Executive style communicates sophistication and professional poise.
Executive style encompasses your Personal brand, reinforcing your position as a successful business woman with a powerful visible presence.
From top-to-toe your appearance looks effortless.
With a relaxed composure your presence is welcoming and promoting warmth in interpersonal relationships.
Haughtiness and emotional detachment do not belong with Executive presence.
Dressing in an Executive style is only 50% there.
Looking successful and outwardly confident is hugely important.
How you look, indeed your overall appearance is what everyone else sees first.
And unfair though it is, a woman is always judged on her outfit and how she looks in it.
Business attire without professional advice can be stodgy and is not always flattering.
True Executive Style is first and foremost on-trend in colour and shape.
Clothes must fit to perfection – your seamstress along with your Personal Stylist are part of your inner circle.
Small changes are all very well but sometimes re-shaping will add a modern finish or simply flatter your figure more advantageously.
The other 50% is being able to pull off Executive Style with Effortless Presence.
It’s your whole appearance.
Executive style includes top-to-toe detailing, in particular:
Regular visits to the hair salon for a professional cut and perhaps colour.
Manicures and pedicures (at least in the Summer). Nails must look groomed, if not discretely polished.
Business-smart accessories from the pen you carry to your tablet case and when necessary the suitcase you take on business trips.
The hidden percentage is about Inner Confidence.
The hidden percentage is your inner confidence and outer manifestation of that.
More and more women admit to feeling less confident than they would like.
If you feel a fraud at times, download my Ebook: The Female Executive’s Handbook and discover
The 7 Keys to Style and Executive Presence.
You’ll find a chapter on how to overcome the confidence-sapping Impostor Syndrome.
Inner Confidence belongs to Self-preparation.
Self-preparation is as important as the content of your presentation.
It makes no sense to prepare a perfect presentation when you are not prepared yourself.
Self-preparation includes the following:
Compose yourself and calm your nerves
Practice slow deep breathing.
Visualise yourself in the meeting and what you want to take out from it.
Pop into the ladies loo for a few power poses. Find out more from Amy Cuddy.
Power in negotiations
Practice active listening. It’s about interests.
Know your best alternative to a negotiated agreement.
What’s the 3rd side?
Find out about how to get to Yes from William Ury.
Prepare yourself
From top-to-toe, inside and out| look good and feel fabulous.
Wear a commanding style. Wear colour for corporate impact.
Posture & deportment: walk tall, with purpose, never rushed.
Open body language, a firm handshake and smile with your eyes.
Pull Off Executive Style With Effortless Presence.
Learn how to use Executive style and presence to take your career or business to the next level.
I’m a Personal Stylist and Executive Coach for business women.
For help in developing Executive Style & Presence, get in touch.
Complimentary 30 minute Consultation.
“I worked with Caroline as part of a promotion process for the job I wanted, rather than the job I had.
I especially liked the way Caroline clearly had taken into account the type of person that I was and
worked around that, rather than just trying to push me into a standard box.
I would definitely recommend Caroline to those in similar positions – you will not be disappointed”.
Law Partner, June 2017
Further reading:
How to carry off presidential style with grace.
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