Top 11 Quotes & Sayings by Suzanne Bates

Explore popular quotes and sayings by Suzanne Bates.
Last updated on December 18, 2024.
Suzanne Bates

Suzanne Bates is an American business consultant and executive coach based in Wellesley, Massachusetts who is regarded as an authority on executive communication. She wrote two books on business communications which were described as bestsellers. She worked as an on-air reporter and anchor for television stations in Boston, Tampa and Philadelphia. In 2000, Bates started her consulting firm, Bates Communications, to coach business executives in matters related to executive communication. It is based in Wellesley, a suburb of Boston. Her firm advises clients such as Fidelity Investments, Raytheon, Dow Chemical, and Blue Cross Blue Shield. Bates was born in Danville, Illinois and received a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Illinois. She is an avid gardener.

Born: 1956
We must reflect a holistic view of the leader, in three dimensions, character, substance and style. Character consists of the qualities that win trust whereas substance consists of the qualities that earn us credibility; style is the dimension of execution - getting others to get things done.
I'm the CEO of a small growing company, and at each stage of our growth, it's become apparent to me that I need to adapt my leadership style and learn new approaches. When I completed the assessment, asking my own team to provide feedback on the 15 qualities of presence, I learned a lot about the leader I have yet to become.
The core philosophy we share with leaders is that everyone can develop the qualities in themselves. We all have strengths, but where we have gaps, we can make small changes in our behavior that make a big difference in how others see us as leaders.
I have worked with leaders for 17 years. But I'm also a leader myself, and I can honestly say I feel deeply the privilege and responsibility that come with being a CEO. It is incumbent upon us to become all we can be, not only for ourselves, but for our companies.
For years when we went into companies to discuss how we could help their leaders be most effective, we heard people say, "Our leaders need to develop executive presence."
People believe what they see. — © Suzanne Bates
People believe what they see.
We become overly reliant on the strengths that got us where we are today. We also become isolated as we move up in the organization. Unless we have the benefit of assessment, and unless we invite feedback on our leadership, we continue to lean on strengths that can actually work against us, and fail to expand our leadership style in a way that makes us more effective.
Many leaders rely on confidence, the ability to make timely decisions, and hold themselves and others accountable. But some of these leaders have not yet developed resonance, the ability to read the room, understand and appreciate the thoughts and emotions of others.
One of my favorite quotes from Thomas Edison is, "If we all did the things we are capable of doing we would astound ourselves." I believe leadership is a journey of learning and growing.
As we started working with leaders, providing them with assessment feedback, noticing the impact it was having on them, and their teams, a real story unfolded, and the book All the Leader You Can Be became what it is now - a guide to leaders who want to understand their strengths, and also appreciate how to enhance their leadership.
Executive presence has to do with the whole of the person. It's much more than presentation skill, charisma or savvy. It shows up in three dimensions of the leader's persona - character, substance and style. It's now clear that for a leader to influence and make an impact, it is important for them to also develop qualities such as authenticity, integrity, resonance, practical wisdom, and vision.
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