Executive presence plays by different rules in the hybrid workplace, where executives must be present online and in person. Alternative leadership styles that favor women are flourishing. Leadership training can help women discover the power of their own authentic dignity, presentation and engagement styles.

With new flexibility to show their talents, women are developing their personal brand to show their value to an organization and advance their careers in a time of critical change. There are three main areas where women can refine their executive presence to gain influence:

• Project an image that reflects confidence, strength and flexibility.
• Speak with knowledge, clarity and transparency.
• Act with compassion, resilience and empathy.

To build close relationships with remote teams, leadership training for women can focus on relating to others, regardless of their position in society or business. Executive presence wraps this soft skill into the whole package: how to look, speak and act.

Image: The New Dress for Success

In the first weeks of the coronavirus pandemic, the new look of leadership was dressed in a puffy pink coat. Dr. Suzet McKinney, now a principal and director of life sciences for the real estate developer Sterling Bay, was directing soldiers and airmen to outfit Chicago’s McCormick Place convention center as a COVID-19 treatment site. Her command presence came not from her ski jacket and turtleneck uniform but her obvious drive to support Illinois’ public health response. McKinney’s determined gaze and sense of purpose was a powerful force in marshaling operations on the ground.

For many years, female executives projected a certain style or wore clothes to fit into the dominant culture. How a leader shows up in the office or at a social event remains important, because it influences how others perceive their capabilities. But leadership styles no longer need to be buttoned down in a suit or wrapped in a Valentino gown. Instead, effective leaders walk into a room dressed in confidence, trust, strength and flexibility.

This is the executive presence that Sheryl Sandberg displays as a Meta Platforms director. Her casual style radiates executive presence. As Facebook’s chief operating officer, Sandberg believed in the Harvard Business School professor Frances Frei’s dictum about “making others better as a result of your presence and making sure that impact lasts in your absence.” Executive presence isn’t just for CEOs of Fortune 500 companies: It’s essential to running a tech startup.

The pandemic forced an easing of formal workplace professionalism. During Zoom meetings, a dog would scamper into the frame and scratch at the executive’s wall of separation. The more intimate look showed corporate leaders are adaptable and flexible. They aimed to cultivate a culture that would thrive in crisis.

Speech: Ready, Willing and Able

Beyond image, executive presence is evident in clear and trustworthy messaging. For instance, Diane Offereins, Discover Financial Services’ executive vice president, is an informed and prepared speaker who ensures that all sides are heard. And when Feeding America CEO Claire Babineaux-Fontenot speaks — or is just in the room — people want to hear what she has to say. Leaders who do keynotes or other presentations can never over prepare, ever. Knowing their material is what allows speakers to knock it out of the park. Whatever the technique, its success becomes part of a personal brand and can be repeated with assurance.

The written word can have the same authority if leaders present their information with clarity and proper grammar. Words matter in print or online, especially in a social media minefield. Missteps have consequences, not just to a personal brand but also to an executive’s organization. Again, command of the subject matter is what gives them confidence in their communications.

While not everyone can afford to hire a public relations firm to guide them through such minefields, be careful not to react. Think strategically about those next steps. They need to be mindful about content that could become public, how it should be perceived, and how the organization or company should be viewed.

Act: Adapt and Thrive

Compassion and empathy are among the most liberating keys to the leadership suite. Women who match a comprehensive knowledge of their sector with an understanding of their business partners can show the resilience that’s essential to navigating change. In an ambiguous business climate, women need to be comfortable with pivoting to the uncomfortable. Organizations had to be nimble in the pandemic to be thriving now.

Many executives did not have a straight path in their careers. They had to pivot. Leadership training should encourage and coach women to take risks to reach their goals. A would-be CEO sitting in a human resources (HR) role must learn what it will take to get into that CEO spot. Perhaps they need to take a lateral position or even a demotion to understand what’s happening at the operational level before they can get into the C-suite.

The key to acting with purpose is authenticity. If a leader wants to be known for warmth and empathy, then everything that person does should reflect that. Leaders often need to do a reality check with a trusted peer who is free to say, “Yeah, you’re not coming off that way” or “Yes, you need to work on this piece.”

How people look, speak and act are intertwined. The more someone is prepared, the more confident they are. The more confident they are, the more executive presence they have. Their command can be seen in their faces and how they present themselves. It’s inviting. It’s comforting. These are the leaders who gain a following and build a network. They have it all together.