Preface We're all experts at presence. I study it. You do too. Presence has many descriptions. We may call it confidence, or charisma, or being compelling--but we experience it the same. When we meet someone with a strong presence, we can feel it. And if the person is a leader, we are inspired by it. Executive presence is the corporate "it" factor. We are constantly assessing people in a variety of settings based on their presence. It is important to us because presence is a neon sign announcing who people are. Often, whether we decide to work with someone boils down to the individual's executive presence. Executive presence is multidimensional and dynamic. It means much more than being a great public speaker or making a fantastic first impression. It's about impressions made over time. Executive presence Executive presence means doesn't relegate itself to one segment much more than making a of our professional lives. People who fantastic first impression. have a strong presence are able to con- It's about impressions made nect with and inspire those around over time. them across situations. That is never more important than when you need people to follow your lead through a period of uncertainty and change--precisely what today's leaders at all levels must do every day. Like many things a person cares deeply about, my own personal interest with presence started when I was a kid growing up in a small town in West Virginia in the 1970s. Like most southern ix