Lead with Presence: Getting in the Right Mindset

Mindfulness resources from our executive presence program.

Imagine you walk into a board room. Seated around the table are a dozen of your most important stakeholders for a brand new initiative you’ve been tapped to lead. You have 15 minutes to make your case. Ready, go.

Now that you’ve read this, take a moment to check in with how you feel. Does this scenario elicit some nerves? If it does, you’re not alone. This type of scenario can create fear and anxiety, no matter how long you’ve been doing it.

This is why even the most seasoned leaders work to sharpen their presence, particularly in high-stakes situations. And, it all starts with presence of mind.

We’ve worked with governors, Members of Congress, executives, and nonprofit leaders to craft and prepare for their biggest moments. What you say is just as important as how you say it.

To communicate clearly, authoritatively, and authentically requires the right mindset and yet, mindset is frequently overlooked as a foundational element of executive presence.

We recently had the opportunity to present an abbreviated version of our Lead with Presence executive presence program to a leadership conference for public affairs professionals. We received a number of follow-up questions about getting in the right mindset, so we’re dropping some resources here, including a meditation exercise for our subscribers.

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Lead with Presence Mini-Meditation Exercise

Body-Based Regulation Techniques

• Box Breathing Visual Tool
  Used by Navy SEALs and public speakers to calm and focus:

  https://www.boxbreathing.com

• Standing Grounding Practice (2 mins)
  Feel feet flat on the floor, push down slightly, and exhale fully while saying internally, “I’m here. I’m ready.”

• Shoulder Taps with Breathing (3 minutes)
  Cross arms over your chest. As you slowly breathe in and out through your nose, alternate tapping each shoulder with a hand. Close your eyes as well if it feels safe.

• Get the Tension Out (3 minutes)
  Jump up and down. Shake out your hands, your arms, and your legs. Rotate your ankles. Gently roll your neck. Raise your shoulders to your ears and then press them down. Scrunch up your face and then relax. Tense your fists then release them. Finally, take a few deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth. Really pushing out your exhale, almost like a big sigh. Feel free to make noises, hum, etc. Notice what your body needs to let go.

• Use Your 5 Senses (3-5 minutes)
  1) With your eyes, notice three things you can see in the room; 2) With your ears, notice 2 things you can hear, one close by and one far away; 3) With your touch, notice which parts of your body are making contact with furniture, clothing, or the temperature of the air around you; 4) With you nose, notice if you can smell anything; and 5) do you taste anything, or take a sip of your water or a beverage and notice the temperature, taste, how it feels.

• Hum it Out (3-5 min)

  Humming has a way of signalling calm to our bodies, which makes sense, because who has time to hum when you’re being chased by a bear? You can use this any time you notice you’re feeling anxious. You can randomly hum notes or hum along to a song. You can also breathe in through your nose and make a humming sound as you breathe out again.

Create Your Own Pre-Meeting/Presentation Ritual

• 3-2-1 Grounding Protocol

  • (3) deep breaths: slowly in through the nose and do a longer exhale

  • (2) feet planted: feel the earth supporting you, mirror the steadiness of the ground

  • (1) intention or mantra: e.g., “Be present,” “Lead with clarity,” “I seek to connect, not win the conversation,” or “I share from a place of authenticity and compassion”

• Anchor Word Practice
  Choose a calming word or phrase, e.g., “steady,” “clear,” “open,” and repeat it slowly as you breathe before entering the room. You can also write down this word and keep it where you can see it during the meeting or speech, to bring you back to center when you find yourself becoming tense, frustrated, etc.

• Empowering Playlist
  Make a list of your favorite hype songs to listen to before your meeting. If you’re feeling up to it, you can dance, sing, and/or hum along or use the beat to physically shake the nerves out of your body, as described above.

We hope these techniques help you before your next meeting or presentation. If you’d like to go deeper or create a custom program, please reach out to explore how we can support your growth.