Executive Presence
- Group CPO
- Dec 4
- 4 min read
Executive Presence: The Hidden Differentiator in Procurement Leadership
By GROUP CPO
December 2025
“Experience might get you the interview, but executive presence is what will get you the role.” anon
Procurement leaders know what it means to deliver results managing complexity, mitigating risk, and driving value. But once you’re in the room where decisions are made, technical mastery alone won’t set you apart. The leaders who rise are the ones who project confidence, credibility, and connection the hallmarks of executive presence.
According to Sylvia Ann Hewlett (Executive Presence 2.0) and Joel Garfinkle (Executive Presence: Step Into Your Power), this elusive quality isn’t innate, it’s a skill you can build.
So how do you build it? Here’s what procurement leaders can do to turn experience into influence.
1. Lead with Gravitas — Stay Calm, Decisive, and Authentic
Gravitas is the foundation of presence it’s what makes others trust your leadership under pressure.
In procurement, you’re constantly balancing competing priorities: cost, continuity, culture, risk and compliance. Your ability to stay calm and decisive amid chaos is what earns confidence from stakeholders and suppliers alike.
Actions to build gravitas:
Pause before reacting. In tough negotiations or crises, take a breath before you speak. Composure signals control.
Be decisive. Make clear, timely calls. People follow leaders who commit.
Show integrity. Consistency builds trust faster than charisma ever could.
Own your authenticity. Don’t mimic someone else’s style. Presence is about being credible, not conforming.
Reflect confidence physically. Stand tall, make eye contact, speak with intention people read your body before they hear your words.
Remember: Its not about being the loudest voice. It means being the steady one, the leader who calms the room when others panic.
2. Communicate with Clarity and Conviction
Procurement leaders are masters of detail, and influence lives in clarity, not complexity. Executive presence requires that you translate technical precision into strategic storytelling.
Actions to strengthen communication presence:
Lead with the “so what.” Start with outcomes, not activity. Move from “we processed 120 contracts” to “we unlocked $20M in working capital.”
Speak with structure. Organise your ideas into clear, memorable messages: a strong opening, one core insight, and a decisive close.
Master your voice. Pace, tone, and pause convey confidence. Record yourself before key meetings. Do you sound confident or rushed?
Tell stories, not stats. Data convinces, but stories connect. Use narrative to show how procurement drives resilience, innovation, and growth.
Read the room. Whether in person or virtual, adjust your delivery to your audience’s energy and expectations.
The best communicators don’t just inform; they motivate. They make procurement understood and valued across the business.
3. Show Up Like a Leader Every Time
In Hewlett’s research, appearance accounted for only a small slice of executive presence, but it still matters. The goal is to ensure nothing distracts from your message rather than to impress with your appearance.
Actions to refine your presence:
Be intentional about your look. Whether on a site visit or a board call, dress for the role you want next, not just the one you have.
Command virtual space. Good lighting, eye-level camera, and clear sound make a bigger impression than you think.
Project energy. Leaders who look healthy, alert, and engaged signal readiness and stamina.
Eliminate distractions. If your backdrop, tone, or attire draws focus away from your message, simplify it.
Be consistent. Your visual and vocal cues should reinforce, not compete with, your leadership.
4. Lead with Inclusion and Authenticity
Executive presence isn’t about fitting an outdated mould. It’s about showing up as your full, authentic self and creating space for others to do the same.
Procurement operates across geographies, suppliers, and stakeholders; influence depends on connection across difference.
Actions to embody inclusive presence:
Invite diverse voices. Presence grows when others feel seen and valued in your meetings and decisions.
Lead with empathy. Listen deeply. Seek to understand before being understood.
Use influence to elevate others. When you amplify someone else’s contribution, your credibility expands.
Be human. Share your challenges, your lessons, your growth. Authenticity builds trust and trust builds followership.
Inclusion is a leadership strategy. It helps to turn authority into alignment.
5. Practice, Reflect, Repeat
Executive presence is perception, and perception is shaped in every interaction. You can’t fake it but you can refine it.
Actions for ongoing growth:
Ask for feedback. How do others experience you under pressure or in meetings?
Film yourself. Watch how you speak, move, and listen, awareness is half the battle.
Reflect daily. After key meetings, ask: Did I show up the way I intended?
Be consistent. Presence isn’t built in big moments; it’s proven in small ones.
Why It Matters
Procurement is evolving fast, from managing spend to driving strategic value. Boards and CEOs are seeking leaders who don’t just deliver results but elevate conversations, build trust, and embody the organisation’s values.
So, as you master your craft, invest just as deliberately in how you show up, speak up, and lead. Because in the new era of procurement leadership, presence is performance.
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