Leadership
In a recent conversation with a client, the topic of leadership came up. What makes a leader? What does leadership look like? There are many aspects to it. Leadership means doing things including making decisions that are not always easy but are necessary. Another is being able to get things done and not take the credit.
Some leaders are born and others continue to develop skills through work and experience. Recently, I watched the movie, Jaws. The mayor who would not close the beaches had a leadership role but did not make the difficult decisions like a true leader would make. Too often, the folks who have leadership titles are not true leaders.
At a recent wedding I attended, all of the groomsmen wore brown shoes with blue suits. This is not new if you look at old movies, especially those starring my favorite, Cary Grant, who wore brown shoes with his blue suits. The brown shoes add a bit of casual flair and mitigate the seriousness of the suit. The darker the brown, the more serious. A lighter brown adds a relaxed look to the suit. Both shades of brown add elegance to the look.
Today, most of our networking seems to be done via social media. This is due to a lack of time and the ease of posting on the web. However, nothing beats face to face events.
The fashion industry for men used to change styles once every eight years. Now it changes on a daily basis. One interesting noticeable change is the width of ties. They range from very narrow to mid width. The younger man tends to wear the narrow tie.
At a recent family event, several members sported political badges of the two opposing party nominees. It caused spirited conversations but many uncomfortable moments. This event was supposed to celebrate a milestone event bringing two families together!
In 2016, Michele Obama wore gray nail polish for her speech at the Democratic convention. This color seemed to have disappeared for a while but it is back big time now. I have seen blue, light and charcoal grays.
I have been having issues with my Mac Air since updating the operating system. At a recent session, while I tried to determine why my logins were not working, the Apple associate helping me was new. He tried several options and they did not work. Instead of trying more options he went to his boss and they thought I should go back to the technical person I use.
In a recent Tony Robbins blog post, he talks about dealing with fears by dancing with rather than ignoring them. This resonated with me but how was I supposed to actually dance with fears? I used them to motivate me to prepare for whatever I am facing. For example, when getting ready for an event that not in my comfort zone, I make sure no stone goes unturned to ensure that in that particular situation, I am well prepared. This gives me the confidence to dance with my fears.me but how was I supposed to actually dance with fears? I used them to motivate me to prepare for whatever I am facing. For example, when getting ready for an event that not in my comfort zone, I make sure no stone goes unturned to ensure that in that particular situation, I am well prepared. This gives me the confidence to dance with my fears.
There is never a bad time in your work environment to discreetly and judiciously project an image above your pay grade. But a particularly good time is when you are called upon to make an appearance before your most senior executives or Board of Directors. On these occasions, you must not underestimate the importance of body language. Your posture and engagement with that group must project the message that you belong at that table. Listen attentively so that you are sure of not only what has been said, but also what has been meant. Think carefully about what you are going to say and how you say it. Words matter, especially if you are careful not to use more than you need. And of course, give whatever assignments from that encounter that come your way your highest priority. In many companies, there is an executive pattern of behavior that is just a shade more refined than what most of us experience on a day-to-day basis. Think about how you can become comfortable with that behavior.
A very important but frequently underestimated sartorial consideration is the framing of one’s face. After you are finished donning your ensemble, but before you present yourself to the world, take one last look at your face in the mirror to see if it is appropriately complemented by your choice of clothes and jewelry. For example, a closed collar strengthens formality and authority attributes whereas an open collar signals approachability and connectivity. The color of your shirt, blouse or jacket is a critical choice as it can lend a powerful but subliminal highlighted quality to your face. A necklace can also be chosen to enhance your preferred projection, but be careful not to let it be a distraction. A recent choice by Barbra Streisand was particularly interesting. Her face was well framed by her hair. She used a long necklace to accentuate her body length for this particular concert occasion.
