We talk to Lindsay Taylor, co-founder and director at Your Excellency Limited, about what she means by Executive Presence…
Executive presence is no longer a “nice to have” for Executive Assistants and Personal Assistants. It’s a core professional capability. As the strategic partner to senior leaders, your presence influences how you are perceived, how effectively you communicate, and ultimately how much impact you have within the organisation.
So, what is Executive Presence?
Executive Presence is the ability to project confidence, credibility, and composure while communicating with clarity and purpose. For EAs, it’s about being seen as a trusted professional who adds value, influences outcomes, and represents both themselves and their executive with authority.
It is not about hierarchy or personality type – it is about how you show up.
What’s included in executive presence
- Your mindset and self-belief
- The language you use
- Your communication style (verbal, vocal, and visual)
- Your ability to handle challenges with professionalism
Practical Takeaway No 1: Ask yourself: How do I want to be perceived in meetings, emails, and interactions? Then align your behaviour intentionally with that vision.
Executive presence and self-esteem are linked
At the heart of Executive Presence lies self-esteem. If you do not believe in your own value, it will be difficult for others to recognise it. A powerful way to build self-awareness and confidence is through a Personal SWOT analysis.
What’s included in a personal SWOT analysis
Strengths: What do you do well?
Weaknesses: Where can you improve?
Opportunities: What can you develop or explore?
Threats: What might hold you back?
Best practice is to revisit this every 2–3 months, allowing you to track growth and adjust your development focus.
Practical Takeaway No 2: Schedule 20 minutes of uninterrupted “thinking time” this month to complete a Personal SWOT. Date it, keep it, and review it regularly. Block out 20 minutes to conduct this exercise again – every 2-3 months. This is an investment in your professional growth.
Fostering a positive mindset & precision language
Your mindset directly shapes your Executive Presence. A positive, solution-focused outlook enhances your credibility and resilience. Equally important is precision language – the words you choose influence both your thinking and how others perceive you.
- Towards language: “I will”, “I can”, “I want to achieve”
- Away-from language: “I can’t”, “I need to avoid”, “This is difficult”
Shifting to towards thinking using towards language creates momentum, confidence, and clarity.
Practical Takeaway No 3: Listen to your internal dialogue and check your written communication this week. Replace one “I can’t” with “How can I?” then “How WILL I?”. Notice the difference in your approach.
Communicating Assertively
Assertiveness is a cornerstone of Executive Presence. It is the ability to express your views, needs, and ideas confidently while respecting others.
Assertive communication has three key elements:
1. Verbal
- Use clear, direct “I” statements
- Focus on solutions rather than problems
- Ask questions to understand others’ perspectives
2. Vocal
- Maintain a steady, calm tone
- Use pace and pauses effectively
- Emphasise key points
3. Visual
- Maintain relaxed, appropriate eye contact
- Adopt open, balanced body language
- Ensure posture reflects confidence
Research suggests communication impact is largely non-verbal, meaning how you say something often matters more than the words themselves.
How to handle challenging conversations
A useful framework for handling challenging conversations is the AIDA model:
- Acknowledge the other person’s perspective
- Impact – explain how it affects you or the situation
- Desired outcome – propose a solution
- Agreement – confirm next steps
Practical Takeaway No 4: Before your next challenging conversation, map out your message using AIDA. This ensures clarity, professionalism, and a constructive outcome.
THINK about feedback
Feedback is essential for growth, yet many professionals either avoid it or fail to use it effectively.
A simple and powerful consideration is the THINK model. Before giving or responding to feedback, ask:
- Is it Truthful?
- Is it Helpful?
- Is it Inspiring?
- Is it Necessary?
- Is it Kind?
For self-reflection, use a structured approach:
- 3 things that went well
- 2 things that didn’t go so well
- 1 key area for improvement
This builds self-awareness without becoming overly critical.
Practical Takeaway No 5 : At the end of each week, spend 10 minutes reflecting using the 3–2–1 model. Over time, this creates consistent, measurable improvement.
Learning consolidation
Executive Presence is not developed overnight. It evolves through continuous learning and practice. The “learning ladder” reminds us that growth moves through stages:
- Unconscious incompetence
- Conscious incompetence
- Conscious competence
- Unconscious competence
The key is to remain curious rather than judgmental. Curiosity opens the door to growth, while self-criticism can limit it.
To embed learning, consider:
- What should you stop, start, and continue doing?
- What do you need more of—and less of—in your professional behaviour?
Practical Takeaway No 6: Choose one behaviour to consciously practise over the next two weeks (e.g., pausing before responding, or using more assertive language). Small, consistent actions lead to lasting change.
Final Thoughts
Executive Presence for the EA is about intentional development. It is the combination of confidence, communication, and credibility underpinned by a strong mindset and a commitment to growth.
You do not need to change who you are; you need to refine how you present your strengths. Consider the following : If Executive Presence is how others experience you, what experience are you creating and what do you want it to be?
We are delighted to have Lindsay Taylor, Your Excellency Limited, is PA Life’s Professional Development columnist. You can now also read her Spring 2026 Issue column here
