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Charisma of the leader- Look the part.

It is said that people believe in the leader before they can believe in his/her vision. This belief or trust is created with the image impact of the leader. Smart leaders understand that their presence, character and way of connecting team with goals establish the charisma.

Charisma means the charming presence that signals that the individual is not to be taken lightly and it is evident from

  1. Charm to influence
  2. Persuasive power
  3. Effective style of communication
  • “Best measure of your success in business and social interactions, is the impact you create with your presence.”
  • As a prehistoric survival mechanism, the human brain is hardwired to make assumptions based on what we see and your Image is your visual resume.
  • Much before people know about your strengths, they decide about you based on your visual resume. As a decision maker, it is but natural for your clients, employees, colleagues to look up to you.
  • Appearance & Grooming: What you wear tells the story of who you are—it can tell your frame of mind, educational background, country or place of origin, and social attitudes. Therefore, it is vital to always look your best while epitomizing your personality, values, characteristics, lifestyle and beliefs, ultimately sending out or projecting a certain visual message.
  • 55 % of another person’s perception of you is based on how you look. Hence, building your professional wardrobe is a must.

Your Clothing & Grooming Choices must depend on

  1. Industry: Your industry defines the appropriateness as well as functionality of your outfits. The on-field assignment and outdoor meetings will demand practically suitable clothes while meeting at a lavish venue will need sophisticated outfit and higher level of grooming.
  2. Audience: Think carefully about who it is you’re trying to influence and why. What do they care about and why is it important? Your audience matters… The way you’d dress at a business conference full of middle-aged folks is different from the one from meeting addressing young new joiners.
  3. Work Culture: Every organisation has a set work culture that reflects from grooming & communication habits of its people. Your clothing and grooming choice must match with organisation’s work culture.
  4. Your own Personality Type: Wear clothes that flatter your personality. Choosing outfits as per our personal features and mood is equally important to project a genuine image. Avoid copying styles from catalogues.   

IMPORTANT TIPS

  • Wardrobe Analysis: Before shopping, look at your current wardrobe. Wardrobe Evaluation Consultation done by a specialist will help you find pieces and combinations that you can wear to work.
  • Shopping: The cost of clothing must be looked upon as an investment. This is your “Business Suit of Armor”; the money spent on your image will make your work easier (as impressions are half the battle) and will actually return a higher profit. Not knowing the business world can wreak havoc on the outcome and yield disastrous results. For these reasons, it’s best to seek the advice of an expert! Shop smartly and choose versatile pieces.
  • Colour of outfits: Universally for more formal occasions, wear solid colours or muted patterns. Big prints with loud colours, bright yellows and reds may not be considered professional in most of the industries.
  • Fitting of the clothes: Make sure your clothes fit you well; they hug your curves but don’t cling to your body. Also, make sure your clothes aren’t too big. If your clothes don’t hug your curves, you look unprofessional.
  • Accessories: For gentlemen as well as ladies, footwear and wrist watch play a big role.  Buy quality ties, shoes and belts and handbags. For gentlemen, the belt should match your shoes. Avoid wearing socks with sandals/floaters. Dark Coloured shoes with dark coloured socks always preferred.
  • Grooming: Keep hair, nails, and teeth well maintained. For ladies, make up can be a personal choice but looking presentable and decent is more important.  

WORK CULTURE & DRESSING POLICY

  • Dress-code at workplace has always been a debatable topic. The company policies regarding dress code are sometimes ambiguous and vague. Therefore, a new joiner is often confused and tends to follow his colleagues’ dressing style.
  • Leaders may lead by setting a good example in front of the team.
  • Over Casual Dressing like Polka dots, Animal Prints, bright yellows and shocking pinks/neon may set a wrong & unprofessional trend.
  •  Even if the company allows you wearing denims to work, please avoid ripped denim outfits.
  • Decency- Maintain level of decency with proper length of shirt sleeves and skirt length. Use of sophisticated accessories and minimal makeup is advised.

To Summarise :

  • Your core competencies and character traits you want people to associate with you should also reflect from your clothing and accessory choices.
  • A President / CEO should display leadership, control and direction via his/her dressing. For each occasion, you need to consider what subliminal messages you are transmitting to your audience.

Wish you a splendid reputation with influence, sophistication and confidence in business!

Neha Ratnakar

Neha Ratnakar is ICBI Certified Personal Image Consultant & Dale Carnegie Trained Corporate Trainer with 14+ years of business & corporate experience. Her forte lies in Professional Image Building, Business Reputation & Work Culture.

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