One of the first leaders I saw on stage was a great guy—very knowledgeable, very good at his job. Though he was in the highest tier of his organization, I heard that he was unable to break through to the top. From all appearances, he had everything he needed to get there. He was smart, personable and talented.

Then he walked on stage. Five minutes into the presentation, the answer became very clear. I could sense that the audience was simply not going to follow him. He had never developed his own unique stage presence. Last I heard, his career was on the downward slope.

Here’s the question: If he couldn’t lead on stage, was he really a leader?

What IS Stage Presence?

Stage presence is the ability to use your body and voice when speaking or presenting to get the desired results from an audience. Stage presence must be unique and it must be natural.

Stage presence doesn't mean you need a stage; you need presence any time you speak in front of any size audience, with our without PowerPoint.

Here are three reasons why it's critical for a leader to develop a personal stage presence:

1. Potential

When you look out over a presentation audience, what do you see? Many leaders see an obligation, a task they have to endure in order to get back to the important business of leading. What a waste!

An audience is a room full of potential. Each person represents an opportunity for progress, change, growth. But only if you have the ability to lead them. As you begin to speak, each person is deciding whether they will follow you or reject your leadership.

The opportunity to get your message out to an entire group of people at one time is priceless. No one reads memos. Email inboxes are bursting. But get people in a room, and you have their undivided attention. For a minute or so. This is exactly why you need a stage presence; to take advantage of the potential.

2. Deliverance

The word "deliver" has two main meanings. First, to bring something to somebody else. We are delivering a message to our audience.

It also has a second meaning. The original Latin means, "to take away and set free." Interesting difference, isn't it? Delivering to, but also taking away from. We deliver a message to our audience, but we also hope to lead them away from their current situation into an opportunity for positive change.

When I coach leaders on presenting, I often use the metaphor of building something. We are crafting a cathedral of information and influence. When we present, we want to deliver our audience into this cathedral. We want to be their guide and show them what they can learn, so they can leave that cathedral better people than when they walked in.

When you present, do you think of yourself as a guide, taking your audience away to someplace better? You should. Having a strong stage presence empowers you to do that.

3. Dependence

How you act on stage tells the audience exactly how they should respond to what you’re saying—on and off the stage. If your body and your voice and your eyes are nervous or disinterested, the audience is given permission to respond in the same way.

On the other hand, if you are showing engagement and confidence, you're telling the audience, this is important! Pay attention. They depend on your cue.

Here’s the scary part: Without a personal stage presence, a seed of doubt gets planted in your audience's minds. They're watching you and thinking, "If he cannot lead me from the stage, why should I believe he can lead me off the stage?" In many ways, your leadership depends on your stage presence. (Just like in the example I mentioned at the beginning.)

Stage Presence: Gotta have it.

Every leader has a blind spot; a key ability they lack but can't discern. In my experience, it's often stage presence. And the sad thing is, no one is going to tell you. Except me. Based on my 30 years working with leaders, chances are you don’t have the stage presence you think you do. But the great news is, it can be learned. And you’ll be a better leader when you do.

Stage presence. If you want to be a good leader, you gotta have it. And if you don’t have it, you gotta get it.

Because when they snooze, you lose.

Mike Vayda has been helping leaders become great presenters for over 30 years. Learn more at PresentableU.com.

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