Command Presence is a necessity for effective leadership. In some individuals, this is intuitive; in others, it must be developed consciously through instruction. To be a leader, you must make those around you feel, beyond a doubt, that you are fully in command and control. You must get people's attention, keep their attention and have them aligned to follow your orders or instructions.
Command Presence is essentially presenting yourself as someone in authority, trusted and respected. This is partially done through the message conveyed by how you LOOK, how you CARRY YOURSELF, how you ACT, and how you SPEAK.
Body Language Is One Of The Keys To The "Appearance" Of Leadership
How you carry yourself portrays command presence or lack of it. Confidence is projected through your body language, and how you verbally deal with individuals and groups.
Walk (or stand) with your head up, eyes alert (as if focused on some object in front of you -- as if a destination point), and your expression intent. You do not want to appear weak or vulnerable. You want to project the image of someone that knows why they are where they are, and who is trained and knows what they are doing. At the initiation of contact, do not smile.
Walk with intent. Don't shuffle your feet or use a "lazy" walk. Pick up your feet and move like you know where you are going, and that you have a purpose in going there. Walk briskly and purposefully in as straight a path as possible. In fact, before you enter a room, or ascend a platform, inspect the spatial layout to determine the straightest, most direct path to the place where you will be speaking.
You need to portray an "I am in charge of this situation" image -- You must strike a power pose. The key is to be outwardly confident - even if on the inside you are scared out of your wits. You want your body language to convey confidence. Stand erect, with your hands on your hips and your legs shoulders' width apart, when addressing a group in a "situation room" or "briefing" environment. Accentuate your verbal points by using a closed hammer fist strike into the open palm of your other hand.
If you are behind a podium, or sitting at a desk, your posture must be erect and powerful, with shoulders squared, and face full forward. Accentuate your speech with powerful hand gestures. Always bear in mind that your physical gestures anchor your words.
To be a leader, you must consistently portray your command presence, and this is mostly done through intelligent and informed use of body language. Remember -- when you are in a position of leadership, your body language (the way you look, walk, stand, sit and gesticulate) speaks volumes.
As always, thank you for reading me.
Douglas E. Castle for The Taking Command! Blog
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