The Situation: Leadership presence
Jane was considered for a general manager job. She brought experience in the field and a well-known success rate in handling controversial clients in her previous organization. The challenge for Jane in the new organization was that her lack of presence eroded the confidence of the leadership team. They were concerned that future board interactions would be ineffective.
The Solution:
Jane needed polish in her communications and presence approaches with senior leaders. In her previous smaller organization, she worked mainly in the trenches. Her combination of wardrobe and grooming choices (hair style and color) hurt her presence. Jane needed a personal brand and quickly became excited about developing one. The new Jane eventually exuded a brand of leadership presence, effective listening skills and a sensitivity to adapting to different communication styles.
The Outcome:
The senior leaders immediately noticed the changes in Jane’s appearance along with the way she handled difficult situations. She created strong client and board relationships and earned a promotion to a general manager!
The power of a handshake – What does your handshake say about you? Do you know?