Many senior leaders report feeling not worthy of the position -- like they're an imposter and eventually it'll be found out that they are not competent and shouldn't have the job title. I once had a senior exec tell me that her motto was "fake it 'til you make it!" How many people fake their way to the top? If you pretend to be powerful long enough, do you then start acting that way? It's likely that the feeling of inadequacy is due to a lack of confidence. In the research about male-female pay differentials, confidence--or lack of it on the part of women-- is a big factor in the outcome. So how do we become more confident as leaders? If we practice these behaviors we can change our own.
- Reduce Stress
- Be prepared- learn as much about your work and related topics as you possibly can
- Kill negative thoughts/think positively
- Sit at the conference table (when you are a main player)
- Be a great listener
- Speak up with intelligence
- Treat others with respect
- Keep learning
Exhibit Gravitas (have a presence):
- Dress nicely
- Speak clearly
- Use proper grammar
- Stand or sit tall (take up more space, don't shrink)
- Be fit/Take care of yourself
- Smile, but be careful about when you're smiling and how often
Social psychologist Amy Cuddy says "our bodies can change our minds, our minds can change our behavior and our behavior can change the outcomes."
She also says "Little tweaks can lead to big changes" See her awesome lecture at TED:
http://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_shapes_who_you_are.html
Sample Power Poses
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