Improve Leadership Presence

dennyzhang

URL: https://quantcodedenny.com/posts/leadership-presence/

Introduction

As an IC6 ML Infra Tech Lead, technical expertise alone is not enough. I need to be seen as a leader — someone who drives impact, earns trust, and inspires confidence across teams.

Leadership presence is about how I show up, influence decisions, and make work visible, especially under pressure. This post gives me a daily-ready framework to strengthen my leadership presence, including verbal, non-verbal, and mindset practices.

Core Principles

  • Be Calm and Clear Under Pressure

    • I speak clearly and stay composed during crises.
    • I focus on facts and root causes, avoiding blame.
    • I summarize chaos into actionable next steps.
    • I model humility: “I don’t know yet, but I’ll find out.”
    • I protect the psychological safety of others.

  • Be Visible Without Boasting

    • I share results and challenges concisely.
    • I focus on impact, not activity.
    • Mini Habit: Daily 1-sentence log of the day’s key contribution.

  • Frame Complexity as Leadership

    • I highlight difficult trade-offs I managed and decisions I influenced.
    • Template: “This was challenging because [obstacle]. I enabled [team/org] to succeed by [action].”

  • Influence Through Credibility

    • I let allies and cross-functional partners reinforce my contributions.
    • I actively recognize others and connect my work to organizational priorities.

  • Guide Decisions, Don’t Just Report

    • I focus on outcomes and next steps, not every detail.
    • Template: “The key takeaway is [message]. I propose [next step]. Impact: [metric].”

  • Consistently Deliver and Communicate

    • I pair execution with visibility.
    • I regularly summarize progress for managers, peers, and stakeholders.

  • Enhance Non-Verbal Presence

    • I maintain open posture and relaxed gestures to signal confidence.
    • I use steady, clear, and well-paced voice; avoid filler words.
    • I practice pauses to let key points sink in.
    • Mini Exercise: Record 1–2 minutes of daily updates or rehearsal and self-review body language and tone.

Senior leads Mindset

  • Think Strategically & Prioritize Impact
    • I focus on long-term value and measurable outcomes, not just tasks.
  • Make Invisible Work Visible
    • I surface hidden complexity, risk, and effort, translating it into clear business or operational value.
  • Empower & Elevate the Team
    • I enable others to succeed, recognize contributions, and ensure collective ownership.
  • Turn Delivery into Lasting Ownership
    • I document charters, processes, and systems so projects have ongoing impact.
  • Build Calm Credibility & Influence
    • I stay composed under pressure, guide decisions, and proactively engage allies to amplify impact.

Daily Habits for Leadership Presence

  • Morning (5 min)

    • Review yesterday’s work.
    • Identify one key contribution or decision to highlight.
    • Decide if any ally or stakeholder should be informed.
    • Quick body/voice warm-up: posture check, 1-minute clear articulation of top message.

  • During Work

    • Capture complexity, blockers, and learning in a personal log.
    • When making design or system decisions, note why the decision matters for team/org goals.
    • Apply calm, credible behavior during crises: focus on facts, summarize chaos, protect others psychologically.
    • Use controlled gestures and deliberate pacing in meetings or calls.

  • End of Day (5 min)

    • Fill in the impact → complexity → credibility flow:
      1. What impact did I create?
      2. What complexity or trade-offs did I handle?
      3. Who should be aware or can amplify this work?
    • Optional: 1-minute voice/body reflection or recording to self-calibrate.

  • Weekly (10–15 min)

    • Summarize top 1–2 achievements.
    • Share structured updates with manager or cross-functional stakeholders.
    • Identify allies who can echo your contributions.
    • Practice 5–10 minutes of voice/body exercises: posture, tone, pacing, hand gestures.

Practical Templates

  • 1-Sentence Daily Log: > “By [action], I [impact] despite [challenge], and [ally/team] is aware.”

  • Decision-Focused Update: > “Key takeaway: [message]. Next step: [action]. Impact: [metric].”

Common Pitfalls

  • Overdoing self-promotion damages trust.
  • Not surfacing business value makes work look like mere execution.
  • Not surfacing complexity & learning undervalues effort.
  • Staying invisible leads to missed recognition and opportunities.
  • Focusing on busyness instead of impact dilutes reputation.

Conclusion

Leadership presence is not superficial — it’s how I show up, influence, and make work visible while empowering others. Daily Habit: Every day, I ask myself:

  1. What impact can I highlight?
  2. What complexity & learning did I uncover?
  3. Who do I need to involve or inform to build credibility?

By following this framework + mindset + daily habits, I make my leadership visible, trusted, and lasting, while reducing overthinking.