By: Shinese M. Collins
You’re innovative, strategic, and successful, but you still feel overlooked in rooms you know you belong in. Sound familiar?
For years, I’ve coached women who checked every corporate box, only to wonder why their confidence was questioned—or worse, their presence ignored.
The truth is that executive presence isn’t just about how you speak—it’s about what you signal.
Many high-achieving women unknowingly send the wrong signals by defaulting to one of these three behaviors:
- Over-Explaining – Trying to prove credibility with too many words.
- Performing Instead of Leading – Doing more to be seen instead of leading from identity.
- Shrinking to Keep the Peace – Avoiding assertiveness to avoid discomfort.
Personally, I thought if I worked harder, they’d notice. Instead, they assumed I was content being in the background.
Sabotage is Subtle But Costly
It affects how you’re perceived in the boardroom, whether you’re chosen for stretch opportunities, and even how you negotiate your worth.
And the worst part?
You’re not doing anything wrong.
You’re simply leading from performance… instead of presence.
I Know Because I Lived It.
There was a season in my career when I didn’t realize I was shrinking, masking confidence with performance and overcompensating with perfectionism. From the outside, I looked in command. On the inside, I was managing perception more than purpose.
But everything shifted when I realized I wasn’t leading from the wholeness of who I was—I was leading from what I thought others needed me to be.
That was my wake-up call. So, I stopped chasing validation and started building alignment. And that’s when I created the SHINE Goal Method™—first for me, then for the women I coach.
It became my personal blueprint for reclaiming power, clarity, and presence.
Now it’s the strategy I teach every woman leader who’s ready to stop performing and start leading with identity, authenticity, and intention.
How To Shift
Lead from identity, not insecurity.
First, Discover Your Identity:
- “Am I dimming my light to keep the peace?”
- “Do I overcompensate to earn a seat I already own?”
- “What would change if I trusted that being is enough to lead?”
Next, Reclaim Your Power with The P.O.S.E. Shift™:
- Pause before over-explaining.
- Own your message in under 90 seconds.
- Stand in your values even when it’s uncomfortable.
- Expand your presence by practicing bold stillness.
Then, Elevate Your Leadership posture using the SHINE Goal Method™—a purpose-aligned tool designed to help women reset their internal leadership compass and stop leading from depletion.
SMART goals measure activity. SHINE goals activate alignment. For leaders and organizations that desire integrity, impact, and intentionality, SMART isn’t enough. The next evolution is goal-setting that centers the whole leader, honors the mission, and fuels meaningful, measurable change with heart.
The SHINE Goal Method™ for Executive Presence
When presence falters, purpose must lead. Here’s how to bring your leadership back into alignment:
🔸 S – Simple & Strategic
Cut through the noise. Your presence doesn’t need to be loud—it needs to be clear.
Speak with focused intention, not filler. Strategy is felt in simplicity.
🔸 H – Holistic
Presence isn’t a performance—it’s an embodiment.
Show up aligned in mind, body, spirit, and energy. That’s the version of you that commands rooms.
🔸 I – Impactful
Your authority isn’t in how much you say, but in how your message lands.
Focus on outcomes, not output. Speak to move decisions, not just discussions.
🔸 N – Non-Negotiable
Boundaries build presence.
Decide what you will no longer tolerate—internally or externally. Presence without boundaries is performative.
🔸 E – Evaluable
You can’t grow what you won’t measure.
Ask: Did I show up in full alignment today? Did I shrink or stand? Was I on purpose in this moment?
Presence is a Posture, Not a Performance
You don’t need to work harder, talk louder, or prove more.
You need to trust yourself more, your instincts, and your divine leadership assignment.
As a Leadership & Mindshift Coach, I help high-achieving women rewrite the silent scripts keeping them small—so they can lead boldly, live on purpose, and command with presence.
And when you align your leadership with both your purpose and your power—
You don’t just shine.
You shift everything.
Shinese M. Collins
Founder, Your Purpose Starts Now™
Disclaimer: This content is for educational purposes only and does not guarantee specific results. Outcomes vary by individual. The SHINE Goal Method™ and P.O.S.E. Shift™ are tools for personal development, not performance guarantees.
