Leadership Presence Series – Post 13 of 16: Degrees of Presence

Presence doesn’t equate to a state of “perfection”. Even Winston Churchill battled depression while inspiring nations. So maybe presence isn’t binary. Can we therefore say there are degrees of presence?

Introduction

If leadership presence is a key to leading successfully – and it is – we need to understand it. So what is it? What’s so great about it? How does it show itself? What’s the source of presence? How do you develop it? That’s what we’re covering in this 16-part series.

Welcome to part 13: Degrees of Presence.

Presence Isn’t Binary

In this series of posts I’ve described seven qualities of presence.

I’m not suggesting every leader must have them all. But I do suggest they are the seven qualities shared by everyone with pure presence.

I say pure presence because presence isn’t binary. It’s not a case of, “You either have it or you don’t.” I think there are degrees of presence depending on one’s inner wholeness.

Few of us are so whole and well balanced that we radiate presence in its purest form. So not every leader with presence has all seven qualities.

This explains why you’ll see leaders with genuine presence who are still wrestling with psychological challenges. They have connected with their inner psychospiritual core, but haven’t yet achieved full wholeness.

Winston Churchill & Abraham Lincoln

Winston Churchill is an example. He exuded presence and inspired a nation, but suffered from depression, which he called “the black dog”. And according to historians, he could be haughty and sarcastic around others.

Abraham Lincoln also endured depression through most of his life, but he too had presence.

Thus, it seems neither man experienced inner peace and joy. And perhaps Churchill had a need to feel superior, suggesting a hidden self-esteem issue.

So What?

Point #1: presence isn’t all-or-nothing. It exists on a spectrum. Leaders may express varying degrees based on their inner psychospiritual state. So I’m oversimplifying but you could imagine a scale like this:

1. Minimal Presence: Distracted, reactive, focused on ego-driven concerns.
2. Moderate Presence: Engaged but not fully authentic or grounded.
3. Deep Presence: Calm, centred, radiating authenticity.

Point #2: if you’re a leader working on growing your presence, accept that’s it’s a voyage not a destination. Thus, everyone is a work in progress. Perfection isn’t your aim. Growth is.

Point #3: Both Churchill and Lincoln, despite their psychological difficulties, displayed personal power, foresight and a strong sense of purpose balanced by a drive to serve a greater, worthwhile cause. Thus, even a diluted form of presence has a depth to it that no amount of charisma can fake.

Next post in the series: Benefits Of Presence

[This post uses content from my 2016 book, The Three Levels of Leadership.]

Are you a visual or audio-orientated person? If so, you might prefer to see and hear me talking about leadership presence in my eleven-episode video series on YouTube at my YT channel, The Leadership Mastery Suite. When you arrive at the channel page, scroll down until you come to Created Playlists and there you’ll find the series, “On Leadership Presence”.