WTF is Executive Presence?

Defining Executive Presence a Nuestra Manera.

The first time I heard "Executive Presence" I'm pretty sure I was at a professional development workshop and it was early in my career where I wanted (bueno, needed) to make a good impression.

For some reason it's always presented as the thing that will magically make everyone "take you seriously" "listen to you" and "see you as a true leader". And it most definitely always feels like you have to be "more like that" and "less like this" in order to achieve "executive presence".

What does it actually mean?

Across articles and definitions, executive presence seems to be a mixture of: Presence (how confident you seem, especially under pressure), Communication (how effective you are at conveying a message), and Leadership (your ability to inspire trust and alignment; move people).

I like the way an MIT Management Executive Education blog explained it. Their definition includes emotional intelligence, experience (aka practice), a calm and deliberate approach, and strong relationships. All things as Latinas, we know very well.

Did y'all forget we grew up (and went into corporate America) monitoring the "energy" in the room to asses if it was safe to speak up? To be ourselves? To propose a new idea? We know how to read people, which means we know how to meet them where they need us to.

What about how a lot of us somehow became master translators of documents with words we didn't even know the definitions to? And still had to remain calm because we were handling some real adult shit (sorry, does cussing dilute my executive presence)? We remained calm and our tone one of confidence, even when internally, we might have felt the total opposite.

And inspiring trust? That's all we know. We are community-made. Our relationships to our community, family, and friends, are the things we become the most passionate over.

So, when we think of Executive Presence, why does it always seem to be so far removed from who we already are?

(^ feel free to use that as a reflection prompt. What came up for you?)

For so long, we've been conditioned in one way or the other to dilute the most natural parts of who we are in the name of (many things) "executive presence" and "professionalism".

Those days are gone. We can be ourselves and move the needle.

In essence, executive presence has the purpose of building influence for action. You want people to do something. Isn't that a speaker's dream? That people give a damn about what you have to say and go out there and implement?

"You need to grow your executive presence" alone, isn't harmful. What if instead of it seemingly asking us to change or dilute who we are, it was actually urging us to step up to the stage with everything we are?

Your practice of public speaking will inevitably grow your executive presence.

Anybody shocked I said that? I actually think its the #1 thing on the list because when you practice your craft as a communicator, your relationships strengthen, your leadership grows, and people trust you enough to take action.

And, the most beautiful part, is that it stops being a "fake it til you make it" moment. You actually begin to feel your presence making an impact.

Tips for Growing Your Executive Presence based on Communications Practices (Take it or leave it. Seriously. Esto es a tu manera).

1. Know your audience. Do they care about what you're wearing? Will you make the "sale" if you did your hair that day? Or can you confidently say that your appearance will not impact how your message is received? Does that even matter to you?

2. Practice speaking off the cuff more than you memorize speeches. Here's a whole Chats with Yvonne podcast episode on how to do that.

3. Add a period at the end of your sentences and pause. Our words out loud also follow grammatical formatting (aveces). The important part here is to recognize when you want to make a point, ask a question, or express excitement. Ensure your tone matches the intention. And then, let your sentence breathe. Wait for a reaction. It can keep us from rambling or my personal favorite, over-explaining.

4. Get out of your head and into your body. I cover non-verbals and the power of the pause in this episode of the Chats with Yvonne podcast if you want to dive deep!

5. Whatever you do, whatever you say, OWN IT. 🧡

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Reflection question: Is Executive Presence perception? Or is it an identity you truly embody? Why?

We're answering that question and getting some hands-on time at our workshop this month.

Our Practice:

• Your Signature Communication Style: Identify your core speaking values and map them against your audience's needs so you can lead conversations and captivate stages anchored in your unique essence.

• Practice in the Room: You'll present your communication style to one another and then engage in live improv practice. Our "rubric" as an audience is simple: ensuring you show up as yourself and your message lands, a tu manera. Yes, we'll keep an eye out for pace, tone, and filler words, but always with the intention to help your message hit the mark the way you designed it.

• Receive Direct Coaching: Walk away with actionable, real-time feedback from peers and speaking coach Yvonne (hola 🙋🏻‍♀️), so you know exactly what to tweak before your next presentation, keynote, or work meeting.

Build Presence, a Tu Manera

From$35.00

August 27, 2026, 5:00 – 6:30 PM PDTVirtual Event

Register Now