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Executive Presence: The Art of Commanding Respect Like a CEO
The bestselling co-author of The Confident Speaker explains how to use persuasion, influence, communication, damage control and media leverage to build a better self brand, provide a career boost and meet any personal goal. 20,000 first printing.
272 pages, Hardcover
Published November 2, 2009
166 people are currently reading
479 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
April 8, 2013
There is something immediately suspect when the author of the book is the founder and president of a company called GuruMaker. Nonetheless the author does have experience in such a thing and he’s written a book to ensure others have an opportunity to market themselves and manage peoples’ perception of them. In The Executive Presence: The Art of Commanding Respected Like a CEO, the author guides the reader through several things:
- Accurately “read” people and predict their behavior Influence the perceptions of others
- Persuade those of opposing views to your side
- Create and maintain a personal “brand”
- Manage and control your online reputation
- Perform damage control when things go wrong
As I began the book I immediately chafed at the thesis of the book: you can and must—that is if you wish to succeed and grow in your power and influence—get a handle on what others think of you. You must, as the subtitle suggests, learn the art of commanding respect like a CEO.
While no doubt my flesh naturally gravitates toward this notion, if I think God-centered thoughts, then there is no way I can agree with his point. As a Christian I can show myself an example, I can labor and strive toward godliness, I can selflessly serve others; but in the end I must leave the results with the Lord. There is no way I can micro-manage people’s perception of me. While it is true that I can perhaps redirect misinformed opinions of me, I cannot show control over every aspect of my reputation. At the end of the day, I must do my best while acknowledging that I am a flawed vessel in the hands of a mighty God. I seek not my reputation but His. Living in order to gain “commanding respect” is in the end a futile pursuit. I must fear God and no one else.
- Accurately “read” people and predict their behavior Influence the perceptions of others
- Persuade those of opposing views to your side
- Create and maintain a personal “brand”
- Manage and control your online reputation
- Perform damage control when things go wrong
As I began the book I immediately chafed at the thesis of the book: you can and must—that is if you wish to succeed and grow in your power and influence—get a handle on what others think of you. You must, as the subtitle suggests, learn the art of commanding respect like a CEO.
While no doubt my flesh naturally gravitates toward this notion, if I think God-centered thoughts, then there is no way I can agree with his point. As a Christian I can show myself an example, I can labor and strive toward godliness, I can selflessly serve others; but in the end I must leave the results with the Lord. There is no way I can micro-manage people’s perception of me. While it is true that I can perhaps redirect misinformed opinions of me, I cannot show control over every aspect of my reputation. At the end of the day, I must do my best while acknowledging that I am a flawed vessel in the hands of a mighty God. I seek not my reputation but His. Living in order to gain “commanding respect” is in the end a futile pursuit. I must fear God and no one else.
Read
May 14, 2024Some good points, but I hate this kind of surface-level leadership claptrap. Unfortunately, it proves useful to be aware of this stuff.
November 3, 2015
Great advice. I read this a couple of years ago and reread it just as I took on a major leadership position. The strategies on managing perceptions ETHICALLY have helped me hit the ground running with peers and direct reports. Great material and perspective on personal branding and influencing with dignity intact. Great storytelling style too. Highly recommended.
July 3, 2010
Read the Soundview Summary of this book and found little that was new or challenging. Most of it common sensical. The author spends, I feel, too much space on presentation skills, less on cultivating healthy one on one habits.
October 7, 2015
the book has interesting advise to consider
November 22, 2017
We are all trying to find a path to success. The internet is inundated with ‘how-to’ videos and guides. Not knowing where to turn, it can be difficult to know what’s valuable and what’s merely fluff. Monarth’s book stands apart from the rest of the herd with his take on Executive Presence.
Through easily understood examples, he has a knack for cutting to the heart of the matter. Everything is related in a very engaging way.
Maybe the most important thing, is that it invigorates and motivates you. This may seem small but if you are an entrepreneur, like me, motivation can make all the difference towards success. Anyone can punch a time clock. It’s something else entirely to answer solely to yourself. Sometimes, you need a book like ‘Executive Presence’ to both inspire and help you navigate the interpersonal challenges ahead.
Maybe I’ll send my boss a copy for the holidays.
Through easily understood examples, he has a knack for cutting to the heart of the matter. Everything is related in a very engaging way.
Maybe the most important thing, is that it invigorates and motivates you. This may seem small but if you are an entrepreneur, like me, motivation can make all the difference towards success. Anyone can punch a time clock. It’s something else entirely to answer solely to yourself. Sometimes, you need a book like ‘Executive Presence’ to both inspire and help you navigate the interpersonal challenges ahead.
Maybe I’ll send my boss a copy for the holidays.
October 21, 2025
The book "Executive Presence: The Art of Commanding Respect Like a CEO" is a helpful guide for anyone who wants to succeed in leadership. It teaches you how to influence people, control how others see you, and handle difficult situations. The author shares useful advice on communication, creating a strong personal brand, and managing your reputation. The writing is easy to understand, with clear examples that make it motivating and practical. While some may find it long and full of lists, it has good points on how to improve confidence and be respected at work. This book is good for people wanting to grow as leaders and improve their professional image. It inspires readers to act confidently and take charge of their career path. Overall, it is a solid read for those aiming to develop executive presence and personal influence in the workplace.
May 23, 2023
If the tone and writing style of this book were an executive at your company, it wouldn’t have great executive presence—according to the definitions in this book: way too wordy, lists upon lists of recommendations, lacking focus. It really wants to be a textbook that you go back and reference to get specific advice, and not a book that read cover-to-cover. The points the book makes are fair and good suggestions for managers. My complaint has more to do with how it feels that the author ported the entire set of playbooks from their consulting business to book form and didn’t take the time to “write a shorter letter,” leaving it as an exercise to the reader to identify the most important takeaways.
December 6, 2017
As I hope to be in some sort of management position some day, I wanted to read this book to learn about the types of things I should prepare myself for. I found Executive Presence had a lot of good info on the importance of branding when you're a leader and how to become a positive presence people want to stand behind. I easily understood the information laid out and found myself wanting to keep reading. I definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a little guidance in their career.
October 27, 2019
I thought this was a well researched book. The biggest takeaways I had were the following:
1. Be prepared to speak to whoever inquires of you. Hiding or deflecting only allows others to control the narrative.
2. Posture plays a big role in how you are perceived.
It was a hard to follow book as I tend to favor more of a narrative style of writing as opposed to research. I think this book would fit perfectly amongst dictionaries or other reference guides.
1. Be prepared to speak to whoever inquires of you. Hiding or deflecting only allows others to control the narrative.
2. Posture plays a big role in how you are perceived.
It was a hard to follow book as I tend to favor more of a narrative style of writing as opposed to research. I think this book would fit perfectly amongst dictionaries or other reference guides.
November 2, 2024
Good book on executive level awareness items. They also discussed some gender based dynamics to consider. I didn't agree with the leaning into the american based perspective of leadership though I have to acknowledge that the book was centered on the current context of leadership in america which is what the author addressed. There were also some practical exercises that I have chosen to implement and will see if the content really is as good as it sounded.
Read
March 24, 2022Good book with good information. One thing I found annoying. When referring to Tim Tebow, Monarth states when drafted he was thought to be, "the second coming of Christ" until he couldn't get the ball into the receivers hands. It came across as sarcastic. Regardless of one's beliefs, it's important to respect the beliefs of others. It seems a petty and unnecessary statement, especially in a book on executive presence. Someone with executive presence should be above such snarky commentary.
February 13, 2025
Is this a fun read? Of course not, but I will say that it was the strongest book I’ve read on the subject.
I think my favorite takeaway was:
Know your strengths and weaknesses - be aware of your strengths and how you can offer them to others, while also being aware of your liabilities.
I can definitely see myself reading this every couple years as a refresher.
I think my favorite takeaway was:
Know your strengths and weaknesses - be aware of your strengths and how you can offer them to others, while also being aware of your liabilities.
I can definitely see myself reading this every couple years as a refresher.
September 9, 2017
If you want find anything useful to gain an in-depth knowledge on how to have a CEO presence, you will be hugely disappointed. The author seems copying and pasting all sort of abstract ideas and packs them into a book.
October 1, 2018
Good insights for creating a personal brand and having the influence of a CEO. Much of the book is outdated due to technological advances. This, of course, isn’t the author’s fault. But it plays into the rating I gave him.
January 6, 2019
Did not find much here that was new. And of the new it was so high level there was not much to apply.
Want to read
October 11, 2019Rhonda rec
November 18, 2023
Some great insights. Overly long.
July 12, 2024
4.5 stars
February 9, 2025
Some really solid stuff in here, though the content that dates it REALLY dates it. Otherwise, good to hear it all in one place.
February 10, 2025
Mostly common sense ideas, nothing terribly groundbreaking.
October 25, 2010
Na-No-Wri-Mo & Penguin
October 24, 2010 by bookworm73
Nanowrimo stands for National November Writing Month. The aim is to start and complete a full novel of 50,000 words within the 30 days of November. It’s a yearly event and this year I am going to try and use it to complete the first draft of the novel I have been trying to write forever.
I am not expecting it to be easy, but look out for updates during next month. In preparation I will be confirming the outline of the novel. This has proven to be my downfall in the past, but I have an additional motive for getting the outline finished this week.
Penguin are about to close their call for un-agented submissions. As I haven’t got an agent, and I’ve got this first novel in me, I thought that I’d have a go……
More details at:http://www.penguin.co.uk/ and at http://www.nanowrimo.org/
Posted in Fiction Writing | Leave a Comment »
Book Review – Executive Presence, by Harrison Monarth
October 24, 2010 by bookworm73
Is there anyone out there who wouldn’t like to be a Richard Branson, a Mark Zuckerberg or a Lord Sugar? I’m guessing that there are quite a few that would love to be in the position of these business titans. But the proper question to ask is what does it take to be a Branson, Zuckerberg or Sugar?
In his book, Executive Presence, Harrison Monarth looks at the factors that make us mere working mortals different from our CEO masters. And the answer is quite simple. Presence. This is the art of influencing people, understanding how they are going to react in any situation, and being able to change behaviours in a way that gets results. The other side of the coin is the effect that you can have by changing yourself – modifying how you are perceived by others, and how that affects how they interact with you. The final aspect is what you do when things go wrong. Master these three things, and you are well on the way to that six-figure salary and the chauffeur-driven car.
This book is full of key information, which will serve you well in your attempt to guide and build up your reputation as someone who can lead, can be trusted and can deliver results. One of the major points of discussion is the effect of personal branding on your rise through the ranks and how it can give you an air of reliable certainty that all large companies are looking for to keep stability and surety.
Whilst Harrison has built this book on his own personal experience in business management, ‘Executive Presence’ has solid grounding in the latest thoughts and techniques. For that alone, the book is worth its cover price. This is a worthy and required addition to anyone’s business bookshelf, and I for one enjoyed reading it.
October 24, 2010 by bookworm73
Nanowrimo stands for National November Writing Month. The aim is to start and complete a full novel of 50,000 words within the 30 days of November. It’s a yearly event and this year I am going to try and use it to complete the first draft of the novel I have been trying to write forever.
I am not expecting it to be easy, but look out for updates during next month. In preparation I will be confirming the outline of the novel. This has proven to be my downfall in the past, but I have an additional motive for getting the outline finished this week.
Penguin are about to close their call for un-agented submissions. As I haven’t got an agent, and I’ve got this first novel in me, I thought that I’d have a go……
More details at:http://www.penguin.co.uk/ and at http://www.nanowrimo.org/
Posted in Fiction Writing | Leave a Comment »
Book Review – Executive Presence, by Harrison Monarth
October 24, 2010 by bookworm73
Is there anyone out there who wouldn’t like to be a Richard Branson, a Mark Zuckerberg or a Lord Sugar? I’m guessing that there are quite a few that would love to be in the position of these business titans. But the proper question to ask is what does it take to be a Branson, Zuckerberg or Sugar?
In his book, Executive Presence, Harrison Monarth looks at the factors that make us mere working mortals different from our CEO masters. And the answer is quite simple. Presence. This is the art of influencing people, understanding how they are going to react in any situation, and being able to change behaviours in a way that gets results. The other side of the coin is the effect that you can have by changing yourself – modifying how you are perceived by others, and how that affects how they interact with you. The final aspect is what you do when things go wrong. Master these three things, and you are well on the way to that six-figure salary and the chauffeur-driven car.
This book is full of key information, which will serve you well in your attempt to guide and build up your reputation as someone who can lead, can be trusted and can deliver results. One of the major points of discussion is the effect of personal branding on your rise through the ranks and how it can give you an air of reliable certainty that all large companies are looking for to keep stability and surety.
Whilst Harrison has built this book on his own personal experience in business management, ‘Executive Presence’ has solid grounding in the latest thoughts and techniques. For that alone, the book is worth its cover price. This is a worthy and required addition to anyone’s business bookshelf, and I for one enjoyed reading it.
August 9, 2010
Information-dense guide to reputation management
Why is the lion king of the jungle? The reasons, says business consultant and executive coach Harrison Monarth, are his “impressive mane” and “even more impressive roar.” Though other creatures may be smarter or even bigger, the lion has a special blend of true power and “an image and related behavior” that convey that power. In today’s business jungle, image matters, too. If you want to rise to the top of your firm, whether you are a lion or a lioness, you must craft and maintain an “executive presence” by combining superior communication skills with the ability to “read” people accurately and influence their perceptions. Explaining these techniques and more, Monarth’s ambitious work is dense with information and strives to cover a broad range of topics, some complex enough to warrant their own books. getAbstract recommends Monarth’s comprehensive advice to professionals who want to win the lion’s share of influence and power at their firms.
Why is the lion king of the jungle? The reasons, says business consultant and executive coach Harrison Monarth, are his “impressive mane” and “even more impressive roar.” Though other creatures may be smarter or even bigger, the lion has a special blend of true power and “an image and related behavior” that convey that power. In today’s business jungle, image matters, too. If you want to rise to the top of your firm, whether you are a lion or a lioness, you must craft and maintain an “executive presence” by combining superior communication skills with the ability to “read” people accurately and influence their perceptions. Explaining these techniques and more, Monarth’s ambitious work is dense with information and strives to cover a broad range of topics, some complex enough to warrant their own books. getAbstract recommends Monarth’s comprehensive advice to professionals who want to win the lion’s share of influence and power at their firms.
January 19, 2011
A refreshing and to the point resource for ambitious professionals. I found a number of great ideas, particularly on personal branding and executive storytelling. I found the book very valuable. I am in the process of getting my MBA and this is information not taught at any business school. It's also a fun read. Recommended!
September 25, 2015
After hearing rave reviews about this, I have to say it was a bit disappointing. For someone new to the workplace, it would be a great to-read before seeking a professional position. Also - topics discussed should be part of graduate school courses. If schools mandate taking a management class, which is always good, some of these chapters would be great as supplementary reading.
September 19, 2012
READ SEP 2012
Solid foundational piece for any leader seeking to understand the importance communication (verbal and non-verbal) has on executive presence. Nice bonus material toward the end on how to manage organizational crises.
Solid foundational piece for any leader seeking to understand the importance communication (verbal and non-verbal) has on executive presence. Nice bonus material toward the end on how to manage organizational crises.
January 9, 2011
Great read and highly applicable in the work place.
March 15, 2016
Прочитал summary
Вроде бы написаны очевидные вещи ничего нового.
Поэтому **** - все вещи очевидны грамотному работнику 21го века.
Вроде бы написаны очевидные вещи ничего нового.
Поэтому **** - все вещи очевидны грамотному работнику 21го века.
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