Do People Respect You—Or Just Your Title?

Executive presence isn’t about your title, your office size or the number of people on your team. It’s about how you show up every day. Your title gets you in the room, yet your presence determines if anyone listens once you’re there.

Here’s the tough question: do people follow you because they respect you or because your title requires it?

When respect is tied only to hierarchy, people comply yet they don’t commit. They nod politely yet behind the scenes they may be disengaged or even resistant. True respect comes from consistency, credibility and how you make people feel in every interaction—Monday to Monday®.

Research from the Center for Talent Innovation drives this point home. Their study found that executive presence accounts for 26% of what it takes to get promoted. That means presence isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s a core driver of career growth and long-term success.

Wonder where you stand?

Look for these signs that you lean too heavily on your title:

Ideas lose steam once you stop pushing them. Without your effort, the team drops momentum.

Agreements occur more often than challenges. When no one gives you honest feedback, they don’t trust you enough to tell the truth.

Your presence shifts depending on the stage. If you perform only in big moments yet show up careless in daily conversations, people notice.

You earn respect when your presence communicates clarity, confidence and authenticity every time. Listeners trust you because you stay consistent. They feel valued because you give them your attention and believe in them, as your actions match your words.

The good news? Executive presence isn’t a mysterious charisma gene. It’s a skill that takes practice. It’s asking for feedback, paying attention to how you show up and deliberately aligning your words, tone and body language so your message is experienced as trustworthy and believable.

People may respect your title. That respect sits on the surface. You create lasting impact when people respect you. That shift turns compliance into commitment and short-term wins into long-term influence.

Your challenge this week is to ask yourself—if my title disappeared tomorrow, would my team still choose to follow me?