When we talk about executive presence, it’s easy to picture composure under pressure: the leader who commands a room, communicates with clarity, and earns trust through presence alone. But as The New Standard coach Cassie Crosby reminds us, presence isn’t about perfection. It’s about connection, awareness, and the way you show up when your voice matters most.
A retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel, Cassie led multi-functional teams through some of the military’s most complex challenges during her 20 years of service, including deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan. In this new video, she shares two defining moments that reveal how presence can strengthen, or slip, in high-stakes situations.
Her first story takes us to the Republic of South Korea, where she was leading her first command and tasked with establishing an airfield, a massive logistical challenge. It was a moment that tested her ability to lead under pressure, to bring clarity amid complexity. And her presence showed up for her: steady, grounded, and confident. She didn’t have all the answers, but she trusted herself and showed her team they could trust her too.
Years later, in Afghanistan, she experienced the opposite. Cassie was unexpectedly asked to brief a room full of generals on a critical slide, one that would eventually make its way to the President of the United States’ desk. She hadn’t been told she’d need to present it, and she wasn’t prepared to do so. Despite her experience and expertise, the surprise of the moment threw her off balance.
That experience, she says, taught her just how much preparation, awareness, and presence are intertwined. Even when you know your material inside and out, the ability to center yourself in the moment can make all the difference.
“Your words, your tone, your posture, your choices… that’s what people follow. And that’s how presence becomes power, not just for you, but also for those around you.”
At The New Standard, we see this every day with leaders across industries, the ones who lead with awareness, not armor. True executive presence doesn’t mean you have the perfect answer or a flawless delivery. Instead, it means you are intentional in how you show up, no matter the setting.
Cassie’s stories are a powerful reminder that presence isn’t something you put on; it’s something you practice.
🎥 Watch the full video to hear Cassie’s reflections on what executive presence really looks like when the stakes are high.
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