You've been in the meeting. The virtual meeting. And you've noticed that some leaders just have it — they have presence, even through a screen. They command attention. They make you feel seen. They make you feel like they're right there with you, even though they're miles away.
And then there are the leaders who don't have it. They're flat. Distant. You forget they're even there. And you think: How do some leaders have presence through a screen while others don't? Is it something you're born with? Or can it be developed?
Here's the uncomfortable truth: charisma and presence are not something you're born with. They're skills. And they can be developed — even through a screen. But developing them requires understanding what presence actually is, and how to create it intentionally, even when you're not in the same room as the people you're leading.
What Presence Actually Is
Let me be precise, because presence is often misunderstood.
Presence is not about being loud. It's not about being charismatic in the traditional sense. It's not about being the center of attention. Presence is the capacity to be fully present — to be fully engaged, fully attentive, fully there. It's about making the person you're talking to feel like they're the only person in the room, even if there are fifty people on the call.
And here's what most people miss: presence is not something you have. It's something you create. It's something you do. And creating presence — creating the experience of being fully present — is what actually allows you to lead effectively, even through a screen.
Why Remote Leadership Is Harder
Here's why remote leadership is harder than in-person leadership — and why it matters.
When you're in the same room as someone, you have access to all of their nonverbal cues. You can see their body language. You can read their facial expressions. You can feel their energy. And that access — that access to nonverbal cues — makes it easier to connect. To create presence. To lead effectively.
But when you're leading remotely, you don't have access to all of those cues. You're on a screen. You're limited to what the camera can capture. And that limitation — that limitation of nonverbal cues — makes it harder to connect. To create presence. To lead effectively. Because you're working with less information. Less access. Less connection.
Pause and Reflect: Think about a leader who has presence through a screen. What do they do differently? Do they look at the camera? Do they make eye contact? Do they seem fully present? If they do, that's presence. And that presence — that experience of being fully present — is what actually allows them to lead effectively, even through a screen.
The Personality Types Who Excel at Remote Leadership
Your personality shapes how naturally you create presence through a screen — and which aspects of presence are hardest.
If you're high in extraversion — outgoing, energetic — you're more likely to create presence naturally. Because you're wired to engage. To connect. To be present. And that wiring — that wiring for engagement — makes it easier to create presence, even through a screen.
If you're high in empathy — you're attuned to other people's emotions — you're more likely to create presence because you're attuned to other people's experience. You can feel when someone is disengaged. When someone is confused. When someone needs attention. And that attunement — that attunement to other people's experience — makes it easier to create presence, even through a screen.
If you're high in conscientiousness — organized, prepared — you're more likely to create presence because you're prepared. You're ready. You're fully there. And that preparedness — that preparedness — makes it easier to create presence, even through a screen.
If you're low in neuroticism — emotionally stable — you're more likely to create presence because you're not distracted by your own anxiety. You're not worried about how you're coming across. You're not worried about making mistakes. And that stability — that emotional stability — makes it easier to create presence, even through a screen.
The Micro-Insight About Presence
Here's the thing that changes how people think about presence.
Presence is not about being perfect. It's about being present. And being present — being fully engaged, fully attentive, fully there — is what actually allows you to lead effectively, even through a screen.
We think of presence as being about being perfect. About being polished. About being charismatic. But it's not. It's about being present. About being fully engaged. About being fully attentive. And being present — being fully there — is what actually allows you to lead effectively, even through a screen.
How to Create Presence Through a Screen
Here's the practical part. Because understanding presence without knowing how to create it doesn't change anything.
Look at the camera. Don't look at the screen. Look at the camera. Because looking at the camera — looking at the camera — is what actually creates eye contact. Not looking at the screen. Looking at the camera. And that eye contact — that eye contact — is what actually creates presence, even through a screen.
Be fully present. Don't multitask. Don't check your phone. Don't check your email. Be fully present. Because being fully present — being fully engaged — is what actually creates presence, even through a screen. Not multitasking. Being fully present.
Make people feel seen. Don't just talk at people. Make them feel seen. Acknowledge them. Ask them questions. Make them feel like they're the only person in the room. Because making people feel seen — making people feel like they're the only person in the room — is what actually creates presence, even through a screen.
The Deeper Truth About Remote Leadership
Here's what I want you to understand.
Remote leadership is not about being perfect. It's about being present. And being present — being fully engaged, fully attentive, fully there — is what actually allows you to lead effectively, even through a screen.
Presence is not about being perfect. It's about being present. And being present — being fully engaged, fully attentive, fully there — is what actually allows you to lead effectively, even through a screen. Not being perfect. Being present. And that presence — that experience of being fully present — is what actually allows you to lead effectively, even through a screen.
You Can Create Presence (Even Through a Screen)
Here's what I want you to hear.
You can create presence, even through a screen. You can be fully present, even when you're not in the same room as the people you're leading. And that presence — that experience of being fully present — is what actually allows you to lead effectively, even through a screen.
Presence is not about being perfect. It's about being present. And being present — being fully engaged, fully attentive, fully there — is what actually allows you to lead effectively, even through a screen. Not being perfect. Being present. And that presence — that experience of being fully present — is what actually allows you to lead effectively, even through a screen.
If you've been struggling to create presence through a screen — if you want to understand the specific personality traits that make remote leadership harder for you — the MyTraitsLab Personality Test can show you the full picture. Not to tell you you're not charismatic. But to help you see the specific wiring that makes remote leadership harder — and help you create presence in a way that actually works for you.
