The Power of Presence: Unlock Your Potential to Influence and Engage Others

As an entrepreneur priding myself on accomplishments through hard work, I find I'm frequently in search of means to streamline my responsibilities and entrust myself to other decision makers to increase the staying and growing power of my business. And, aside from my professional experience, it is rare that I say "If I'd known this ten years ago, life would be so much easier today." THE POWER OF PRESENCE, however, is one set of lessons I wish I'd had at my disposal early in my career. Whether volunteering for the first time as a young person or running a Fortune 50 company, as a leader within our community or as a business owner, knowing the impact of our presence and how to direct it is critical to our success. Perhaps the key to success in this book is to understand the imperative to plan, plan, plan and create a mindset that is intent on positively accomplishing all that you set out to accomplish irrespective of our little (or large) voice of doubt. These tools are present throughout this book. I have several friends who aspired and became Olympians. They all accomplished this goal not by "Debbie Downering" it all the way, but through hard work, a determined positive outlook, an articulated goal and a network around them that supports the endeavor. These individuals improved their weaknesses and polished their natural talents. Success in business is much the same. Our actions underline - or undermine - our presence. And while nothing quite beats experience, the provision of personal reflection to develop leadership presence can certainly ease the path to success. THE POWER OF PRESENCE is a recommended toolkit for anyone who aspires to polish the obvious talents and unlock those that are hidden. The author provides a very insightful, no-nonsense approach to how to best navigate the landscape to optimize our goals through knowledge and command over each individual's unique personal and professional brand.

I find many business books to be dry, but I found the Power of Presence to be quite engaging. The book has heart, and primarily because the author reveals much of herself throughout. It's easy to feel connected to her and her message from the very first page. The book has very practical tips and advice, but the anecdotes throughout make for a compelling read. As an HR professional, I enjoyed this book on both a personal and professional level. Professionally, I could give this book to any executive or leader and feel pretty confident they would take valuable lessons away from it. As opposed to other presentation or communication self-help books, this book really strives to transform the way leaders think first which then manifests itself in their actions. Personally, I apply the concepts in my every day life -- being intentional about my conversations with others, as an example. I highly recommend the Power of Presence!

This book starts with a fairly common claim that having a compelling presence is important to leadership, but instead of focusing on the typical external skills, the author shows that outward communications is just one part of the story. Power of Presence shows how to strengthen communications style but also how to build presence through authenticity, intentionality, and trust building. It's filled with case studies and exercises I was actually able to implement, and know I'll go back to for reference. The author is a CEO coach who has spent her career helping executives work through typical leadership challenges such as motivating teams, setting vision, inspiring change, and navigating interpersonal conflicts. She walks readers through these scenarios using her model, called I-Presence, which shows how to be intentional, individually connected, and inspirational. The book is easy to skim or dive into for a deeper read. I especially liked the appendix of quick tips for people in a variety of situations, including career changers, job seekers, senior leaders, entrepreneurs, young professionals and women. It also covers recent findings in neuroscience that shed light on how we react to change, and puts them into practical language for a business audience. If you're looking for a book to help you manage and motivate, this book is well worth the read. It will also help you build influence up the chain, another critical component to leadership and advancement.

The Power of Presence has the "it" factor Kristi alludes to in the book's opening pages without being disingenuous. Kristi starts the book off by exposing her own fears, failures and successes. This vunerability and realness help you immediatly identify and connect with her. As a result, you are an attentive, engaged and receptive reader throughout the book. This book is not about the "quick fix" so many other business/self help books are about. Rather, Kristi takes you through a learning process with the I-Presence Model and guides you toward authentic, actionable results. I particuarly identified with the chapter on emotional intelligence. I have long been challenged to find the right balance between being empathetic and driving results. Now, thanks to Kristi, I am more prepared and have some tangible examples to follow in the future. I would recommend this book to anyone from a PTA president to an executive leader of a business. Kristi's voice will continue to talk to you and her presence will continue to guide you long after you have finished the book.

I like the content and approach, I just wish I would have read this 15 years ago. For me, there were some good point to refine and one or two to work on but most of the book, I unfortunately learned the hard way. I would recommend the book.

Highly recommend this book. A lot of great learnings to help improve how your presence is perceived. Worth the investment in yourself!

As part of my research on developing a presentation on Executive Presence, this book was a superb resource and made my list of one of my top four books on the topic. The writing is clear, concise, and engaging. Ms Hedges provides not only the theory behind her concepts for those who want in-depth knowledge, but also practical applications to help make the concepts stick. I have studied neuroscience research for the past five or six years, and she does an excellent job of connecting the dots between this research and executive presence. The Power of Presence definitely belongs on your shelf as a valuable guide.

It's been an easy, interesting book to read.

Definitely recommended to anyone who cares to be successful by building relationships and inspire by making a difference. Kudos to Kristi for making this available to common people with uncommon potentials.

This book changed completely the way I perceive myself. It’s a great read. I highly recommend it and I’m sure it will help you too.

Excelente livro para quem busca achar maneiras de se apresentar e se colocar melhor! O livro dá dicas bem simples de serem seguidas e, principalmente, levando em consideração, as fortalezas e particularidades de cada pessoa.

This ranks as one of the worst books I have ever tried to read. It is glaringly obvious and overwhelmingly egocentric. The one consolation is that is that the author must now believe she is even more powerful than before. Nobody else will.