• 804.241.9757
  • [email protected]
  • Contact
  • Log In
  • 0Shopping Cart
thoughtLEADERS, LLC: Leadership Training for the Real World
  • About
  • Services
  • TITAN
  • Team
  • Blog
  • Online
  • Books
  • Clients
  • Contact
  • Menu

Build your skills! Take our eLearning courses on TITAN!

World-class eLearning courses with videos, exercises, downloads, and a certificate of completion. Get started today!

previous arrow
next arrow
Slider

6 Executive Presence Failures You’re Exhibiting

August 16, 2010/13 Comments/in Career, Communications, Leadership /by Mike Figliuolo

Many of us aspire to be a senior executive (and many of you already are). Sometimes you might wonder why you’re not getting picked for the role.

You’re a solid performer, your work is great, and you’ve exceeded every goal yet still you don’t make it to the big leagues. Can’t figure out why? You might be exhibiting silly little behaviors that are easy to fix but no one has ever pointed out.  In short, you sometimes come across as a clown.  Now, I know I’ve previously said it’s okay to occasionally be a clown in the social networking arena but this post covers the flip side of that coin.

When you exhibit these little quirks, other senior executives (and your team members) question how polished you truly are. In a day when people are risk averse, they’re not going to take a bet on you if they believe you might embarrass yourself or the organization in front of the board, customers, partners, or large groups of associates.

The good news is I’m more than happy to point out some of these little failings that are extremely easy to fix. Yes, some take time to implement while others require but the click of a few buttons.

If you’re serious about playing at the next level (or if you want to ensure your performance at that level isn’t lacking credibility), read on, take a hard look at what you’re doing, and modify behaviors accordingly. It’s the little things that can make a difference. And here they are:

Email Etiquette

With the prevalence of electronic communication, you just have to nail this one. Your embarrassing emails are being forwarded and ridiculed whether you know it or not. A few things they’re making fun of:

– You’re using comic sans as a font. Unless you work at Marvel Comics, you need to be using Arial or Times New Roman. Using comic sans makes you look like a clown. Don’t believe me? Check this out: http://bancomicsans.com/
– You have multiple colors and inspirational quotes in your signature block. Stop. If I need a quote pick me up, I’ll go find it on twitter. If you want people to think about Joseph’s technicolor dreamcoat when they read your email, continue.
– You hit reply all. Stop. 99% of the time there is NO REASON to reply all. Focus your messages.
– You CC EVERYONE (rather than BCC). When you do this, you expose everyone’s email to every other recipient. In an age where people try to avoid spam, you’re enabling it.

We’ve talked about some of this before when we discussed 5 reasons nobody reads anything you write. Go check it out again.

Attire

You never get a second chance… Your dress says a lot about you. Here are a few things to watch out for:
– Blue suit, black shoes. No. Stop.
– Black shoes, brown belt (or vice versa). No. Stop.
– Flip flops, jorts, t-shirts, and other nonsense. No. Stop.
If you’re unsure about how to dress, go find an image consultant or a clothier. They can help.

Word Choice

This one drives me nuts. If you’re not sure how to pronounce something, ask (or listen carefully to someone with impeccable speaking skills). Buzzwords sound dumb enough. They sound even dumber when you mispronounce them. A few of my favorites:
– Strategery (yes, I’ve heard it)
– Creditability
– Levered

For some of my favorite word choice challenges, take a look at this post.

Humor

The vast majority of us aren’t funny. Unfortunately many of us think we are. If you crack a joke in a meeting and hear crickets or see eyes rolling, you’re in the unfunny club. It’s not endearing. People don’t enjoy your jokes and they cringe at the notion of you telling them in front of important clients, business partners, or associates. Leave the humor to the comedians.

Hygiene

Yes, I’m going here. Halitosis. Dirt under your fingernails. Sneezing and not covering it appropriately. B.O. Stains on your clothes. Unless you’re an auto mechanic we don’t want to experience any of these issues. Come to think of it, we NEVER want to experience these issues. Go clean yourself up. Seriously. It’s embarrassing.

Complaining and Oversharing

People don’t want to hear about your personal issues. That’s why they’re PERSONAL. Keep it out of the workplace. If you come to be known as the guy who’s always regaling the office with tales of his kid’s misbehavior, his marriage issues, arguments with in-laws, or problems with his lawn mowing service, pretty soon no one will want to talk to you.

Keep it personal. If someone pointedly asks you how your kids are doing, it’s fine to share. If not, they’re likely more concerned with their own work (or kid) issues to be burdened with yours as well.

Look, I’m not trying to be mean here. I’m simply giving some of you a wake-up call. And yes, I’ve been guilty of several of these items at times too. Fortunately I’ve had friends, colleagues, and family members let me know about my problems and I’ve done what I can to fix them. Go take a hard look in the mirror. One of the stupid little things on this list might be exactly what’s sabotaging your advancement and credibility.

– Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC

https://thoughtleadersllc.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/logo.png 0 0 Mike Figliuolo https://thoughtleadersllc.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/logo.png Mike Figliuolo2010-08-16 05:08:002018-06-25 17:34:396 Executive Presence Failures You're Exhibiting
13 replies
  1. Michael
    Michael says:
    August 16, 2010 at 1:50 pm

    Save one item, right on the money … blue suit/black shoes form a perfectly appropriate match. If wearing a dark blue suit, crisp white shirt, and relatively quiet tie, the shined black plain toe shoe is a correct style for business dress. It is a formal look though … don't spoil with loafers. You certainly can wear oxblood or cordovan shoes as well … just not quite as formal as black. Not that the house, senate, or other "lofty" office holders are a style guide, but the midnight blue suit, white shirt, rep tie, and black shoes are ubiquitous in front of the cameras. Michael T.

    Reply
  2. Bad Breath & Halitosis Cures
    Bad Breath & Halitosis Cures says:
    August 17, 2010 at 1:05 am

    I suffered with bad breath for about 5 years. I spent a small fortune on bad breath cures. Nothing I tried seem to work even as it said it would. I read on a halitosis websites a review of bad breath cures and the top of the list was Oraltech Labs. I ordered their book. It worked. It doesn’t sell you any products at all, in fact it tells you to stop buying pastes, gels, washes and pills. So if you’re going through what I have, think about this and save yourself the pain and humiliation. Just Google Oraltech Labs. GL, Jenny Wilson. NB

    Reply
  3. Maureen Metcalf
    Maureen Metcalf says:
    August 17, 2010 at 8:02 am

    The attire topic is getting more challenging as we work remotely and meet with a broad range of people over the course of our day. I meet with one leader who wears bike shorts to make a statement about the importance of biking to work (few people can pull this off as a fashion statement but as a change agent his message is strong) then with another in a suit. The biggest challenge is to be sensitive to matching the expectations of those I am meeting with while remaining professional.

    Reply
  4. Anonymous
    Anonymous says:
    August 17, 2010 at 12:14 pm

    Interesting article, and insightfully on-target. At a time when innovation and out-of-the-box thinking are being promoted as business strategies, it's interesting to see that those traits can work against you if not finely tuned to the management environment in which you work. What an individual may want to be, and what others expect of their leaders may be differences too difficult to reconcile in productive and fulfilling ways.

    Reply
  5. Anonymous
    Anonymous says:
    August 19, 2010 at 8:04 am

    Great. Stupid people who dress right will get promoted. No wonder American managers make a lot of money and their businesses go to pot. Worrying about whether the shoes and belt match is stupid.

    Reply
  6. Mike Figliuolo
    Mike Figliuolo says:
    August 19, 2010 at 11:33 am

    @Anonymous #2: Wow. You just won this month's bonehead comment award. Really? Note I didn't say that people who dress well get promoted – I said people who don't won't even be considered for promotion. Also your conclusion that American businesses go to pot is lacking in data (period). That one wins the "unsubstantiated blanket assertion award." And go ahead and think it's stupid that the belt doesn't match the shoes. It tells me you don't care about your appearance as a professional which then implies you might not care about other things. Perhaps I can launch a new business focused on Garanimals for businesspeople so you'll never have to worry if your shoes match your belt. As long as both have giraffes on them you'll be fine.

    Reply
  7. Anonymous
    Anonymous says:
    August 21, 2010 at 2:45 am

    Mike,
    I'm certain you feel like the most intelligent person in the room and it's great that you are able to look past your own mortality while devoting so much thought to (what you deem as) other human being's flaws. Fantastic!

    Reply
  8. Mike Figliuolo
    Mike Figliuolo says:
    August 21, 2010 at 3:46 am

    @Anonymous – nice slam. Perhaps you should read more carefully. Let me reprint the relevant portion of the post: "Look, I'm not trying to be mean here. I'm simply giving some of you a wake-up call. And yes, I've been guilty of several of these items at times too. Fortunately I've had friends, colleagues, and family members let me know about my problems and I've done what I can to fix them."

    I'm not looking past my flaws – I have plenty. And I admit that. If you read the context of the post it is "things I've seen (or done myself per the above admission) that have limited others."

    And perhaps as a matter of being a big boy or girl you should try speaking your mind with a name attached. Personally, when I see attack comments like this under "anonymous" I find it to be cowardly and weak. At least I have the intestinal fortitude to attach my name to my perspectives and put myself out there rather than hiding behind the cloak of anonymity whilst throwing rocks. Weak.

    Sure, I could have moderated your comment and rejected it. I didn't. Everyone gets a voice on this forum (with the exception of profanity, libel, or hate speech). But just because you get a voice it doesn't mean I won't call you out for using it.

    Thanks for being a reader. Fantastic!

    Reply
  9. Petrus Hansen
    Petrus Hansen says:
    August 22, 2010 at 11:43 pm

    Its a no brainer on how to select the correct business attire. Just take a look around you, check out the news and business magazines and see how top business leaders dress.

    If you want to be a boss, you need to dress like one and speak like one. Simple..-)

    Watch how top business leaders and Fortune 500 CEOs carry themselves in these exclusive business interviews compliments of Meet The Boss TV.

    Reply
  10. Richard
    Richard says:
    March 22, 2011 at 10:33 am

    STERLING ADVICE!!! Spot on once again in this column. It is time for the PC crap to get pitched out the window and as Joe Friday liked to say, "Just the facts. We only want to have the facts."

    Thank you for the courage and fortitude to speak this wisdom with the appropriate experiences to back it up. THANK YOU.

    Reply
  11. Mike Figliuolo
    Mike Figliuolo says:
    March 23, 2011 at 4:57 am

    @Richard – thanks. Glad you enjoyed it. Yeah, I'm pretty sick of people dancing around issues and letting them continue to be issues rather than simply pointing something out directly so people can fix it. I don't call it courage. I call it being direct. Unfortunately in the PC environment of not wanting to hurt someone's feelings, I guess that's what passes for courage these days…

    Reply
    • Pamela Johnson
      Pamela Johnson says:
      October 31, 2012 at 3:53 pm

      You nailed it!
      I appreciate your honesty.

      Reply
  12. Anonymous
    Anonymous says:
    October 11, 2015 at 8:48 am

    This sucks because I’m the one that shares the personal info. I guess, at times I become so bored with the usual routine that talking about other things that have nothing to do with work, actually refreshes me. As soon as I read that portion, I instantly wanted to stop reading. That’s when I knew that was MY problem. I’m more paranoid than most, so I think everyone knows I’m THAT person, haha. I guess I’ll work on keeping things quiet. I never understood the reason behind it though. I’m sure SOME even if very little don’t mind hearing about someone else’s day, you know? But I guess in corporate America, keeping quiet and staying relevant is key. :/ time to find friends so I don’t talk about it at work.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Want to join the discussion?
Feel free to contribute!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Subscribe to the blog HERE!

Get free email updates NOW!
It’s the best 5 minutes a week you can spend on your development.

Enter your email address:

Get new posts FREE via RSS!
Follow thoughtLEADERS on LinkedInFollow thoughtLEADERS on twitter
This site contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.

Check Out Our Courses

Our courses teach immediately applicable skills that have real impact on your business. From leadership to strategy and negotiation to conflict resolution, we have a broad set of course offerings that will drive immediate performance improvements.
OUR COURSES

Our Courses

previous arrow
next arrow
Slider

eLearning Courses on TITAN

Puzzle Pieces
Structured Thought: Problem Solving

Clearly define a problem, scope all issues related to the problem, generate potential solutions, then analyze and select the best solution by using time-tested critical thinking methods and tools.

VIEW COURSE
Group of Business People Meeting
Structured Thought and Communication

Craft clear and compelling recommendations that resonate with stakeholders. Get your ideas approved by using a proven method for delivering executive-level communications.

VIEW COURSE
Different Types of Line and Bar Charts
Principles of Chart Design

Create well-designed presentation charts that get your message across quickly and clearly to drive your audience to action. From data charts to concept charts, these methods help make your point.

VIEW COURSE
Wagon Wheel
Engagement Management

Whether you’re an internal or external consultant or a project leader, learn proven methods, techniques, and processes to effectively lead consulting engagements that drive your client’s success.

VIEW COURSE
Cog Wheels
Strategic Business Planning

Use a straightforward and effective strategic planning process that shows how to craft a clear, compelling plan for your organization - not just one time, but on an ongoing basis year after year.

VIEW COURSE
Deliberate Decision Making
Deliberate Decision Making

Make better, faster, and more effective decisions. Apply simple yet powerful decision making tools to define decision authority, manage risk, increase accountability, and drive execution.

VIEW COURSE
Man reading stories from a book
Storytelling for Leaders

Create business stories that inspire people, build connections with your audience, and ultimately advance your organization's goals by using a repeatable, straightforward method.

VIEW COURSE
Storytelling for Salespeople
Storytelling for Salespeople

Create and deliver stories that will take your sales efforts to the next level. Connect with and convince buyers in all situations using memorable stories. These stronger relationships drive more sales.

VIEW COURSE
Leading through Change
Leading through Change

Lead your organization through the most challenging times using a proven change management process. Get people through the change and back to driving performance quickly and effectively.

VIEW COURSE
Mountain Climbing Expedition
Building Leadership Resilience

Prepare your body and brain to be ready for and recover from your biggest challenges. Build approaches for overcoming stress, managing reactions to difficult events, and leading more effectively.

VIEW COURSE
Compelling Executive Presence
Compelling Executive Presence

Build your ability to connect with your audience and convey your ideas in a clear and resonant way. Create meaningful connections between you and your audience to build buy-in.

VIEW COURSE
Plant Growing in a Hand
Coaching for Impact: Foundation Course

Coach employees for performance and development more effectively by helping them identify and pursue their own solutions. Create the right environment and conditions to help them grow.

VIEW COURSE
previous arrow
next arrow
Slider

Books You MUST Read

previous arrow
next arrow
Slider
  • The Elegant Pitch
  • Firestarters
  • Philanthropy Revolution

This site contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.

Categories

Our Course Offerings

Leadership Skills

Creating Your Leadership Maxims
Leading Inside the Box
Leading With Influence
Leading Through Change
Structured Problem Solving
Deliberate Decision Making
Strategic Business Planning
Simplified Strategic Planning
Coaching for Impact: Foundations
Coaching for Impact: Applications
Building Leadership Resilience
Engagement Management
Project Management Reality

Communication Skills

Communications: Foundations
Communications: Applications
Principles of Chart Design
Storytelling for Leaders
Storytelling for Salespeople
Compelling Executive Presence
Advanced Facilitation Skills

Individual Skills

Conflict Resolution
Everything is Negotiable
thoughtLEADERSHIP: Innovation
Building Personal Resilience
Time Management Mastery

Coaching & Consulting

©2021 thoughtLEADERS, LLC: Leadership Training for the Real World
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookie Policy
3 Simple Steps for Achieving Global Domination Dead End Job? It’s Never Too Late for a Second Career
Scroll to top