Executive Presence and Bias: Ageism, Culture, and Interview Strategy

Executive presence is one of the most searched topics on my podcast. Experienced professionals know, intuitively, that hiring decisions are influenced by more than what’s on the resume. The challenge is that “presence” can feel vague, subjective, and sometimes unfair. 

In Episode 329 of The Job Hunting Podcast, I sat down with two experts who bring a rare combination of research and real-world practice to this topic: Dr. Alexa Chilcutt and Dr. Carl DuPont, from Johns Hopkins Carey Business School. Together, they are the authors of The Presence Principle: Embodying Executive Presence to Lead with Impact.

In this newsletter, I’m summarising the key themes and pulling out the advice I see working best for corporate professionals and executives, particularly those navigating interviews, senior appointments, promotions, or career pivots.

Why executive presence matters

Carl opens the discussion with a fundamental communication principle: you cannot not communicate. In other words, the moment you enter a room, join a Zoom call, or even sit quietly, you’re sending signals that people interpret.

That matters in job search because hiring decisions are made under time pressure and uncertainty. Interviewers are trying to reduce risk, and the human brain does that through shortcuts. Some of those shortcuts are useful. Some are biased. Many are invisible to the people using them.

Carl also shares a striking point about how communication is interpreted: a relatively small portion of meaning comes from the words alone, while tone, rhythm, body language, and other cues carry far more weight. Whether or not you agree with the exact percentage, the practical takeaway is clear: content matters, but delivery influences how content is received.

For senior candidates, this becomes even more important because the interview is rarely about capability alone. It’s about whether you will be trusted with complexity, ambiguity, stakeholder management, and leadership influence.

Executive presence in biased rooms: what should change and what should stay constant

I raised a challenge that comes up constantly in my coaching practice: executive presence is often treated as a single mould. Many of my clients are trying to succeed in cultures that were not built for them. They worry about being misread because of accent, background, age, industry, communication style, or the fact that they do not “fit the image” of what an executive is meant to look or sound like.

Carl’s response goes straight to foundations. When someone is walking into a high-stakes situation, anxiety tends to pull attention toward perceived threats: “Will they judge me?” “Am I too old?” “Will my accent be a problem?” “Do I belong here?” The issue is that this internal focus shows up externally.

His advice is to do an inventory of who you are, what you value, and why you are in the room, then keep returning to that. When you can lead with what you bring, you help guide the conversation toward what matters. He sees this as something that cuts across cultural differences because values and clarity create steadiness.

Alexa adds an important coaching observation: people often do mental gymnastics about how they think they are being perceived, and those assumptions are not always true. In my experience, that mental load is one of the biggest drains in interviews. It makes people less present, less responsive, and more likely to over-explain.

A practical way to apply this is to separate what you know from what you fear. You can’t control bias, but you can control clarity, structure, energy, and how you anchor your narrative.

The Brene Brown critique and why it matters to job seekers

We discussed a controversial moment in a conversation between Brene Brown and Adam Grant, where executive presence was described as outdated and overly masculine. Alexa articulates why that framing frustrates her. People already feel that presence is some inaccessible, old-fashioned standard. Telling them it’s obsolete can leave them stuck with a false choice: conform to a stereotype or ignore the concept entirely.

Alexa’s point is that the “Mad Men” version of executive presence is outdated, but executive presence itself is not. In her work, and in the research she references, perceptions of executive presence influence career advancement, and perceived lack of it can hold people back. Carl reinforces this with his focus on evidence: impressions, vocal perceptions, and even attire can be studied, measured, and improved.

My own take is this: the concept is real, and it affects outcomes, even if the label is imperfect. The solution is not to abandon the topic. The solution is to modernise it, make it more inclusive, and teach it in a way that helps people succeed without erasing who they are.

Executive presence on Zoom: the small cues that change outcomes

I shared a very tactical example from my coaching: the environment you show on camera is part of executive presence. If your goal is a high-trust, high-intellect role, a blank wall can work against you. It doesn’t mean you need a staged set. It means you need cues that support your positioning.

This is where many talented professionals miss easy wins. Executive presence includes how you use technology, how you frame the camera, your lighting, the stability of your internet connection, the background, and whether you look like you’ve prepared for the conversation.

A useful question to ask yourself is: if I were interviewing a peer for a senior role, what would I expect to see and feel in the first minute?

Ageism in interviews: how to signal agility without sounding defensive

One of the most practical parts of the episode is our discussion about ageism. Picture a 55-year-old candidate being interviewed by a hiring manager or recruiter who is 20 years younger. This dynamic can trigger self-consciousness and, in some cases, prompt people to retire earlier than they want to.

Alexa’s advice is clear: communicate agility. Show that you are a learner, that you stay current, and that you bring deep expertise while continuing to develop. The stereotype senior candidates need to counter is “outdatedness.” She suggests signalling that you are up to speed and that you can see opportunities for innovation, strategy, and impact.

Carl adds a concrete tactic: micro-credentialing. A short, current credential can act as a visible signal that you are learning and adapting. It’s a stamp that can reduce doubts.

Then I add what I consider an important nuance: you don’t need to announce every credential. At senior levels, over-signalling can backfire. Executive presence often shows through demonstration, not declaration.

If you want to use learning to strengthen your brand, consider these options:

• Write a short LinkedIn post that explains what you learned and how it changes your thinking.
• Share a practical application relevant to your function or industry.
• Comment thoughtfully on a current article to show you’re engaged with the conversation.

This approach signals modernity without looking like you’re scrambling to prove relevance.

Cultural dissonance and code-switching: translation without self-betrayal

Cultural dissonance is real. It can happen when you move countries, industries, sectors, or even from public service to corporate. The issue is not intelligence. It’s translation.

Carl frames this as code-switching and “identifying the target language or target culture.” Most people already do this across contexts: how you speak with family differs from how you speak in a boardroom. The skill is often underused because people don’t recognise it as a strength.

His advice is to research, listen, learn, then translate. If you do not speak the language of the environment, you risk being misunderstood, and people cannot fully value what you bring.

This is where many resumes and interviews fail during career pivots. The candidate describes achievements in a narrative style that the new market doesn’t recognise. It isn’t wrong. It’s just not legible.

In coaching, I do a lot of work turning expertise into language that hiring managers can quickly absorb. That might mean:

• replacing internal jargon with outcomes and commercial impact
• converting policy language into stakeholder or delivery language
• translating government achievements into strategic and operational terms that corporate leaders recognise
• reworking an introduction so that your strengths land clearly in the first 30 seconds

Code-switching is not pretending. It’s being considerate of your audience. It’s a leadership skill.

Authenticity: why you can’t “put on” executive presence and sustain it

Alexa tackles authenticity head-on because it’s where many people get stuck. If executive presence requires you to “be someone else,” you will not be able to maintain it. That’s not sustainable, and it will erode confidence.

Her framing is that executive presence is not prescriptive. It’s not about looking, acting, or sounding a certain way. It starts with uncovering your values and strengths, then getting comfortable with yourself.

She also makes an important distinction: executive presence is not only first impressions. A significant part of it is impressions over time. She names characteristics like interpersonal integrity, trust, rapport, values in action, expertise, and follow-through. Those are built through consistency.

This is where I often see job seekers underestimate their influence. Many think the interview is the entire story. In reality, your presence is shaped by how you show up across the process: how you email, how you follow up, how you speak to the assistant, how you handle scheduling, how you ask questions, how you manage a tricky moment.

Presence is cumulative.

Appearance and attire: culture, role, and the concept of “costume”

We get into a sensitive topic: appearance. I shared a personal story about how my own professional success shifted when I started presenting myself differently. For some, that sounds superficial. For hiring, it’s reality.

Alexa’s advice is balanced and useful: consider the culture, the expectations, and what people in the role look like. Keep your style, but align it with the level you’re aiming for. This is the “dress for the job you want” idea, updated for modern workplaces.

Carl adds a fascinating layer: research suggests that nonconformity can sometimes be an advantage in certain contexts, such as environments where charisma or creative authority is valued. He also frames attire as costume, coming from his performance background. The idea is not to fake it. The idea is to use clothing intentionally as a tool that supports the role.

For job seekers, the practical question is:

Do I want to signal belonging to the culture, or strategic distinction within the culture?

Both can work, depending on the environment and the role.

Owning the narrative: bring the elephant into the room

One of the most powerful moments in the episode is when I explain a strategy I use with clients who fear they will be judged for something “different.” Rather than letting the room whisper about it after you leave, you can bring it into the narrative, on your terms.

I shared an example of a graduate candidate who wore culturally significant makeup in interviews. Instead of changing it, we integrated it into her introduction, anchored it in heritage and identity, and connected it back to the organisation’s stated values. She got the job and went on to succeed.

Carl reinforces the deeper principle: if they don’t want you there, you don’t want to be there. Owning the narrative is not only a persuasion strategy. It is also a filter. It helps you assess whether the workplace will genuinely value you.

This is especially relevant for experienced professionals who have options, even when they feel uncertain in a tough market. The goal is not to win every role. The goal is to find the right fit where you can do your best work.

Voice and executive presence: the patterns that get misread as low confidence

Carl’s voice coaching advice is gold for interviews. He describes common patterns that undermine perception, even when someone is brilliant:

• speaking in a monotone
• run-on sentences with no clear punctuation
• heavy reliance on filler words
• not breathing
• speaking without rhythm or variation

His approach is practical and disarming. He asks people to tell their story as if speaking to a four-year-old, not because the content is childish, but because it forces clarity, structure, and animation. Then he helps “titrate” the delivery back to what’s appropriate for a professional setting.

His key point is that people already have expressive skills. They use them with friends, family, and in safe environments. Anxiety shuts down the range. Coaching is about creating safety so the full range becomes available again.

In interview preparation, I see the same thing. Candidates often have excellent content, but their delivery signals stress. That stress becomes the interviewer’s experience. This is why voice work is not cosmetic. It changes outcomes.

The rule of three: the simplest structure that improves interviews fast

We talk about a common issue: talking too much. I’m very aware of this tendency in myself, and many job seekers do it out of anxiety, excitement, or a desire to prove competence.

Alexa shares a technique that works because it creates structure and a natural stopping point: the rule of three.

If you know a question is coming, prepare an answer with three points. For example:

1. There are three reasons I’m a strong fit for this role.
2. There are three outcomes I’m most proud of in my last position.
3. There are three ways I would approach your key challenge.

This does several things at once:

• makes you sound organised
• gives the listener a roadmap
• improves memory retention
• prevents rambling
• increases the likelihood that your key messages land

Alexa also reminds us that silence is part of nonverbal communication. A short pause after a question can project composure and authority.

Carl adds the deeper coaching layer: you have to tolerate not saying everything you know. Many people fear that if they slow down, they’ll be cut off or they’ll miss their chance. The truth is that most senior interviewers prefer clarity over volume. More is not always more.

When “not senior enough” is the feedback: what might actually be happening

This comes up constantly in my work. Someone is technically outstanding, has the right background, and should be an easy shortlist. Yet they repeatedly hear: not senior enough.

Alexa shares two patterns she sees often:

• People are invited into executive-level rooms but self-censor. They do not share ideas, or they do not take up space.
• People do great work but fail to self-advocate and tell the story of their impact. Everyone else is busy. They need you to make your value visible.

Her advice is to tell the story without making it a novel. Carl calls it a movie. Enough detail to create meaning, not so much that you lose the listener.

Carl adds one more dimension: inner monologue. Confidence is a practice. It’s a muscle. Start listening to your self-talk and building a voice that supports you. He believes executive presence starts in the mind and then radiates outward.

Episode 329: Executive Presence Without the "Mould: Ageism, Culture, and Code-Swiching

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Work with me to review your executive presence

When coaching, this is where I often accelerate clients' results. We’re not only fixing your resume or the answers to job interview questions. We’re shaping how you think, structure, and show up, so that seniority is felt, not merely stated.

Worried your message is not landing well? Book a 1-hour session with me, bring all your job-search and career questions and issues, and let's address them together.

Watch the Ageism webinar

Last week, I delivered a webinar with Callings.ai CEO Garrett Rice on Navigating Ageism and Staying Competitive After 40. It's now available on YouTube if you want to watch it.

Time Out

• Annahstasia, the American folk musician who released the standout debut album Tether in 2025, will be in Melbourne next week, and I'm scrambling to figure out whether I have the time and energy to attend her concert on the other side of town during a busy coaching week. Even if I don't go, her new album will be on my airplane playlist as I make the long trip to London in 2 week's time.
• The best thing about the new TV show Love Story (about Caroline Bessett and John F. Kennedy Jr.) is undoubtedly the soundtrack. The show is heartbreaking because we know the end, and like many Gen Xers, I idolized both of them. The show is incredibly well-made. I paid attention to every detail, and it felt so authentic to that time. Including, of course, the soundtrack.

Next week, the newsletter will be about AI. I've been promising this for a while! You are probably reading about it in the news; the new versions of the mainstream AI tools are sophisticated beyond belief. It will affect our careers, and we will investigate how to prepare for it. 

Until then, wishing you all the best

RB