# Executive Presence Without the Mould: Ageism, Culture, and Code-Switching Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-job-hunting-podcast-1188735/executive-presence-without-the-mould-ageism-culture-and-code-switching Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-job-hunting-podcast-1188735/executive-presence-without-the-mould-ageism-culture-and-code-switching.md Podcast: [The Job Hunting Podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-job-hunting-podcast-1188735) Published: 2026-02-24T08:00:00+00:00 Episode link: https://www.renatabernarde.com/executive-presence-without-the-mould Audio file: https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/885d4cee-20d7-49c2-8c7d-3907f5d89d65.mp3 Processing state: not_requested JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-job-hunting-podcast-1188735/episodes/executive-presence-without-the-mould-ageism-culture-and-code-switching Duration seconds: 3538 ## Resource Episode 329 - We unpack what interviewers are really reacting to, how to show agility at any age, and how to stay authentic while adapting to different cultures and expectations. I understand why Brené Brown and Adam Grant can say “thumbs down” on executive presence and get a standing ovation. In their conversation on Dare to Lead , they frame executive presence as “party of one” and contrast it with leadership as a “collective capability.” It’s a compelling point, and a necessary correction for leaders who confuse charisma with competence or confuse performative confidence with real stewardship. But in my day-to-day work as a career coach for experienced corporate professionals, executives, and senior technical specialists, executive presence is not a fad, a buzzword, or an outdated corporate relic. It is a hiring variable. It’s the most searched term on my podcast’s website. And pretending otherwise leaves job seekers at the mercy of unspoken rules. That’s why I devoted Episode 329 of The Job Hunting Podcast to executive presence, alongside two experts who don’t treat it as a personality type or a costume: Dr. Alexa Chilcutt, executive coach and faculty lead for the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School’s Executive Education Business Communication Certificate, and Dr. Carl DuPont, Associate Professor of Voice at Johns Hopkins University’s Peabody Institute and Executive Education faculty at Carey. What I took from our discussion is this: executive presence is real because the question isn’t whether it exists. The question is whether we teach it responsibly, in a way that helps professionals be read accurately, without forcing them into a narrow mould. Read the full Blog on the Website 31 Days of Action for Job Seekers Find Your Talents: Learn About Your Strengths, and… ## Actions - request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-job-hunting-podcast-1188735/episodes/executive-presence-without-the-mould-ageism-culture-and-code-switching/transcription-requests` — Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode. - read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-job-hunting-podcast-1188735/executive-presence-without-the-mould-ageism-culture-and-code-switching.md` — Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource. A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed. ## Transcript Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.