You Are What You Wear

A blog post about the well-dressed leader? Not quite. Demeanor and attitude form the fashion statement of great leaders. You are what you wear, and each day, you have the option to choose. Will it be a smile with a spring in the step? Or, will it be worry lines with hunched, stress-laden shoulders?

Corporations are investing heavily in "driving engagement," but engagement is nurtured by leaders who, themselves, are highly engaged and convey positivity. Great workplace programs, innovative benefits and flexible work schedules rapidly become irrelevant to an employee who is led by a negative, cynical, or moody leader. As leadership gurus Curt Coffman and Marcus Buckingham stated in Now, Break All the Rules, the number one reason why most people leave a job is not the pay, benefits, or perks - it's their boss.



A leader's demeanor has a direct impact on the team

"That's fine," you think. "I'm a positive person and I'm very engaged, so all is good." But is it - always?  As a leader, you are constantly on stage and your team takes all cues directly from you.
Here are three situations to ponder and related questions consider:

The bad-news bummer:  It's happened to all of us. Bad news arrives in the form of a derailed project, an unexpected resignation, or emergency budget cuts. How do you react in these or similar situations? What does your team see when you emerge from a meeting that conveyed less than positive news? The image you portray and how you react to the situation will have a material impact on how they respond.

Charged-up conflict:  Ever have a significant disagreement with a colleague? How do you manage when others battle and block your every move?  If your response is to vent within earshot of your staff, the problem will compound exponentially. Your team may have no input to or influence over the debacle, but will instantly choose sides and mirror your emotions.

Hassles at home: The day got off to a very bad start. An argument with the kids has caused you to run late. Traffic was horrific. You circled the parking garage seeking a spot, but ended up in the back forty and of course, it's raining.  How do you greet your staff on a day like this? Would you choose to say, "nothing personal, nothing work related. I'm just not in a great mood right now," then slink into the office?  Consider that human nature often causes us to assume the worst. Your staff immediately wonders, "What's going on? Is he OK? Something bad is coming down and he doesn't want us to know just now. Are our jobs in jeopardy?"

A CEO for whom I worked offered this wisdom:  "You must always wear your best face, no matter what the situation. The higher you rise, the important this becomes. Right or wrong, employees read your mood and leap to their own conclusions. Your job is to keep them happy, engaged and upbeat. Believe it or not, the tone you set by the way you carry yourself will make a difference."  With more than 30 years of leadership experience behind me, I can unequivocally say that he was correct.

Even the most positive of people have down days. The challenges of corporate politics can take a toll.  Real life happens to everyone. However, as a role model for his or her team, the leader has responsibility to convey optimism to the team and consistently reflect the bright side, no matter what the situation. It's a key ingredient to the recipe for engagement.

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