Being Present
““Presence is not what you do. It’s how you are when you do it.” ”
Effective change agents develop their presence, creating a more compelling integration of perceptions, feelings, thoughts, and behaviors. Each of us already has some kind of presence based on the way we show up.
Your presence includes
Awareness: A conscious attention to the moment, what is going on with you, with others, and with the environment;
An honest representation of your whole self: Not just what you think, but also your emotions, your memories, the ways your body feels, your values and concerns, intuitions, and whatever else you can bring to the moment;
Your intent – what you plan to do, your reasons for doing it, how you plan to do it, and at what levels of the organization you aim to operate;
As you begin to act, a curiosity about what may have shifted or changed over time, any insights or learnings from the experience, and interest in whatever comes next.
The clothes you wear, the language you use, whether you stand tall or stoop – all this and more are part of your presentation to the world. Whether you think about it or not, these artifacts send signals to the people around you, and evoke all sorts of reactions, presumptions, thoughts, and emotions.
Every time you walk out the door in the morning, you present a complex message to the outside world about who you are and what you value. Sometimes, you might intentionally modify your presentation to send a particular message.
I once worked in a conservative membership organization where it was customary for the male employees to all wear ties, and the female employees to wear dresses. I bristled at this expectation, and wanted to differentiate myself from my peers. So I made a conscious decision to flout the rule by never wearing a tie to work. My small act of rebellion helped me create a unique presence for myself as a counter-cultural force in an otherwise hidebound association.
Your presence is an integration of your past (your reputation, credentials, experience, etc.), your present (your values, how you show up, how you listen, how resilient you are, etc.), and your future (the impact you’ll make). What sets an effective change agent apart is the attention you devote to cultivating a powerful presence to mobilize energy and create change.
We all know people who have “that certain something.” They don’t necessarily speak the loudest or longest, but their words and opinions have enormous influence. They convey confidence and clarity, and they have the knack of bringing others along by speaking authentically from their own center. They use their presence to provide what’s otherwise missing around them, and to model what’s possible.
In politics, presence is known as “authenticity,” the sense that a person’s internal self and external presentation are pleasingly aligned. Some politicians, like Hillary Clinton, get regularly dinged for acting in ways that seem false or out of whack with their persona. Other politicians seem like naturals: Newly-elected New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has become a media star for sharing revealing insights into her “realness.” As one of her colleagues admiringly told the Washington Post, “You can’t fake authenticity.”
Whatever you call it, a well-cultivated presence draws others in. Author Dorothy Siminovich writes, “when we act authentically from our intentions, we create resonance with others, who then engage more openly and vibrantly with us.” It’s a great aspiration for any change agent to fulfill.
