Human resource consultant, corporate trainer and MBA lecturer Dexter Emrit said executive presence (EP) is the missing factor for many leaders, which makes them less effective at their jobs. He said the development of soft skills is essential in the modern business world.

In an interview with Newsday, Emrit said research showed that while intelligence will get someone a seat at the head table, executive presence was what would get them to the head of the table and keep them there.

“When talking about executive presence, there are three major factors – communication, appearance, and gravitas. Appearance contributes less than ten per cent to EP even though it is still important for first impressions, while communication is 20-something per cent of EP. Gravitas, which is everything else – the way we manage conflict, the way we conduct Sourselves, the way we behave, our overall behaviour – is about 60-something per cent.

“A leader has to make sure they don’t just have the knowledge and the vision, leadership is about influencing, and we influence not only rationally, but emotionally and even spiritually. We’re talking about authenticity, and that’s why I find EP is very important, because you want to bring authenticity into your leadership style.”

[caption id="attachment_982535" align="alignnone" width="538"] Human resource consultant, corporate trainer and MBA lecturer Dexter Emrit said executive presence (EP) is the missing factor for many leaders- Sureash Cholai[/caption]

Emrit said he works from the inside out with his clients, changing their inner engineering as well as their outer engineering.

“I like to go from within, I don't believe in someone that has good communication skills, wears the smartest suit, is excellent in terms of behaviour, but within has low self-esteem. I do a session where we talk about emotional baggage and try to get it out, because I can’t come here and pretend I’m the most good-looking leader but within me there’s hidden baggage, because it will impact my energy, it will impact my interactions with you whether or not I’m aware, because we're all intuitive.

“I’m looking at impression, the impression you make on others, how you’re being perceived which is important, your expressions, how you’re communicating. I’m also looking at “innerpression,” how you are showing up from within, how do you feel about yourself, because that will of course impact your vibration. It’s about authenticity as well as integrity.”

He offers coaching in executive presence both on an individual basis as well as to small groups through a tertiary institution. The coaching consists of 20 contact hours split into seven modules.

[caption id="attachment_982536" align="alignnone" width="749"] Dexter Emrit said research showed that while intelligence will get someone a seat at the head table, executive presence was what would get them to the head of the table and keep them there. - SUREASH CHOLAI[/caption]

“I do an Introduction to EP, which can take some time as people need to understand the concept.