How do you create gravitas at work? The type of presence that ensures when you speak, the room falls silent so that no one misses a word?

This was a question put to me recently and it gave me reason to pause because gravitas is such a specific but intangible trait. You can definitely spot it in others, but is it possible to grow your own?

I’ve spent the past few months observing the behaviours of people who ooze gravitas to see what we could learn, here are six traits I spotted that anyone can borrow:

Perfect poise and posture

Gravitas is as physical as it is cerebral. Swap slouching and squirming for postures that keep you firmly rooted to the spot. The people I watched tend to stand or sit tall, relatively still, using active listening techniques like eye contact, nodding or note taking to show engagement. Interestingly facial expressions were predominantly neutral or encouraging with a slight smile. You’ll notice truly charismatic people stand like giants - they seem tall even when they’re not because they feel bigger than the space they fill – so consider how you present yourself, physically and vocally, if you want to make an impact.

Speak with precision

Got a point to make? Don’t share your whole life story to make it. Gravitas requires precision. So, always speak with intention. Know the point you what you want to land before you start talking - and don’t distract yourself or others with diversions or extraneous information. Staying on point and landing a clear and consistent message is so much more powerful than constant or rambling input. I’ve started to jot down key points when others are talking so I can give space to others whilst also capturing the exact messages I want to land.

Draw upon your experiences

Lived experience, success or skills are powerful tools to give you an authoritative edge. We’re not talking arrogant brags or unverifiable claims, or re-enacting LinkedIn posts in real life settings, but small subtle clues do make the points you want to make land with impact. “When I worked at…”, “in previous experiments”, “last time we learned”, “I know I’m good at” are all signals of superior understanding that create belief in others.

Listen before you speak

Every person I’ve ever admired for their ability to hold a room has mastered the art of listening. They rarely speak first other than to set the scene, invite input, then masterfully surmise in a few key points and deliver their opinion. In fact, those with the most gravitas often don’t talk a lot, full stop. They’ve mastered the power of the pause. Interesting side note – expert speakers leave pauses in their speeches to deliberately make impact. It’s a trick you can use in other forums too to achieve the same effect.

Prepare for everything

Show me a person with gravitas who has lost their notes or not prepped for a meeting and I’ll show you a golden unicorn. People who demand presence and deliver with impact have always prepped beforehand. It’s not just a natural trait, it’s diligence and commitment to being on point and in control.

Create calm optimism

“I have a plan” are probably the four most welcome words in the working world. Sharing calm, realistic optimism, hope and vision are essential tools for getting colleagues buy in – as someone said to me last week, “no one follows a pessimist”.