Presence!
Presence! Stepping Into Leadership’s Highest Calling
The ancient Greeks had a word for what they considered to be the highest level of leadership effectiveness: that word is Pistis. Pistis, like most Greek words, was packed with meaning. When a leader reached the level of Pistis, they were considered by those around them to be a person of utmost faithfulness, integrity, and perseverance – capable of leading a group of people or an entire community in the best way forward.
This Pistis-based leadership is the foundation of the Presence! program.
The Pistis-based approach to presence is much different than how we have talked about Leadership Presence in the past. Traditionally, presence has been looked at as an intangible quality that a leader achieves through the display of either power or personality (perhaps even both) which draws attention to themselves, and, in certain situations, separates them from other leaders in the organization.
The Pistis approach, on the other hand, defines presence in terms of the level of value the leader brings to the organization through their character and approach, through the wisdom they offer and the relationships they build – and most of all, by what they are able to accomplish through groups of people that are inspired to follow them in a greater cause.
The purpose of the Presence! program is to launch participants on a year-long pathway to becoming leaders with Pistis-based Presence. We accomplish this through a 21st century interpretation of the Aristotelian concepts of Ethos, Logos and Pathos, application of cutting edge, science-based, neuro-leadership principles, integration of the latest leadership development research and theories, and the wisdom of the shared experiences and insights of program participants, special guests, and the program facilitator.
The Core of Leadership Presence: Ethos, Logos and Pathos
Ethos is the ability to map a very personal journey to become the best version of myself
Leaders with Ethos understand how a their effectiveness is impacted by the perceptions of the people around them and they proactively seek to influence and shape those perceptions into a positive recognition of their leadership presence. They also understand how hardwiring in the human brain can create behavioral obstacles to becoming an effective leader and how self-awareness, self-reflection and self-discipline can overcome those obstacles. Ultimately, the leader with Ethos is able to break through their own personal biases, emotional dissonance, assumptions and self doubt and discover their true leadership effectiveness and authenticity.
Ethos is the ability to map a very personal journey to become the best version of myself
Leaders with Ethos understand how a their effectiveness is impacted by the perceptions of the people around them and they proactively seek to influence and shape those perceptions into a positive recognition of their leadership presence. They also understand how hardwiring in the human brain can create behavioral obstacles to becoming an effective leader and how self-awareness, self-reflection and self-discipline can overcome those obstacles. Ultimately, the leader with Ethos is able to break through their own personal biases, emotional dissonance, assumptions and self doubt and discover their true leadership effectiveness and authenticity.
Logos is the ability to understand and apply the the right mental frameworks to create the best way forward
Leaders with Logos have the ability to evaluate the current state, investigate best practices, ideate, collaborate and innovate to discover solutions, and then integrate those solutions with their teams to create the best way forward for their department and the organization. A leader’s Logos includes a firm grasp on the objective truth and practical reality around them, a high degree of technical functional competency, and a keen understanding of facts, data, detail, and key metrics, with the goal of creating the greatest level of value for the organization. Logos also carries with it the ability to articulate those facts, data, details, and metrics in a way that is understandable, motivational, and actionable to those those around them.
Pathos is the ability to build effective and productive relationships and partnerships with their team, their key organizational partners, and colleagues across the organization.
A leader with Pathos has the skill to build connections that demonstrate empathy, understanding, compassion, and advocacy and create an environment that is engaging, inspiring, motivating and productive. Pathos represents the genuine desire to advance the lives of those around me as part of my commitment to creating the greatest level of value for the organization. A leader with Pathos also has a desire to “build up” the organization by contributing to a sense of community that results in a culture that is thriving, productive, and meaningful for their constituencies.
Eudaimonia - A Life Well Built
According to Aristotle, Eudaimonia represents the happiness and inner satisfaction one receives from a living a life that fulfills its intended purpose. It’s really all about the idea of flourishing by contributing one’s full set of gifts, skills, abilities, and efforts in a very practical and tangible way to the betterment of their own lives and the lives of those around them. Eudaimonia is very close in context and meaning to Maslow’s concept of self-actualization. Eudaimonia extends the principles of Leadership Presence beyond the world of work and business to apply Ethos, Logos, and Pathos to the concept of the “whole person”. Presence! helps leaders begin to define their own Eudaimonia, understand how to capture it in their lives… and then spread it with kindness and joy to others. In bringing these principles full circle, leaders can learn how true success and effectiveness at work can only be achieved when it is an extension of a life well built.
“The ROI of one kind act done with joy is incalculable”
— Dr. John Miller
Presence! The Program
The Presence! Workshops: A series of 11 monthly live (and lively!) class sessions delivered throughout the course of one year, laying foundational principles for Optimal Personal Presence! Sessions include interactive facilitation, group discussions and exercises and time for individual reflection and application. (Each session lasts approximately 4 hours)
Presence Coaching: Each participant will be assigned an executive coach who will help them understand the best ways to apply their Presence! learnings and create their personalized Optimal Presence Plan. (Coaches will be internal, if possible – coaching plan and materials provided – 10 sessions Total)
Power of Dialogue (PODs) Small Groups: Each participant will be part of a small group of four that act as working discussion groups during sessions and meet together consistently throughout the program to offer feedback and support as participants apply Presence! principles
Ongoing Access to the Presence! Portal: Featuring helpful templates and resources, including Presence videos, audio interviews with executive leaders, and other support resources aimed at strengthening the participant’s individualized plan.
Comprehensive Personal Presence! Plan: The ultimate deliverable of the program is a practical, measurable, and individualized Presence! plan that will guide participants to reach their highest potential and create the greatest level of value for the organization.
Graduation/Celebration Meeting: Participants share their Optimal Presence! Plan, along with key learnings and impacts.
Participant Outcomes
Gain a clear working knowledge of Pistis-Based Leadership Presence and create an intentional and proactive plan that will put them on a continual growth curve to achieve an Optimal Personal Presence (OPP) that positively impacts the organization, its constituencies, and themselves.
Learn the ancient Greek principle of Pistis, the art of gaining stature as someone who is “Faithful, supportive, loyal, and worthy of our trust”.
Craft a commitment to the Greatest Level of Value (GLV) principle that will provide context, meaning and motivation for their lifetime Leadership Presence journey.
Gain a clear, complete understanding of and focus on Aristotle’s “Three Underlying Drivers of Leadership Presence”: Ethos, Logos and Pathos.
Create their own Optimal Personal Presence plan which they will implement with guidance from their personal internal coach and support from their POD team.