Do you have the impact you want to have at work? Are you dressing with intention because you understand that having authority visually is the first (not the only) way to be perceived as credible, powerful, in charge?
Image in our technical world can be manipulated online, but not so much in person or on TV. When we meet someone for the first time, their impression of us is instant. We can tell by their clothing, their body language and their grooming whether or not they want to be taken seriously. Nowhere is this more distinguishable than when watching the news or any program where men and women are facing off together in an interview-style situation. Check it out – regularly the men show up in suits, or at the very least a suit jacket or sports coat. The women, however, are often dressed in sleeveless, low cut, or high cut dresses. Not that they don’t look smashing, because they do, but alongside their male counterparts, it’s cocktail time, not serious news reporting. And, in fact, their authority, their ability to be believed and have credibility, is lessened.
While it’s not time to go back to the women’s suits of the 1980s with large shoulder pads, square styling and stiff fabric, perhaps it is time to take note that strategically, he is out-dressing you in influence, visibility and power. What might seem vain, superficial or sexist is really just a way of leveling the playing field in order to be heard and taken seriously. Now is the time to make sure you are relevant and maintaining a leadership position (you are in one) in front of one, hundreds or more. Here are some ideas to make the level of authority more equal in the green room and beyond:
When you need to take that brand that is YOU to another level and become more influential and have more impact, contact me at Kathleen@YourAuthenticImage, and we’ll talk about how to do just that.
