ShareYour Leader Image
What Is A Leader's Image?
Your leader image includes your physical features, such as height or facial features, your personal style, values, beliefs, behaviors and habits, and most importantly, how others react to you.
Leaders are not born. Leaders pursue activity and create an image that others are drawn to or value. You can become a effective leader only if you take an active role with creating and managing your leader image.
Think about the leaders in your company or other famous leaders. How would you describe them? You'll likely use words such as charismatic, smart, dictator, or coach. If you ask others to describe that leader, they may say something similar. What they are describing is the leader's image or identity.
How Can I Learn About My Leader Image?
We all have some mental image of what a leader should be. We often use that image to help guide us when we need to lead others. This internal leader image is your leadership persona.
Your leadership persona is how you think about leadership, and you tend to project this image when you are attempting to lead others. This image can either inspire or inhibit the willingness of others to follow you.
Keep in mind that your leader image is not only about the image your project. It is also about how others interpret this image. It is about their willingness to follow the leader image or brand that you present.
The best way to discover your leader image is to ask for feedback. Listen to what others say about your leadership, and observe how they react to your leadership actions. As you explore your leader image, you will begin to understand that much of your leadership effectiveness is related to the image you promote.
Becoming an effective leader is a journey. Like any journey, you can change the direction once you understand where you want to go. You can, with some effort, manage your leader image and learn how to become a more effective leader.
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