The Impact of Executive Presence – Show Up, Be Real, and Lead Well

By Sue Reynolds-Frost for Forbes Business Development Council 

What does it really mean to have executive presence in today’s leadership landscape? In this deeply insightful piece, Sloan’s Sue Reynolds-Frost unpacks the evolving definition of executive presence and how being authentic is now more powerful than being polished. 

Gone are the days when leadership influence was measured solely by how well someone could deliver a presentation or dominate a meeting. Instead, she makes the case that real leadership presence is about congruence: the ability to align how you show up externally with who you are internally. It’s about being credible because you’re real, not rehearsed. 

This is exactly the lens through which Sloan builds our Executive Presence & Influence (EPI) programs. We don’t teach leaders how to demonstrate confidence through performance, we help them access it by building somatic alignment, mental focus, emotional agility, and charismatic presence. That means helping leaders articulate values that matter, lead conversations with clarity, and engage others through authentic presence, especially when the pressure is on. 

Whether you’re coaching senior executives or rising stars, the lesson is clear: today’s most effective leaders don’t just project strength, they embody trust, relatability, and self-awareness. As Sue writes, “Presence isn’t about performance. It’s about integrity.” 

If your organization is ready to cultivate leadership that is as real as it is respected, Sloan’s EPI development suite is designed to get you there at every stage of the leadership pipeline: https://www.sloangroupinternational.com/epi 

Read the full article on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbesbusinessdevelopmentcouncil/2025/07/14/the-impact-of-executive-presence-show-up-be-real-and-lead-well/