Press Room

EXECUTIVE PRESENCE Media  The Art of Commanding Respect Like a CEO McGraw-Hill Professional
By Harrison Monarth Pub Date: November 2009
$24.95, Hardcover, ISBN: 978-0-07-163287-4 E-Book: $21.95, ISBN: 978-0-07-163464-9

"One of the differentiations between an ‘executive' and an ‘almost executive' is executive presence. This book can be a key aid in helping you make it to the next level!"
-Marshall Goldsmith, New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of What Got You Here Won't Get You There

The competition is tough, and intelligence and good social skills are only a ticket for admission to a successful career and business. By studying and mastering the ideas and strategies I've laid out, you will gain an important edge in your quest to become a winner in your chosen field.
-Harrison Monarth, from the Introduction to EXECUTIVE PRESENCE

TAKE THE NEXT STEP TOWARD THE CORNER OFFICE USING THE ART OF PERCEPTION MANAGEMENT

New York Times bestselling author Harrison Monarth reveals the techniques of reputation management, persuasive communication and personal branding that can launch soon-to-be top players to the highest level of the organization.

That certain something. Je ne sais quoi. The "It Factor." We've been led to believe that when it comes to success, you either have it or you don't. But in the business world, the high-powered people in the boardroom are not all hard-wired with the attributes of success. Many have acquired it by cultivating what Harrison Monarth calls Executive Presence.

In EXECUTIVE PRESENCE (McGraw-Hill, November 2009), executive coach and New York Times bestselling coauthor of The Confident Speaker Harrison Monarth demonstrates the difference between CEOs and those of us who wish to be CEOs. Using the latest scientific research in interpersonal communication and human behavior, Monarth reveals how perception management, social intelligence, executive storytelling, ethical influence, personal branding, and online and offline reputation management can transform a career.

The natural laws of perception - the neurological processes in which the information we put out is taken in, filtered, processed, and assigned meaning by others - dictate the outcomes of every interaction in life and in business. Monarth provides an explanation of the scientific path to perception in which the main components of EXECUTIVE PRESENCE are founded, including:

Influencing People or The Art of Successful Communication: Commanding respect from peers no longer requires knowing the right people or the dog-eat-dog intimidation formerly associated with career-ascent. Instead, professionals with developed social intelligence are the ones who not only get along - but get ahead - with other people. Monarth demonstrates the components of social intelligence and how they can be implemented to read people and influence their behavior. He breaks down and explains the core communication strategies of executive presence: engineering buy-in, gaining compliance, storytelling, persuading without manipulating, managing interpersonal conflict and improving relationships.

Personal Branding or The Art of Presenting You: Branding is everywhere - from corporate logos emblazoned across sports stadiums to the labels adorning coffee cups, clothing, and cars. But you don't have to be a company or sports team to position and market yourself. Monarth walks readers through the process of developing a compelling personal brand and shows how "Branding 2.0" can be achieved through online tools including Facebook and YouTube.

Media Messaging or The Art of Spin: The news cycle has developed into a 24-hour, seven-day a week force of nature. Professionals ignore it at their own peril. Instead of dealing with the media strictly to put out fires, Monarth shows readers how to develop communications that devise and convey powerful and memorable messages to the public. From sound bites to Q&As to physical presentation, he guides soon-to-be-executives through every media management situation and reminds them that these days there is no such thing as a "Spin-Free Zone."

Reputation Management or The Art of Preserving Your Virtual and Actual Good Name: These days first impressions rarely happen face-to-face. They occur online in Google searches conducted weeks before a potential client or employer meeting. Since it's virtually impossible to keep one's personal life and professional image separate online, Monarth instructs readers on how to monitor and manage their reputations using search engines, web sites, blogs, and other tools. He also warns against the seven most common mistakes that sabotage people's reputations online and provides guidance on dealing with reputation crises when they do occur.

In today's business world, professionals don't have to choose between toiling in obscurity and relying on good fortune or a good name to reach success. The leader of the future can get ahead by learning how to accurately read others, influence perceptions, create a personal brand, and manage reputation. The leader of the future has EXECUTIVE PRESENCE.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Harrison Monarth is the founder and president of GuruMaker, a global communications consulting firm that helps Fortune 500 executives, international politicians, and other high-level professionals shape events using the skills of persuasion, image management, and media leveraging. He is the coauthor of the New York Times bestseller The Confident Speaker. He resides in Denver, CO. www.gurumaker.com

SUGGESTED INTERVIEW QUESTIONS FOR HARRISON MONARTH

1. What motivated you to write EXECUTIVE PRESENCE?

After the success of my first book The Confident Speaker I was inspired to create a more in-depth resource for working professionals to help them reach the next level of success in their careers. I found that no single book really captures the type of thinking, specific behaviors and key strategies that help someone create an influential Executive Presence. I wanted to offer millions of professionals a set of tools to help them succeed beyond the limits of cognitive intelligence, drive and hard work.

 
2. How do you define Executive Presence and why is having it important for professionals?

Executive Presence is the missing ingredient in the professional arsenals of many otherwise smart, educated, driven and even connected people. Executive Presence comprises the specific behaviors and communication strategies that separate those with leadership potential from the masses and positions them to become successful leaders whom others want to follow. It's a high-impact professional attribute founded on the critical skill-set described in the book, for anyone looking to reach the pinnacle of their career, profession or business.

 
3. How does Executive Presence work with solid education and business experience?

Every year business schools and other graduate programs release tens of thousands of highly intelligent and ambitious young people into a complex high-pressure world where a stellar education, intelligence and drive are merely the ticket to admission. But in the never-ending competition for the top jobs, the top positions and the type of responsibility that gains a person the respect and confidence of peers and bosses, you need more than that. You need the perception management, influential communication and personal branding skills and strategies that unfortunately aren't taught in the curricula of today's business schools.

4. Who should read EXECUTIVE PRESENCE?

The strategies I present and teach in Executive Presence can help anyone from student to seasoned executive reach the next level in their career. I specifically wrote the book for all those who are looking for an edge in their careers and business and want to gain the positive exposure that gets them noticed by key stakeholders and others whose evaluation matters. I highly recommend the book for business school students, MBA graduates, supervisors, managers, mid-career professionals, consultants, executives, high-potentials, and would-be chief-executives.

5. How quickly can readers apply the principles and lessons you teach in EXECUTIVE PRESENCE?

Many of the skills and strategies I teach in Executive Presence can be applied immediately, such as increasing one's social intelligence, the art of managing critical relationships with others, for which I provide a 7-day plan to work on one component of SI every day of the week. All of the strategies and behaviors I discuss and outline in Executive Presence must be practiced and put to the test in real-world every-day situations in order to become part of one's natural self-presentation and range of successful behaviors over the long term.

 6. How have the principles of EXECUTIVE PRESENCE impacted your own life and business experiences?

The principles and strategies I've covered in this book are the result of many years of experience working with top professionals and executives as an executive communications coach and training professional. In the thousands of hours of research and conversations into what makes a person exude the type of leadership presence that draws others in and allows one to manage their perceptions, I have personally learned the secrets of Executive Presence that have given me access to top business leaders and enabled me to earn their trust and confidence.

7. Can you summarize the benefits for readers of EXECUTIVE PRESENCE in terms of ideal outcomes?

I genuinely expect that reading and applying the principles I've laid out in Executive Presence will make a powerful and lasting difference and provide a crucial competitive leadership edge in the lives of those who learn its lessons. I would expect readers to increase their awareness of how they're perceived by others and boost their social intelligence, which will enable them to thrive and stand out in environments that involve interaction with colleagues, clients and bosses. Other benefits include the ability to influence people and events through ethical persuasion; an understanding of interpersonal conflict and how to manage it successfully for improved relationships; the ability to better read people and predict and interpret behavior; success in holding difficult conversations; and creation of a strong personal brand; understanding of reputation management in an increasingly socially-connected world; understanding of the power of spin and how we can use the media to get our message across to consumers.