The instinct most people have is to treat virtual communication as a lesser, lower-stakes version of being in the room. That instinct is wrong, and it's costing leaders presence they don't realize they're losing.
1. The First Judgment Now Happens in Writing, Not in a Room
Before most people ever see a leader's face, they've already read something written by them, an email, a message, a comment on a shared document. That written moment is doing the same fast, instinctive trust-judgment work the Princeton research describes, just through a different channel.
A rushed, typo-filled message reads as careless, regardless of how composed someone is in person
Clarity in writing signals the same thing clarity in speech signals, that someone has thought before communicating
Hedging language in a written update, lots of "I think maybe" and "just wanted to," quietly erodes authority message by message
The first written exchange with someone new often happens before any call is even scheduled
2. Video Calls Expose Weak Presence Faster Than Rooms Ever Did
A room gives people places to hide, the back of a chair, a colleague to defer to, the general noise of a group. A video call strips almost all of that away. Everyone is the same size on the screen, there is nowhere to stand quietly at the edge, and silence reads louder than it ever does in person.
On video, a hesitant opening line lands harder, since there's no room energy to soften it
Looking at notes or a second screen reads as distraction in a way it rarely does in a physical meeting
The pause before answering a hard question is more noticeable on video, and when used well, more powerful
Presence on video comes from stillness and clear framing, not animated energy, which often reads as nervous on screen
3. The One Habit That Builds Digital Presence Fastest
Of everything that affects how someone is perceived through a screen or in writing, one habit has the biggest effect, and it costs nothing to build. Reading a message fully before responding, and responding once, clearly, instead of in three scattered follow-ups.
A single, complete written response reads as composed. Three rushed follow-up messages read as anxious, even saying the same thing.
Taking a few extra seconds before unmuting on a call has the same effect the Princeton research describes, that brief pause signals consideration
People who write less but more precisely are consistently perceived as more senior than people who write a lot, loosely
This habit is available to anyone, regardless of how naturally confident they feel on camera
4. Why Physical Presence Still Matters, Just Less Than People Assume
None of this means in-person presence has stopped mattering. It means it's no longer carrying the weight on its own. Most leaders today are judged across a mix of written messages, video calls, and only occasionally, a room. The first impression has likely already happened somewhere else by the time the room occurs.
In-person presence still matters most in high-stakes, infrequent moments, board meetings, key negotiations, public appearances
For the much larger volume of everyday leadership, written and video presence is doing most of the work
Leaders who only invest in how they present physically are optimizing for a smaller and smaller share of how they're actually perceived
The leaders adjusting fastest to this shift are building presence habits for writing and video first, treating physical presence as one input among several
Final Thoughts
The 100-millisecond instinct hasn't gone away. It's just moved. People are forming fast, lasting judgments about leaders in emails, messages, and video calls long before any room is involved, and almost no executive presence advice has caught up to that yet.
If you want to build presence that holds up across how leadership actually happens now, not just how it used to, explore Dr Jerome Joseph's strategic advisory services or get in touch to talk through your specific situation.
What is executive presence in a virtual or remote work setting?
It's the same fast trust-and-credibility judgment people have always made about leaders, now happening primarily through written messages, video calls, and async communication rather than in a physical room.
Does executive presence on video calls require different skills than in-person presence?
Largely yes. Video strips away the things that soften presence in person, so stillness, clear framing, and comfortable pauses matter more, while energetic, animated delivery that works in a room can read as nervous on screen.
Can someone build strong executive presence through writing alone?
Yes. A single, clear, complete written response consistently reads as more senior and composed than several rushed, scattered messages saying the same thing, making writing one of the fastest ways to build digital presence.
Is in-person presence becoming less important?
Not unimportant, but less dominant. For most leaders, the bulk of how they're perceived now happens through written and virtual interactions, with in-person moments mattering most in occasional, high-stakes settings.
What's the fastest way to start improving digital executive presence?
Slow down written responses enough to send one complete, considered message instead of several quick ones, and build in a brief pause before responding on video calls. Both directly apply the same principle that drives fast trust judgments in person.
