Executive Prescience

“I know it when I see it.”

Justice Potter Stewart 
Jacobellis v. Ohio, 378 U.S. 184  (1964)

The notion of executive presence gives me pause.  First, it has no generally accepted definition and it is ripe for the infusion of unhelpful bias. Too often this nebulous trait is inextricably linked to "6 foot 2 inch tall males who look like they were sent from central casting." Moreover, I cannot find clear research that demonstrates a relationship between executive presence and effective leadership.

To the extent the notion refers to someone who can read a person, room and circumstance – perhaps even before words are spoken, anticipate what is required to advance productivity in a given situation, and then comfortably act on what is required, those traits are no doubt valuable.  Collectively I shall call it Executive Prescience. 

While I like my new term, the concepts are not new and there is plenty of good work being done to ensure that we have a continued pipeline of leaders with these traits. The ability to tune-in is emotional intelligence, and the characteristic that allows decisive and comfortable action is authenticity. 

These traits can be learned. And happily they are being taught to people at younger and younger ages. The sooner children learn to behave in socially intelligent ways, the better equipped they will be as they become the adult leaders of the 21st Century.  Indeed, I recently learned of a program that has as its sole focus teaching social-emotional intelligence to kids.   

Here’s one final link.  It’s about coffee and emotional intelligence.  Say it ain’t so!