What Is Presence For?

Presence Exists for One Reason: Influence

When we talk about presence, what it really boils down to is this: presence is for influence. And I know that word can be uncomfortable for some people—especially for folks who just want to do their work, keep their head down, and be left alone.

I hear this most often from introverts: “I don’t want to influence anyone. I just want to focus on my work.” And I get it. Truly. But I think the reality is: we all want to influence—we just use different language for it.

You Already Influence More Than You Think

If you’ve ever wanted to be chosen for a job, that’s influence. If you’ve ever wanted teammates to like working with you, that’s influence. If you’ve ever wanted your boss to trust you, or your team to follow your lead, or a client to respond positively—that’s all influence.

Whether you’re early in your career or sitting in leadership, you care—deeply—about how people respond to you. And presence is the biggest driver of that response.

Presence Is Everything You Communicate — Verbally and Nonverbally

Your presence shows up in all the little details:

• how you walk into a room
• your vocal tone and cadence
• your facial expression while listening
• the words you choose when you speak or type
• whether you use text, email, video, or face-to-face
• the emotional experience people have in your presence

All of that forms a pattern—a feeling—that people pick up on instantly. And that feeling directly affects how they respond to you.

Influence Isn’t Control — It’s Inspiration

You can’t control how people react. You can’t own the final outcome. But you can inspire, encourage, or elevate the likelihood of the outcome you want.

And here’s the key: the more responsibility you’re willing to take for how people respond to you, the more power you create for yourself.

Not power as in dominance. Power as in impact. Power as in clarity, confidence, and effectiveness.

Presence Gives You the Power to Shape Outcomes

Whether you like the word “influence” or not, you already use it every day. Presence is simply the intentional version of that—how you show up, how you’re experienced, and how you inspire the responses that help you move forward in your work and your career.