1. Master Your Body Language and Visual Image

The way you carry yourself speaks volumes about your confidence and self-assurance. Stand tall with your shoulders back, and walk with purpose at a steady pace, avoiding rushing or fidgeting. Engage in conversations with steady eye contact and offer a firm handshake when meeting others. Ensure your gestures do not overshadow your words, but rather complement and reinforce your message. Additionally, pay attention to grooming; a neat, professional appearance reinforces the impression of a capable leader.

2. Develop an Authoritative Voice

A powerful voice is another key component of your presence. Practice speaking with energy and use a low-pitched voice, which naturally conveys authority. End sentences on a downward inflection to project certainty. Vary your tone and pitch to keep your speech engaging and avoid a monotonous delivery. Remember to speak at a deliberate pace, utilizing pauses effectively to emphasize important points and to allow others to absorb your message fully.

3. Eliminate Tentative and Distracting Language

The words you choose can influence how others perceive you. Avoid using tentative language such as “I guess,” “kind of,” or “maybe.” Phrases like “I’m not sure if you’ll like this, but…” undermine your credibility. Minimize filler words like “um,” “basically,” “right,” and “you know,” as they can distract from your message. Be direct and assertive, expressing your thoughts confidently.

4. Deliver a Clear and Concise Message

A crucial aspect of one’s presence is the ability to articulate ideas effectively. Start by mapping out your message, and determining what you want your audience to know, feel, and do. Lead with a summary statement that concisely conveys the core of your message. Trim unnecessary details and limit your supporting points to 2-3 key elements. Save additional information for later, if needed. Prepare thoroughly before speaking, ensuring that your thoughts are presented in an organized, well-articulated manner.

5. Connect Authentically with Others

Personal presence is not just about projecting authority; it also involves building strong connections with those around you. Observe and respond to others’ body language, gauge their reactions, and adapt accordingly. Actively listen to others, valuing their opinions and insights. Avoid interrupting; instead rephrase what you hear to demonstrate active engagement. By showing genuine interest and respect for others, you can foster positive relationships.

1) Make Your Expectations Clear:

When I think back to my PhD program, Dr. Bostaine did an excellent job communicating her expectations for the virtual term. Since it was her first time teaching remotely, she dedicated an extra hour to outline the syllabus and answer any questions. By the end of the lecture, each student understood their roles, responsibilities, and key objectives for the term. She also provided different ways to contact her if anyone needed help. When expectations are crystal clear, it becomes easier for team members to deliver their best work.

Set the Stage – Here’s a challenge to help you make your expectations abundantly clear to your team. Consider this: remote work introduces new dynamics; your team needs a well-defined roadmap to navigate this terrain effectively. Create a comprehensive outline of roles, responsibilities, and project specifics. Be deliberate about setting SMART goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. Remember, the foundation of a productive remote work environment is built on clarity.

2) Make Your Communication Clear:

Staying indoors during those times really drove home a lesson: communication is like a lifeline for our well-being. When I suddenly couldn’t be physically close, virtual communication became my saving grace. It reminded me that I was still part of a community, even when we were miles apart. It’s like how my professor went that extra mile to lay out the syllabus and answer questions at the start of the term. Effective communication demands the same level of intentionality. For me, those regular check-ins and status updates became a lifeline. It was more than just updating progress; it was about ensuring we were all aligned. And surprisingly, it created a sense of belonging that’s sometimes tricky to nurture in a remote setup.

Intentional Communication –Set aside just a few minutes each day to ensure your messages are sent and received loud and clear. Start by simplifying your language. Can they still follow along? Next, experiment with different communication channels. Not every message needs to be an email. Maybe a quick video update or a concise chat message could work better. This challenge isn’t just about clarity—it’s about building connections and fostering understanding.

3) Make Your Team:

Remember how I took the leap into my PhD program? My experience during that transition taught me something valuable: the significance of fostering a sense of connection. In this world of remote work, where we can’t count on physical closeness, intentionally creating opportunities for social bonds becomes the cornerstone of success. Think about it—virtual coffee breaks, team-building activities, and online hangouts. They’re more than just fun (though that’s a great part). They’re about constructing a supportive network that weaves us together, even miles apart. In the realm of remote work, this kind of camaraderie isn’t just a bonus—it’s a key ingredient for thriving.

Remote Fun – Here’s a challenge that can truly transform your remote work experience: dedicate a week to enhancing connections within your team, all from the comfort of your virtual space. Choose a day to have a virtual lunch gathering. Share your mealtime virtually, just like you would in the office cafeteria. It’s a simple way to replicate the social aspect of lunch breaks and have casual conversations beyond work-related topics.

1) Learn to See Change as an Opportunity.

Even though it was initially uncomfortable, the pandemic taught me how to let go and accept that control was an illusion. Looking back, I realize this experience has made me more accepting and resilient. And guess what? It’s been a game-changer. I now have a new perspective on change. I started seeing change as an opportunity to learn and become a better version of myself. And the best part? I stopped pouring my time and energy into things I couldn’t change. It’s funny how letting go of trying to control everything has given me more control over my own journey.

Change Lens: All right, here’s a little challenge for you. Take a moment, step back, and ask yourself: How can change actually be a golden ticket for growth? How could it lead to something good, even if it seems a bit off at first glance? Push yourself to dig deep and find even the tiniest silver lining. You might be surprised at the potential waiting to be uncovered.

2) Learn From Your Mistakes.

Wrapping your head around this idea might be challenging at first. Trust me, I’ve been there. Making mistakes can sometimes feel physically painful, but here’s the trick: channel that uncomfortable feeling into motivation that pushes you to learn something new and try another approach. And guess what? It gets easier each time until it becomes second nature. Henry Ford once said, “The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing.” Every stumble, every misstep – they’re all lessons, guiding us toward a better solution.

Embrace the Growth of Mistakes: Ready to step up your leadership game? Here’s a challenge that will help you foster a culture of growth through mistakes: Over the week, find opportunities to share your own mistakes and what you’ve learned from them with others. Encourage open conversations where they can also share their mistakes, whether big or small, and the lessons they’ve learned from them. This will help you reframe making mistakes as opportunities for growth.

3) Trust the Process and Let Go.

Ultimately, there is freedom in letting go and accepting what is. Life is this incredible series of changes, and you know? As you progress in your career, change will progress alongside you. The secret is holding on to your goals, dreams, and aspirations. But when it comes to change, give yourself permission to “be like water” and go with the flow. Because as you steer through this river, you’ll find that embracing change makes the journey smoother and adds unexpected beauty to the scenery along the way.

Challengers

Challengers are low-social, high-task, and they tend to excel at raising the bar and holding others accountable, especially as deadlines approach. Resist the temptation to shut them down. It may not appear that they’re working hard throughout, but their ability to raise the bar and push others will be vitally important as deadlines near.

Encouragers

Encouragers are the high-social, low-task type who focus on engaging teammates and creating a caring, collaborative environment. This can be incredibly valuable as teams navigate through the stress of rapid change. But they shouldn’t over-use this strength. Merely “being supportive” may come off as disengaged or uninterested. Purely social “soft skills” are less tangible and noticeable in remote working relationships, and may be seen as less valuable. Instead, Encouragers can show they care by picking up slack for others and taking more noticeable ownership for ensuring team cohesion.

Pacesetters

Pacesetters, who are high on both task and social, are driven to rally the team, solve problems, and personally ensure tasks are completed. On your team, defer to Pacesetters early. Allow them to establish processes and get the necessary balls rolling on specific task assignments.

Pragmatists

Pragmatists tend not to over-emphasize either the task or social focus, but embody a blend of both. If you’re working with a Pragmatist, it’s worth the effort to seek out their involvement. Don’t get frustrated if they might not be as proactive as you’d like. You’ll find them surprisingly flexible and ready to jump in tasks to help the team.

L. Learn Yourself.

You’re the main character in this romance, so start with knowing yourself: a unique combination of habits, attitudes, and values as individualized as your fingerprints. You’re more than just your job title.

Look for things you consider essential to your satisfaction (at work, home, and with yourself). Delve into the root causes, and use that knowledge to guide your priorities. Carve out time for such introspection – a calendar priority like any important meeting – and do something that brings you satisfaction: read a book, go to a movie, exercise, etc.

Our new personality assessment can help uncover what drives and drains you. You might even learn it’s time to consider a new job or different career.

O. Optimize Time.

Thinking about your current work, consider the parts of your job that sap your energy. Try delegating some draining activities to better optimize your time and mood. Realize that your teammates likely have different strengths and preferences than you; they might see such assignments as energizing, stretch opportunities or chances to earn recognition with added responsibilities.

The key to successful delegation is to communicate, set timeframes and goals, and then get out of the way. Be very clear on the what and the when, but be open regarding the how. To better foster teamwork, provide further context by also including the why.

V. Vary Expectations.

If you are feeling overcommitted and burdened by others’ great expectations of you, take charge in changing that narrative. Communicate your needs to your supervisors and team; do not assume they understand your situation.

An important step could be asking for help. Remember, this is not a sign of weakness. In fact, research on high performers shows two interesting things: One, high performers actually ask for help more than low performers. Two, people respond positively to requests for help about three times more often than most people expect.

E. Ease Up.

Superheroes are found in comic books and movie theaters – not real life. With practice you can learn to be “okay” with not doing everything or being everything to everyone. Learn to focus your energy and attention on the most important areas, while allowing yourself to be average in less important matters.

This prioritization exercise is also a good chance to cultivate humility. Demonstrate you understand that individual, team, and organizational success are interdependent, that no one person can do it alone. Resist wearing a “mask” of invincibility, but embrace opportunities to learn as readily, as enthusiastically, and as genuinely as you do your strengths.

1) Being Intentional

Once you’re aware that something needs to change, try to clearly understand what is driving that behavior. If it’s a bad habit, is there a certain trigger? Maybe even another bad habit behind the one you’re trying to change? An example could be overeating one day when you don’t get enough sleep the night before. Or maybe a certain person, thought pattern, or value triggers you. For instance, you might tend to emotionally overreact when someone criticizes one of your ideas.

The first step to self-improvement is gaining next-level self-awareness – the kind you cannot gain just by introspection. This will require some tough, direct feedback, supported by clear data and outside perspectives, etc. Once you have that deep self-awareness, it’s time to create a behavioral action plan.

2) Thinking Differently

If the behavior you’re trying to change is rooted in a pattern of unhelpful thinking, you’ll need to attack that thought pattern. Maybe you become really rigid and prevent others from being creative, because you believe the only path to success is to never make mistakes. Even if there’s some truth to that thought process, we need to give ourselves more flexibility and freedom to think differently. Like it or not, it’s impossible to always do what drives and inspires us. Sometimes we have to do what drains us, and we need to find a healthy way to cope. One way to counter a mindset you’re trying to change is to proactively look for disconfirming evidence – try to prove yourself wrong!

3) Building Skills

This one may be the most obvious. If there’s something that is emotionally draining, but you want or need to improve, it may be draining to you simply because it’s difficult for you. After all, few people love doing things they’re terrible at. If this is the case for you, then it’s time to build skills in those areas: learn, find a mentor, practice, etc.

To elevate your skill-building, target one thing aligned with your drivers. For example, if you’re really driven by having a big impact and you know the ability to persuade is important, but you’re low on charisma, maybe take a course on storytelling or join a Toastmasters club.

4) Changing your Context

If all else fails, realize that – in many ways – you are responsible for your own situation. Change could mean finding a new job or just modifying your current job to better align with your strengths.

Productive change might include allocating more non-work time to pursuits you find energizing. If you are driven by collaboration, for example, but you work in an isolated, individual role, consider joining a book club, sports league, or service organization.

5 Tips to Mellow Out: Here are 5 tips to soften your hyper-perseverance:

1 – Consider your time, attention, and energy as finite, non-renewable resources to be managed carefully. Everyone hits a wall at some point, so don’t over-commit;

2 – Conserve your brain power by leveraging “brain dumps” frequently: using to-do lists, timelines, reminders, including utilizing technology tools.

3 – Beware the false productivity trap by evaluating your busyness against your accomplishments. What is the ROI on your time?

4 – Watch for tendency to “dig in your heels” and try even harder when you’re stuck. Instead, pause, take a step back, and consider other alternatives.

5 – Incorporate meditation and mindfulness practices to help de-clutter and focus your mind.

1) Persevere Confidently

Do you persevere on tasks despite conflicts, roadblocks, and setbacks? Do you project credibility and confidence, with a relaxed sense of self?

​Build your own AQ on a strong, consistent foundation. Flitting like a butterfly from one activity to the next, giving up too quickly, or coming across as scared or intimidated projects your own indecisiveness and cowardice, not a high AQ. For people to see you as adaptable, they have to know you are making changes for a reason, and that you are in control.

2) Decide Wisely

Do you try to understand others’ motives and behaviors? Do you make effective, timely decisions? Can you focus on long-term goals while also achieving short-term results?

Your own decision-making skills impact your AQ. Sometimes a quick decision is needed, and other times it’s wiser to deliberate longer, which also affords more time to consider multiple people’s perspectives and concerns. In a similar way, there are times to zoom out for the big picture and other situations where it’s best to dive into the weeds and execute!

3) Navigate Carefully

Do you help resolve conflicts for the best solutions? Can you manage challenging relationships and internal politics? Will you share your authority?

Handling relationships and internal politics well strengthens your AQ. Tackle the “tough stuff” and help others work through challenges, instead of shying away. Strive to see both sides of issues and encourage everyone to reach mutual understanding so they can feel good about the outcome. Accomplish this without issuing mandates or “pulling rank” on others.

4) Reflect Internally

Are you keenly aware of your motives and behavior, and the impact on others? Can you translate others’ feedback to you and your own life lessons into action?

Watching your impact and the outcome of your actions increases your AQ. Remove blinders that can obscure problems or deficiencies with the status quo. Lean into greater self-awareness to challenge your assumptions. Be passionate about soliciting feedback – and acting on it! While boosting your self-awareness, don’t forget to maintain your confidence and consistency.