This is the second article of a five part series. The first article focused on ‘Writing Styles’ of organizational leaders; this will article ponder the Dress and Appearance of the men and women who actually lead and transform organizations.
As stated in article one, I had a fantastic opportunity, early in my career, to work with and observe many great leaders. Not only did I see their writing styles differed, I also saw they dressed different – they dressed like leaders. The clothing they wore tended to differ slightly in design, texture and color pattern. They were never out to make fashion statements nor did they try to keep up with the latest trends. They dressed in a manner always appropriate for an organizational leader.
Ever see a picture of George Washington and his band of colonists as they crossed the Potomac? Who dressed like the leader? Put politics aside and consider John Kennedy, Ronald Regan, Bill Clinton and George Bush – each one projected an image of a world leader. Now consider Ralph Nader, Al Sharpton or Michael Moore; all look like nice men but do any really look like an organizational leader? So here are Gabe’s five fantastic rules if you want to be perceived as an organizational leader.
Rule One; Wear Clothing Appropriate for Your Job. If you are a mechanic or technician overalls and blue jeans are appropriate. Likewise if you are a server on a cabana or a golf pro shorts, khakis and T-shirts are fitting. However suitable clothing for organizational leaders is different.
Rule Two, Wear Clothing that Fits. Organizational leaders buy clothing that fits. Their slacks and trousers, blouses and jackets seldom bind and are never baggy. Perhaps it’s because they buy quality brands or maybe they invest the resources to have them properly tailored.
Rule Three, Wear Styles and Colors that Convey A Leadership Role. Tom Watson, the founder of IBM (International Business Machines) initiated the first corporate dress code for leaders. Watson told IBM executives they could wear any type of apparel they wanted as long as their suit was blue, their shirt was white and their tie was red. Sounds crazy huh! Well pay attention to the candidates during the next Presidential. Each candidate is vying to convince us they best qualified to be the next leader of our nation – however notice the color of their = suits – shirts & ties. Coincident? I think not.
Rule Four; Wear Clothing that Project Leadership. Leaders of regional trauma centers, major school districts, state legislatures and yes even the military dress wear clothing that conveys they are the leaders, not line staff. Owners and operators of Al’s Muffler Shop, Diane’s Deli, and John’s Deliver Service wear blue jeans, tank tips and sandals on a regular basis. There is no reason for government leaders to do so. Yes, there were times I inspected highway projects and went on site to evaluate zoning disputes and I did wear boots and denim pants for safety and practical reasons. Never did I return to the courthouse wearing jeans or work boots; I was the County Administrator, not a zoning officer or highway crew member. I always changed before returning to the office.
