Should we ban the term “Executive Presence?”

By Lori Nishiura MacKenzie, Executive Director at the Clayman Institute for Gender Research at Stanford University

More than two years have passed since Sheryl Sandberg launched the campaign to “Ban Bossy” for young girls. The idea is to shift the perceptions of girls’ strong behaviors from being labelled “bossy” to recognizing their leadership potential. Yet the penalties do not end in girlhood. Women also suffer from similar labels. Many women have been called bossy, or the adult version of the word. In many instances, that criticism reflects stereotypes about who makes good leaders. My solution? A campaign to advance women leaders: Ban “Executive Presence.”

“Executive Presence” is often defined as commanding a room, having gravitas or communicating decisively. This critical leadership characteristic is rarely based on demonstrated behaviors, but instead on whether others perceive you as having it. Read the rest of Lori’s article HERE.

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