Image Counts Building an Authentic Leadership Presence

by Corey Criswell and David Campbell

A leader's image can be either an asset or a liability. Although many leaders mistakenly believe that managing their image amounts to chicanery, it's important for them to recognize the genuine aspects of themselves that should be coming across to other people-but may not be. Crafting an authentic image requires you to gain a clear picture of the image people are currently perceiving, decide what image you would like to portray, and develop the skills to close the gap.

Many leaders make the mistake of assuming that image building is a superficial activity and therefore unimportant. However, leaders can benefit from knowing how they come across to others and making improvements if necessary. What is image? It is the concept that others form about you as a result of the impressions you make on them. Your effectiveness as a leader is tied to your image. Your ability to project a leadership presence in the eyes of employees, customers, other important constituencies, and the general public is closely related to your ability to do your job well. Your image, then, can be either an asset or a liability as you engage in the tasks and roles of leadership.

A study of 150 senior executives who attended CCL's Leadership at the Peak program shows that the image leaders convey has a significant correlation to others' perceptions of their leadership skill. (See the sidebar on page 14.) In this study, leaders who conveyed to others that they had a strong vision were rated higher on several important factors than were those who conveyed a weaker vision—factors such as having the ability to lead change, being dynamic, showing competence in strategic planning, being farsighted, inspiring commitment, being original, and having a strong executive image. Each of these factors is tied to specific behaviors and can therefore be improved through awareness and practice.