Our most recent session at Fakhoury Leadership International (FLI) was on

Professional Presence- presented by one of my inspirational friends and daughter, Nawal Fakhoury.

As I messaged her last week to tell her that will be the basis of my column, she promptly messaged me back with 7 simple words: “It’s all about how you show up!” “Oh no”, I thought. I just finished showing up at the YMCA steering committee meeting with one tennis shoe on and one tennis shoe in my hand. Yes, I was trying to save a minute to get to the meeting on time. I knew I had broken the professional presence rule.

Now, here is the key and the lesson. When it comes to professional presence, which is a very important topic, the acronym to remember is PIE. Let’s discuss PIE. P is for Performance. This is your elevator pitch, a 30 second speech about yourself. Ultimately, whatever you do is a reflection of yourself. You want to enhance your performance and have a sense of urgency. Don’t shy away from the challenge and realize the importance of your job, whatever it may be. New ideas are welcomed but they need to be relevant.

The I is for Image.

How do people see you? What type of impression are you making? Answer the question, how do you want to be perceived? What do you convey with your energy? What is your promise? What do you want to leave behind? One of the best ways to understand how others perceive you is to ask for feedback.

Ask your close friends how you can enhance your image. You can also think about who you admire and what you would like to emulate and begin to embed those values.

The E is for Exposure.

This is your reputation. Define what you want to be known for. Be careful with this. Are you going to be known as someone who shows up late, who is argumentative, who is critical, or who is soft-spoken, inspirational, etc.? I suggest you take on 2 new behaviors to support your desired reputation. This has to be planned! What can I do, and what will I do specifically? Next, develop relationships with leaders, this gives you great visibility and the opportunity to model behaviors you like. In closing! Remember PIE: Performance, Image, Exposure and this is your professional presence.

See you next time at a Moment with Manal!