Cool Gets Attention. Good Earns Trust.

A new global study (Pezzuti, Warren & Chen, 2025) explored what makes someone “cool” across cultures.

The findings? Striking — and surprisingly relevant for leadership.

Cool people were seen as:
• Adventurous
• Powerful
• Extraverted
• Autonomous

Good people were seen as:
• Warm
• Trustworthy
• Conscientious
• Grounded in values

The study wasn’t about leadership.
But it is about how we judge people — and that’s exactly what Executive Presence is built on.

At NinthEdge, we often say:
Executive Presence starts with how you’re perceived in a moment…
But it endures based on how you show up over time.
In the early moments, we look for “cool” signals: confidence, clarity, connection, command.

Over time, we look for “good” signals: consistency, values, humility, follow-through.

Both matter.

Too much cool? You become performative.

Too much good? You risk invisibility.

Great leaders — the ones people trust and follow — know how to blend spark and spine.

They get attention without losing integrity.

Are you building presence that lasts? Let’s talk about it!