Leadership development teams often wonder how to broach the subject of “executive presence” when assessing or developing leaders in their organization. EP is essential for asserting influence, driving change, and achieving performance, but its definition has traditionally been elusive. In this session, Suzanne Bates, author of the new book All the Leader You Can Be: The Science of Achieving Extraordinary Executive Presence (McGraw Hill March 2016), will facilitate an engaging discussion around the proven qualities of executive presence.

If you’re a woman in leadership, at some point in your career the discussion has likely defaulted to your executive presence. In many organizations, executive presence is a mysterious “X Factor” – it’s important, but what is it? More importantly, how do you leverage it to make an impact and drive outcomes? Through extensive research, Suzanne Bates and her team have cracked the code on executive presence and redefined it in a way that levels the playing field for women leaders. As highlighted in her new book, All the Leader You Can Be: The Science of Achieving Extraordinary Executive Presence (McGraw Hill 2016), Suzanne and her team identified the 15 distinct qualities that enable leaders to engage, align, and inspire people to act. In this session, Suzanne reveals the surprising truths about how women leaders are perceived in these critical qualities of executive presence – including confidence, assertiveness, and resonance. This energizing and interactive keynote program busts the conventional wisdom that women’s leadership development can be done with a “one size fits all” approach.

Today’s executives and leaders are facing rapidly changing work environments, with increasingly global organizations, remote teams, and multi-generational workforces. As traditional approaches to leadership become obsolete, how do leaders ensure their teams are still engaged, motivated, and aligned? And how can talent professionals provide coaching and development strategies to help leaders drive change and inspire action in the face of these new realities? Recent research has identified three distinct dimensions of executive presence and influence – Character, Substance, and Style. Within these dimensions are 15 specific qualities that help leaders win trust, build credibility, and encourage productive dialogue among their teams. These leadership qualities – including Authenticity, Humility, Resonance, Inclusiveness and Intentionality – can be developed and amplified by any leader. In this session, Suzanne Bates will provide talent development professionals with practical, actionable tips for creating coaching and development strategies that enable leaders to build influence and presence.

Innovation is no longer just an objective for creative teams or R&D departments. Today, every leader in every function must continuously drive innovation, whether it’s by inventing groundbreaking products that generate demand or designing internal processes that create efficiencies. As a leader, how do you foster a culture of innovation among your team to create value for your organization? In this discussion, Bates reveals new research on the very specific, often ignored leadership qualities that shape an environment of continual innovation. The exciting news is you don’t need to have vast technical know-how or a knack for creativity. The key is championing innovation through your people by aligning people around goals, promoting interactivity and collaboration, and creating a space for creative thinking. Learn practical actions you can take immediately to create a team culture that supports innovation.