from strategically planned photos of their children to Prince William’s compassionate speeches about his mother. They understand how to positively present themselves no matter what the situation and they maintain a position of strength, whether it’s to a 5-year-old or to a world leader.

Through years of research working with different leaders across all industries, I narrowed the idea of presence down to five major concepts.

Substance

If you don’t have thorough knowledge of your core area, you’ll never be seen as a present, deeply effective leader. People can sniff out baloney. Build a track record of success to grow your reputation in your industry and beyond. People might have questioned Steve Jobs’ leadership style, but they never questioned his expertise.

Relational authenticity

Make people feel like they matter. Have you ever met someone famous or of perceived importance, and they spoke to you like you were the only person in the room — even though thousands of people might want their attention? That’s presence. If you read almost any biography of Bill Clinton, people have claimed he has that.

Style

Style is how you show up. It’s about appearance, confidence and energy. Appearance matters. You need to dress the part for your role, but most importantly, you need to appear pulled together. Unkempt clothing is a presence-detractor.

Being viewed as confident derives from a combination of your substance and your body language. Researcher Amy Cuddy explains it beautifully in her TED Talk, “Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are.”

Energy is about how you focus your energy toward your audience, not on yourself. It’s dancing with your audience in a mutual energy exchange. Patsy Rodenburg, one of the world’s leading voice coaches, says it’s having a “stage presence.”

Communication

Communication is a major problem in most offices and one of the biggest “negatives” employees indicate when reviewing their company. Very few seem to communicate well, which is often the result of unclear, frequently shifting priorities. Communication, for me, is an intersection of three things: the right way, the right time and the right people.

Situational agility

Each client, employee and situation is going to be different. Some want hard facts all the time while some are comfortable working from their gut. Some use Microsoft products, some use Google. Some love email, some only want to call you. There are thousands of ways where Client A can be different from Client B.

The most present leaders respond to each client as an individual and respect their needs while having empathy for how they like to work. The least effective leaders try to shoehorn everyone into what they are comfortable with. Those leaders also end up losing a lot of business.

If you want to boost your X factor and exude presence, start with building up your relational authenticity. Your first objective is to make someone feel like they matter.