“I know my work. But how do I make my voice count in the room?”

In my coaching conversations with senior leaders across different regions, I hear this question in different forms.

These are leaders who know their business, deliver results, and have built credibility through their work. Yet, as they move into more senior roles, they begin to notice a shift.

They are no longer expected to contribute expertise alone. They need to influence decisions, navigate competing priorities, and bring people with them, even when there is no easy answer.

And that can be harder than it sounds.

When the room changes

Imagine walking into a leadership meeting with a well-considered recommendation. You know the facts, understand the risks, and can explain why your approach makes sense.

Then the questions begin.

A stakeholder challenges your assumptions. Another raises a competing priority. The conversation moves away from your recommendation, and you find yourself explaining more, defending your position, or holding back a point you wanted to make.

The problem may not be your expertise. It may be how you communicate and use that expertise when the room gets difficult.

This is where executive presence starts to matter.

The challenge isn’t always confidence

When leaders want to strengthen their executive presence, they often think they need to speak more confidently, be more assertive, or speak up more often.

But presence isn’t about being the loudest person in the room.

It shows in how clearly you communicate your thinking, how you respond when challenged, and whether you can disagree without damaging trust. It also means recognizing what a situation requires and adapting your approach without losing your authenticity.

Research by the Center for Talent Innovation found that executive presence was a significant factor in how senior executives assessed readiness for promotion. 

The question, then, isn’t simply how others perceive you. It’s how effectively you use your presence to influence the conversation and its outcome.

A different way to approach executive presence

A useful starting point is to stop asking, “How do I come across?” and start asking, “What does this conversation need from me?”

That small shift can change how you prepare, communicate, and respond.

Here are three areas to focus on:

1. Be clear about your point.

Before a meeting, identify the one message you want people to understand. Lead with it, explain your reasoning, and make your recommendation clear.

2. Get comfortable with disagreement.

When someone challenges your view, resist the urge to defend it immediately. Understand their concern, acknowledge what is valid, and explain where your perspective differs.

3. Help the conversation move forward.

Don’t focus only on getting your point across. Help the group understand its options, weigh the trade-offs, and identify what needs to happen next.

These are small shifts, but they can make a real difference to how you contribute in senior leadership conversations.

Try this before your next meeting

Think of an upcoming conversation where you need to influence a decision. Take five minutes to consider:

•       What do I want this group to understand or decide?
•       What is the clearest way to communicate my point?
•       Where might we disagree, and how will I respond?
•       What can I do to help the conversation move forward?

After the meeting, reflect on what happened. Did you make your thinking clear? How did you handle disagreement? Did your contribution help move the discussion towards a decision?

The aim isn’t to get every interaction right. It’s to recognize your patterns and become more deliberate about how you show up.

Want to work through a real situation of your own? Book a 20-minute Executive Presence consultation with me: Book here

Where coaching can help

In my work with senior leaders, executive presence is rarely a standalone skill. It usually sits inside a bigger transition: moving from being recognized for individual expertise to influencing outcomes across the organization.

It tends to show up in situations like these:

•       Holding your position, without becoming defensive, when senior stakeholders challenge it
•       Making a clear recommendation in a room with competing priorities
•       Expressing a point of view across different cultures and communication styles
•       Staying composed and credible when the conversation becomes difficult

In coaching, we take real situations from your own leadership context, examine what is getting in the way, and practice different ways of responding.

The goal isn’t to adopt someone else’s leadership style. It is to understand your own impact and develop the skills to lead with greater intention.

The difference your presence makes

As you take on greater responsibility, expertise remains important. But how you communicate that expertise, respond to challenges, and influence decisions becomes just as relevant.

Executive presence isn’t about commanding attention. It’s about making your contribution count.

When you leave a leadership room, what has moved forward because you were there?

That is a worthwhile question to reflect on, and a useful place to begin developing your executive presence.

Start with a 20-minute Executive Presence consultation

If you are a senior leader taking on greater influence and want to communicate with more clarity, handle challenging stakeholders, and make your perspective count, this is a practical place to begin.

Before we speak, you complete a short five-question self-check on clarity, voice, handling differing views, influence, and your impact on others. In our complimentary 20 minutes, we use it to:

•       Identify where your presence is already strong
•       Pinpoint the one or two areas with the most room to grow
•       Focus on a real situation you are facing right now

You leave with a clearer picture of where to focus and a first step to try in your next leadership conversation.

This is a working conversation, not a sales pitch. It suits leaders who have a real situation in mind.