A couple of years ago, many of us were adapting to remote work. Now we’re experiencing another period of transition. Some organizations are bringing employees back to the office full or part time. Others are making remote-work arrangements permanent. Whether you are working at the office, at home or some combination of the two, now is a good time to notice the messages you are sending other people about your personal leadership brand.
We tend to overlook that while we know everything we’re saying or doing at work, others don't have a full picture of what our performance looks like. They just see little snapshots of us here and there. Today, I want you to think about the snapshots that you're showing other people and how you can be more strategic about them.
1. Pay Attention to Your Body Language
Effective leaders know that body language is key to executive presence. What are you saying without speaking a word?
Working at the office: If you’ve been working remotely, you may not think much about your body language outside of video calls. But now that you are back in the office, remember that leaders are always in the “invisible spotlight.” People pay attention even when you think they are not.
If, for example, you’re sitting in a meeting with an intense expression and arms folded, others might think you are closed off and unreceptive. Or if you’re always rushing around the office, others could assume that you can’t handle what’s on your plate.
As you return to the office, pay special attention to your body language and whether it conveys the messages you want to send about your personal leadership brand. This might take some extra effort at first, but should soon become second nature again.
Working from home: Your body language sends messages even through video calls. Have you fallen into any bad habits, like scheduling back-to-back Zoom meetings that leave you feeling drained? Take some time this week to focus on what your energy level looks like (slouching, yawning, difficulty focusing) and how that impacts the perception of your engagement and confidence.
Having the right chair, desk and computer setup in your home office makes it easier to manage physical fatigue from sitting and will help you maintain a polished and professional posture on video calls. Take time to evaluate what you need.
2. Focus on Eye Contact
Eye contact is an aspect of nonverbal communication that deserves special attention. We automatically look at others’ eyes to figure out what they’re thinking and feeling and whether we can trust them.
Working at the office: If you frequently look at your phone when talking to others, it could convey a lack of interest and respect. Looking down or away can imply low confidence. On the other hand, holding direct eye contact for too long can feel intimidating.
So, what’s the right amount of eye contact to enhance your personal leadership brand? Researchers from Michigan State University recommend maintaining eye contact 50% of the time when you are speaking and 70% of the time when you are listening.
Working from home: It’s easy to forget about the importance of eye contact when you’re interacting with others on video calls instead of in person. But it still makes a big difference in how others perceive you.
Look into your webcam when speaking. When you’re listening, it’s more obvious than you might think when you sneak a peek at another screen. If the other screen is brighter, the lighting changes on your face. And if you wear glasses, they may even see the reflection of the other screen and know that you’re not paying full attention to the meeting. If you do need to look at another screen (for example, to find an email that’s relevant to the conversation), you can let others know what you’re doing so that they don’t assume you’re multitasking.
3. Be Intentional About Your Appearance
Think about the people you know who always look put together. That becomes part of their leadership brand and something that distinguishes them. How are you leveraging your appearance?
Working at the office: Are you getting used to waking up earlier and commuting again? It can be a tough transition. Give yourself enough time in the morning to get ready. Showing up at the office half-baked won’t exactly inspire confidence in your abilities.
As you head back to the office, you may also discover that your work clothes from a couple of years ago don’t fit as well or look dated. You can use this as an opportunity to evaluate your business wardrobe and align it with your personal brand as a leader. Do you want to show others that you’re creative, innovative, or ready for a promotion? You can reinforce these qualities in how you dress, accessorize, or style your hair.
Working at home: Part of presenting yourself professionally is understanding the norms of your organization, which may be different for video meetings vs. in-person work. Look to your managers for clues about the new “dress code.” For example, perhaps you and your colleagues previously wore suits at the office. But now your managers wear polos or button-down shirts or blouses for video meetings, but not T-shirts. Use that information to guide your choices.
You can also look more professional during video calls by improving your home-office setup. Quality lighting helps you look more awake and energized. The distance you sit from your camera can also affect how you look.
Like it or not, the way you present yourself plays a big role in how others perceive your personal leadership brand. But it's also one of the easiest areas to make positive changes – and you can have fun with it. What is one step you will take this week to be more deliberate about the snapshots that you show other people?
Want more strategies like these? This article was adapted from our New Lens app for leadership development. New Lens delivers bite-size lessons and immediately useful action steps so that you can make learning a part of even the busiest workdays. Schedule your demo now.