Articles

Developing Gravitas: The Most Actionable Tips Ever

by A Brighter Life Best Executive Coach Gurgaon | Leadership Developm
“Gravitas, a powerful word, arguably thrown about too cavalierly at times…signifies esteemed personal qualities, so quickly noticed and so immediately transformative in a social situation.” - William Macaux

There are some things that all great leaders have in common. They have an executive presence that’s hard to ignore and that people aspire to. Many people believe it is a natural gift. However, they don't realize that great leaders develop their abilities over time. Amongst these traits is the mysterious trait of Gravitas.

What is Gravitas?

Most of us are unaware of what 'gravitas' means. In business, it means 'executive weight'. A person with the G-factor is able to provide respect to peers, to speak in public with dignity, and to address weighty issues. He shows a mixture of confidence, composure, and a distinctive ability to handle any situation and enjoy it. Leaders with Gravitas demonstrate leadership qualities such as influence, intuition, and integrity. They excel at communication and emotional intelligence, business acumen, and vision.

Nelson Mandela, the former president of South Africa, is frequently cited as an example of a leader with genuine gravitas. It's not about being the most outspoken or powerful person in the room; it's about knowing your principles and having conviction, being clear about your impact, and having the confidence to lead.

How to Develop Gravitas?

Having Gravitas is essential to executive presence. A person with gravitas is calm in stressful situations, decisive, and confident. This ability to be calm and confident is rooted in the very personality of an individual, one’s inner core. If you are keen to work on your gravitas and executive presence, the real question to be asked is, "How do I strengthen my inner core?”

Be More Self Aware:

The first step for a leader is to become more self-aware. A leader must be aware of his or her own talents and abilities. She gains confidence and poise once she understands her strengths. Her confidence grows into a quality that allows her to effortlessly motivate or inspire others, and her strengths becomes the driving force for career advancement. A leader must also be aware of her limiting beliefs and blind spots so that she can work on them.

Solicit Feedback

Can you imagine training for the Olympics without anyone telling you how fast you ran or how high you jumped? ”We all require feedback in order to perform at our best. It increases our self-awareness of how we are perceived, as well as our skills, strengths, and vulnerabilities. Leaders who want to develop gravitas should seek feedback from peers, team members, senior colleagues and the other people working with them. This will help to uncover their limiting beliefs and blind spots. Their self-confidence will increase as they confront and work on their limitations. Soliciting feedback also demonstrates your humility and growth mindset, which are traits of an impactful leader.

Practice 100% Presence:

One of the sure-shot ways to practice gravitas is to be completely present in the moment. Leaders who want to develop their gravitas should exercise being completely attentive, involved and 100% present. A leader who is preoccupied and distracted will never be able to project his or her executive presence. As you practice 100% presence, you will become more mindful and more empathetic. You will also become a better listener. It is important that you significantly reduce multi-tasking, if you want to build executive presence and gravitas. When people talk about such leaders, they always remember how valued and important the leader made them feel. Even a 30 second interaction becomes meaningful due to the quality of your presence. It works like magic!

Adopt Assertiveness

True leadership requires the ability to communicate the truth. Even if it is tough and can backfire at times, it is important to learn to speak the truth. It is, at times, difficult to tell your superiors and stakeholders what you believe to be true. This necessitates a leader to have courage of conviction that is rooted to the purpose. To cultivate gravitas and executive presence, one must align oneself with a larger purpose rather than being driven by one's ego. You can link your purpose to that of your organization or team. When you're aligned with your purpose, you'll feel energized and more confident in your ability to communicate the truth the way it needs to be said. All of this is possible when you adopt assertiveness and focus on non- judgemental interactions focussed on win-win outcomes.

Non-negotiable Reflection Time:

It is critical for leaders to set aside time for contemplation. Enjoy some 'Me' time! Don't ignore your own requirements! Take some time for yourself, sit quietly, reflect on what is going on around you, and allow any hidden or unaddressed feelings to come to the surface. Ask yourself questions like – “What is going on? What changes are required? What issues require attention? What is it that is making me uneasy?" Once you've figured out all of this, your invested Me-time will assist you in taking the necessary actions.‘

Ultimately, the key to gravitas is living with authenticity and building trust & credibility. You can do so by being clear about the impact you want to have on others, empathising with and learning about the people with whom you work, and remaining true to yourself at all times.

Also, you may want to approach a best executive coach, who can help you unfold your strengths and can help you in developing gravitas

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About A Brighter Life Junior   Best Executive Coach Gurgaon | Leadership Developm

2 connections, 0 recommendations, 9 honor points.
Joined APSense since, September 3rd, 2021, From Gurgaon, India.

Created on Sep 8th 2021 05:16. Viewed 220 times.

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