How we lead: With presence

This OpEd was originally published in S.C. Media.

August 4, 2025

Author:  Cory Simpson, CEO, ICIT

The first test of a leader is presence. People may not remember the exact words you use, but they remember how your presence made them feel—steady, seen, or supported. That signal sets the tone in every setting, from the workplace to the family table. I’ve felt it in courtrooms, combat zones, and countless rooms where steadiness mattered most. In those moments, leadership was presence—grounded in preparation, steadied under pressure, and sharpened by focus, all sustained through balance.

Presence is more than a trait. It is a discipline leaders practice every day. And it has layers—prepared, steadied, focused, and balanced—that make it tangible. Prepared leaders bring clarity into the room. Steadied leaders anchor others in pressure. Focused leaders create momentum in the right direction. Balanced leaders sustain the energy and readiness to show up when it matters most.

In every setting I’ve led, I work to bring these layers of presence. They are the daily disciplines, the trust-builders, the forces that turn responsibility into impact.

This is the second piece in How We Lead—a series on the practice and values of leadership. Prepared, steadied, focused, and balanced, presence translates intent into action, moment by moment. It opens the door to influence and shapes what follows.

So, let’s start there—with presence, the first signal people feel from a leader.

Prepared

Leaders prepare with purpose. They know what matters, anticipate challenges, and enter each moment with clarity and intent. Preparation gives leaders the confidence to adapt when plans shift and the presence to guide others through uncertainty.

Prepared leaders do more than gather facts or rehearse talking points. They think through the mission, the people involved, and the possible turns along the way. They create space to adjust without losing direction.

That readiness shapes how others respond. A prepared leader makes clear decisions, asks better questions, and steadies the room even before speaking. Preparation lays the foundation for steadiness and focus, enabling leaders to act with intention when the moment arises.

Steadied

Leaders steady the moment. When pressure rises or circumstances change, their calm presence anchors the team and keeps the work aligned with purpose.

Steadiness is built on consistency. When leaders respond to challenges with the same grounded approach, keep their message aligned over time, and match actions to words, they create a dependable pattern that endures. Even in uncertain times, that pattern wears down obstacles and steadies the people around them, replacing doubt with trust and giving direction its strength.

Steady leaders carry that calm across distance. A timely question, a focused message, or a decisive action shows reliability. Each interaction shapes how others engage and perform.

Steadiness creates the space for focus to take hold, providing the stability that reassures, aligns, and keeps the work moving with purpose. In any environment, especially in times of change, this steady presence becomes a force others rely on, reinforced by preparation and sustained through balance.

Focused

Leaders focus their attention on what matters most and direct others toward it. They cut through noise, bring clarity to the moment, and lead by example so the team understands what requires energy now and what can wait.

Every interaction, whether on a call, in a meeting, or through a quick email, carries weight. When leaders are fully engaged, they communicate priorities, improve alignment, and allow others to contribute with purpose.

Focused leaders listen with intent, ask clear questions, and respond with steady authority. Their attention moves the work from discussion to decision, from planning to action.

Grounded in preparation and steadied under pressure, leaders use focus to channel momentum into clear choices, deliberate action, and outcomes that move the mission forward.

Balanced

Leaders balance their energy, attention, and commitments to be effective in every setting. Balance protects the capacity to be prepared, steady, and focused when it matters most.

Balanced leaders set clear boundaries, pace themselves effectively, and make time for recovery. They understand that presence requires reserves — the ability to bring the same intention to a late-night conversation at home as to a high-stakes meeting at work.

This balance strengthens every other layer of presence. Preparedness comes more easily with a clear mind. Steadiness holds longer when energy is sustained. Focus sharpens when distractions are managed.

Balanced leaders invest in the habits that keep them ready to lead — rest, reflection, and connection — so they can show up fully for the people who count on them.

Lead the moment, shape the outcome

Presence is how leaders turn intent into action. Prepared, steady, focused, and balanced, it is the daily discipline that builds trust, guides momentum, and sustains performance over time.

Every leader, whether guiding a team, caring for a family, or serving a community, faces critical moments. In those moments, preparation provides clarity, steadiness anchors the environment, focus directs energy where it is needed most, and balance maintains the ability to do it again tomorrow.

We are all leaders in some part of life. Presence is the way we demonstrate readiness, reliability, and commitment to the people who count on us.

When leaders practice presence in all its layers, they shape more than the moment in front of them. They set a course for what follows—one conversation, one decision, one relationship at a time.

Cory Simpson

Cory Simpson is the CEO of Gray Space Strategies, a Washington, D.C.-based consulting and advisory firm, and the Institute for Critical Infrastructure (ICIT), a non-profit organization dedicated to the security and resilience of critical infrastructure that provides for people’s foundational needs. He also serves as a Senior Advisor to the Cyberspace Solarium Commission 2.0.  The opinions expressed in this article are his own and do not reflect the views of any employer or affiliated organization.

About ICIT

The Institute  for Critical Infrastructure Technology (ICIT) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, 501(c)3think tank with the mission of modernizing, securing, and making resilient critical infrastructure that provides for people’s foundational needs. ICIT takes no institutional positions on policy matters. Rather than advocate, ICIT is dedicated to being a resource for the organizations and communities that share our mission. By applying a people-centric lens to critical infrastructure research and decision making, our work ensures that modernization and security investments have a lasting, positive impact on society.

Learn more at www.icitech.org/.

ICIT CONTACTS:

Parham Eftekhari

Founder and Chairman

parham@icitech.org 

Cory Simpson

Chief Executive Officer

cory@icitech.org