executive presence

Commanding professional demeanor

Executive presence is the combination of qualities that make someone seem like a leader—confidence, composure, decisiveness, and the ability to command a room.

The term appears constantly in business contexts, especially career advice: She has the executive presence to lead this division.

It's often invoked but vaguely defined, functioning as shorthand for "seems powerful and competent."

Opposites
confidence and authority

executive presencetimidity

Fearful lack of courage

uncertainty · meekness · self-doubt · diffidence · insecurity

gravitas and composure

executive presenceflightiness

Lack of serious purpose

volatility · nervousness · unsteadiness · frivolousness · erratic behavior

influence and leadership impact

executive presenceinvisibility

State of being unseen

forgettability · insignificance · ineffectualness

Family

executive, presence, execute, execution, executor, executioner, executing, executed, executes

Familiarity
Top 500,000
Profile
Used worldwide · Timeless · Abstract · Rated G