Blog Corner

It happens to the most experienced leaders. A direct report says something that triggers a disproportionate response. A board question touches a nerve, and the leader’s tone shifts before they can catch it. A negotiation reaches a point where the leader knows they should stay composed — and they do, externally — but internally, the reaction is already running. The frustrating part is that these leaders know better. They have the self-awareness to recognise the pattern after

Every leadership development programme teaches presence. Stand tall. Make eye contact. Speak with conviction. Pause before you respond. These are the standard instructions. They are also almost entirely wrong about what presence actually is and how it works. Presence is not a performance. It is a physiological state that other people’s nervous systems detect, evaluate, and respond to — largely outside conscious awareness. When a leader has genuine presence, the room shifts.