Unlocking Doors of Opportunity: The Power of a Leader’s Personal Style
Unlocking Doors of Opportunity
The Power of a Leader’s Personal Style
A few months ago, I walked into a bank to transact. I was astonished by the number of people ㅡ customers patiently waiting in the queue to be served! As I stood daringly, almost like in a trance, I was noticed by two employees of this bank that immediately walked to me to ask how I would be helped. Lo and behold, I was ushered into the prestige banking section, was served and left in less than 5 minutes.
What comes to mind when we talk about leadership growth potential? For some of us, it’s competence, skills, credentials, experience, pedigree etc. Purposeful leadership is about influence …Purposeful leadership is about building, nurturing connections and your approach to communicating your vision and getting others to buy into it. In his article; The power of influence in leadership, Tony Robbins postulates that influence “is how leaders get things done. It’s how they inspire others to action and propel their company to new heights.”
So how can you use your personal style to influence people and unlock opportunities that enable you to immerse your personal purpose to serve the world and continue to grow? Your personal style is a tool for self-expression. In a world of fashion dominated by radical trends, how do you get to turn up as your authentic self without the pressure of following trends? Your personal style earns you access, that’s what happened to me at the bank! I know that I earned courtesy because I appealed to that person’s eyes. People still judge a book by its cover. Don’t be deceived! Drive your posh car if you can afford it, invest in your clothing, rock those heels, and carry your authentic bags…..don’t be tempted by a replica. Play within your means! I adore fashion and it’s one way of boosting my confidence. Here are my five personal style best practices that have unlocked the flood gates to opportunities that God has desired for me.
- Define your personal style. I like to be simple, but elegant. So quiet luxury works for me. This determines the colour of items that I wear and how they are coordinated to communicate my authenticity. What is your personal style?
- Communicate your style to your collaborators. Get the right personal stylist, make-up artist, wellness providers and stick to them. If it’s not broken, why fix it? Style is a craft and every time you move from one collaborator to the other, you lose the engagement history. So, you’re constantly starting from scratch which compromises the quality of the wellness you pay for. Who are your preferred collaborators on your wellness journey?
- Identify affordable authentic brands that speak to your personal style. This is especially for your clothing, basic essentials, bags and shoes. I find myself falling in love with brands like Ted Baker, Kurt Geiger, Carvela, Hobbs… (this isn’t an ad) and continue to look great without being financially irresponsible. Which brands speak to you?
- Avoid buying junk. Buy classic pieces that are timeless and can be styled differently and serve multiple of your fashion needs. Before you swipe your card, ask yourself how versatile that item is.
- Keep a functional wardrobe. Declutter ill-fitting clothing to enable you to have access to what works for you in the season.
What’s the link between a confident personal style and leadership triumphs?
In the consulting world, a client can call you on short notice as the only available opportunity for you to present your proposition to serving their teams. As you can imagine, you may not have the luxury to return home to make yourself worthy of their presence. I’ve experienced instances where my very special people, I call them destiny helpersㅡhave invited me on the spot because I’m the first name that popped when my opportunity landed in their midst. You must be ready at all times! The way you show up speaks to your confidence. So, be keen not to allow your image to stand in the way of that next opportunity.
Now, ask yourself, “if someone in my network invited me to meet a chairman of an organisation I’ve been eyeing for a potential collaboration or board opportunity, would I look the part? Would I shy away? Where’s my influence?”An opportunity knocks once….you may never have a second shot!
In the second part of my book, ‘Lean Strategies for Managers,’ I talk about the manager’s mindset and its influence on growth. I iterate the importance of the ‘becoming’ journey, being one of growth in capacity to be worthy of leading others. Understanding that leadership isn’t a rite of passage is key. Your ‘becoming’ should be anchored in realising ‘the heaviness of the responsibility upon your life to take care of others, to make things happen, and to transform the world.’ I emphasise the importance of being anchored in your authenticity to help you resist environments that force you to become a different person. Be sure to order a personal copy or copies for your leaders here
Brené Brown, in her book ‘Dare to lead,’ talks about curiosity and grounded confidence. She calls it “a messy process of learning and unlearning, practising and failing, and surviving a few misses.” Now, there are many of us in corporate organisations that have been by-passed for growth opportunities. Every day, we turn up in flesh and do what we can but are deeply craving for more. We feel stuck, we feel lost…but we know deeply that we deserve more, we can give more. Maybe you’re an executive but you feel an imposter in your space and this is affecting your daily interactions. Perhaps you are there, but you also want that for your senior leaders. Advocate for yourself to unlock your leadership aspirations by interesting yourself in the NEXT CEO Program for the March 2024 cohort. I can’t wait to experience you in the “messy process of learning and unlearning”as we unlock your leadership potential.