Michael's transformation was remarkable. Within 18 months of implementing the Executive Presence Protocol, he not only got promoted to Senior Director but was recruited by a competitor for a VP role at $165,000—more than double his original salary.
The difference wasn't in his operational skills—those were always strong. The difference was in how those skills were packaged and perceived.
Executive presence isn't about becoming someone you're not. It's about presenting your authentic self in a way that signals leadership capability and commands premium compensation.
In Chapter 5, we'll build on this foundation with Strategic Self-Promotion—the art of making your achievements impossible to ignore without appearing boastful.
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# Chapter 5: Strategic Self-Promotion
Lisa C. was the best-kept secret in her company. As a senior data scientist, she had built machine learning models that saved her company $3.2 million annually. She'd automated processes that freed up 500 hours of manual work monthly. She'd identified customer patterns that led to a 23% reduction in churn.
Her reward? A standard 3% annual raise and watching less accomplished colleagues get promoted because, as her manager put it, "They really made their impact visible."
Lisa's problem wasn't performance—it was promotion. Not the organizational kind, but self-promotion. While she was quietly creating value in her cubicle, others were strategically ensuring their smaller wins echoed through the executive halls.
This chapter solves the self-promotion paradox: how to make your achievements impossible to ignore without appearing arrogant, political, or inauthentic.