The Center for Talent Innovation in New York has just completed a year-long study that has determined the characteristics that will help you rise in success.

Results in the study show that people who do not exude leadership qualities do not get promotions at work. The study (made in partnership with Marie Claire) consisted of 268 senior executives and over 4,000 college-educated professionals. Economist and  Founding President of CTI, Sylvia Ann Hewlett, says that if your signal is not right, then you will not get a chance at proving that you are a leader.

Hewlett is right. The study showed that those who did not have an “executive presence” were not likely to receive promotions at work. Having great communication skills, a polished look and a serious demeanor are indicators that you have leadership potential. Being a leader is not all about the look. Future execs must have complete control over their behavior and their reactions if they want to make it to the top. For example, crying at work is not a signal that an employee would make a good leader.

Leaders do not make racially biased comments. The study shows that both men and women are likely to find themselves in a career rut by making offensive racial comments. The study also shows that 61 percent of employers believe that leaders have the ability to sense the mood and environment of the room. For that reason, off-color jokes never bode well for aspiring leaders. Everyone has control of what they say, so it is important that you do not swear at work, nor should you say anything that could make you sound uneducated.

– Techyville