How to Stop Difficult People from Hijacking Your Da
If you've ever been told,
“Your performance is excellent, but you need to work on your executive presence…”
You probably know the particular flavor of rage that comes with feedback that’s vague, subjective, and conveniently impossible to measure.
Because let’s be honest:
“Executive presence” is often weaponized against women, especially high-performing ones of marginalized identities.
It’s used to unconsciously reinforce bias.
It’s used to keep the goalposts moving.
And nine times out of ten, it’s total BS.
And it can play into how difficult people in the workplace can hijack your day.
If they can’t attack your performance, they’ll attack your “presence,” your tone, or your vibe — anything that shifts the power back to them.
And yet… paradoxically… there is something real underneath all that nonsense.
If you’ve ever walked into a meeting and felt someone’s energy before they even opened their mouth, you’re not imagining it.
There’s actual science behind that perception.
Researchers at the HeartMath Institute have shown that the human heart generates a measurable electromagnetic field that extends several feet beyond the body. This field changes depending on your emotional state — stress produces incoherence, while calm produces a smooth, rhythmic signal.
And other nervous systems can sense it.
This isn’t woo.
It’s physics and physiology.
One of my favorite examples comes from research with horses.
Horses have enormous, highly sensitive nervous systems — this is why equine-assisted therapy is so powerful. When a human stands next to a horse and shifts from stressed to calm, the horse’s heart rhythm often synchronizes with the human’s.
Not through words.
Not through conscious intention.
Through presence.
Which means:
What we call “executive presence” isn’t about how you matched your Hermès scarf to your mauve blazer, how impressive you sound, or the grams of protein you ingested in the morning.
It’s also a frequency your body emits—one that other people feel in subtle but very real ways.
When you walk into a room dysregulated, defensive, or carrying the emotional residue of a difficult coworker, your field communicates that.
And when you walk in centered, grounded, and self-trusting?
People feel that, too.
This is the real secret to stopping difficult people from hijacking your day: you regulate your field so you’re no longer unconsciously absorbing theirs.
Here’s the part they never teach you in corporate America:
It’s a skill.
It’s a boundary.
And it’s part of leadership.
That's why on my podcast Risky Conversations, I just released a 10-minute Boundary Reset — a science-informed guided practice to help you:
regulate your nervous system,
strengthen your energetic boundaries,
and stay calm around difficult personalities (without shutting down or people-pleasing).
It includes a simple somatic anchor you can use anytime—before a meeting, during a tough conversation, even mid-sentence—to return to clarity and self-trust in seconds.
If you’ve ever felt drained by office drama…
If you’ve ever absorbed someone else’s stress without meaning to…
If you’ve ever lost your center because someone else was loud, urgent, or emotionally chaotic…
This practice is for you.
Listen to the new episode:
10-Minute Boundary Reset: How to Protect Your Energy from Office Drama (Without Shutting Down)
Your presence is your power — and you can train it like a muscle.
With warmth and clarity,
Jamie
Ready to Strengthen Your Executive Presence?
If you’re realizing, “Oh… this is exactly the next level of leadership I need help with,” you’re not alone — and this is exactly the work I do with my private clients.
If you’re ready to strengthen your executive presence from the inside out, schedule a consultation with me here jamieleecoach.com/apply
