Executive Presence: What Is It, Why You Need It And How To Get It

This Forbes article by executive coach and public speaker Gerry Valentine provides a breakdown of the general steps required to achieve executive presence.

Valentine defines executive presence as:

your ability to inspire confidence — inspiring confidence in your subordinates that you’re the leader they want to follow, inspiring confidence among peers that you’re capable and reliable and, most importantly, inspiring confidence among senior leaders that you have the potential for great achievements.

The steps Valentine offers include:

1. Have a vision, and articulate it well. 
2. Understand how others experience you.
3. Build your communication skills.
4. Become an excellent listener.
5. Cultivate your network and build political savvy.
6. Learn to operate effectively under stress.
7. Make sure your appearance isn’t a distraction.

Read the full article for details on these steps.