2023 Summit: The Neuroscience of Executive Presence with Genein Letford

Hear from Genein Letford in the latest episode of the WE United Podcast as she presents “The Neuroscience of Executive Presence.” This presentation was first shared with WE Summit attendees in the fall of 2023. 

Genein shares that the workforce is moving from a VUCA-acronym world (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity) to a BANI-acronym world (Brittle, Anxious, Nonlinear, and Incomprehensible) and how prismatic leadership and executive presence are key components of this “new normal”. She defines prismatic leaders as constantly evolving and highly empathetic; they know how to pull out the individual talents of their team members. Prismatic leadership cannot exist without executive presence, she notes. Executive presence is the ability to inspire confidence in your team that you are a leader they want to follow.

To enhance executive presence, Genein shares four tools with specific examples including turning perceived liabilities into superpower strengths, myelinating your growth experiences, increasing awareness of your self-awareness, and using the arts. She poses questions such as, “When was the last time you did something for the first time?” and “How can you become an executive at things you never do?” enforcing the idea that we must practice what we wish to excel at. 

Listen in for more insight from Genein on becoming a prismatic leader and strengthening executive presence!

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