Leadership presence is about how you show up, how you make others feel, and how effectively you communicate both verbally and non-verbally. This combination of personal traits and outward behaviors creates an image of competence and trustworthiness, allowing those who have leadership presence to easily influence others. Leadership presence, like any other skill, can be developed through conscious awareness and practice.

Evaluate leadership presence in two dynamic Walmart leaders: Sam Walton and Doug McMillon.    

Sam Walton and Doug McMillon are arguably two of Walmart’s greatest leaders, each demonstrating what leadership presence is and how to use it effectively to influence others.

Watch the following two videos and then answer the questions below to compare and contrast each man’s leadership presence.

• How do Sam Walton and Doug McMillion use body language to engage and connect with their audiences?
• How does each leader articulate their message? What in their communication enables them to inspire confidence and create buy-in?
• What words would you use to describe each man’s character traits? How do these characterizations relate to their leadership presence?
• After watching each video, what takeaways do you have? What behaviors can you emulate in your day-to-day role?    

Communication and collaboration encourage innovative solutions that help our company grow. Thought diversity is always valuable, but based on different personal and professional experiences, you and your business partners may solve problems in drastically different ways. Your ability to communicate and collaborate effectively will directly impact your level of influence.   

Change is inevitable, but it doesn’t have to be difficult. If you’re open to the idea that change is constant, then you can approach it with a positive mindset and influence others to do the same. Use this graphic as a guide for how to manage change effectively.