Gravitas: If You Haven’t Got It, You’re Missing Out
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Gravitas: If You Haven’t Got It, You’re Missing Out

Forbes Coaches Council

Jon Michail is Founder & Group CEO of Image Group International & best-selling author of Life Branding. Follow him on LinkedIn & Twitter.

This article is not solely based on my opinion but rather on one important fact: Gravitas equals authority. Is there someone at your work who seems to draw attention and respect whenever they walk into a room? People talk about them at the watercooler in an attempt to understand — “They just have that special something. I can’t quite put my finger on what it is, but I wish I had it.”

There is one word that can help to pin this down — gravitas. More often than not, your co-workers with gravitas will be people in higher-up leadership positions, which goes to show that if you don’t have gravitas, you’re missing out.

But what does gravitas look like and how can you get it? Let’s break it down.

Your Physical Image

This is a good place to start because of a few points:

• Anyone can easily understand and change their physical (and mental) image if they want to.

• It is possibly the single easiest thing you can change that will have the biggest effect on your gravitas immediately.

Wardrobe

Showing up to work is one thing, but showing up looking like you mean business (in person, via Zoom or LinkedIn) is another thing entirely. Someone who wears a "world class" dress standard that is visually attractive and looks the part communicates they take themselves seriously. But dressing the part doesn’t always mean being formal. If all your work requires is jeans and a T-shirt (basically, wear something) wearing a suit would be overkill, to say the least. But if your boss or CEO wears an open neck collared shirt and smart casual chinos, it’s a safe bet that dressing similar to this will send clearer signals that you are someone to be taken seriously.  

Grooming

Further than getting some new threads, your physical image involves everything about you. Wearing a sharp outfit while your hair is a mess and your beard is overgrown will make you look more like someone standing trial than an effective employee. Again, these things take only a few extra minutes and have a huge effect on your gravitas. Yes, schedule a haircut regularly before it starts looking untidy, exert self-discipline so you can come into work clean-shaven and get some essential exercise in if you aren’t already. Someone who clearly takes care of themselves outside of work is more likely to be respected within work.

Find Your Voice

When I say find your voice, I mean this in the most literal sense. Gravitas is about how people feel when they are in your presence and this feeling is the sum result of all the subconscious signals you’re giving off. If you are highly organized, punctual and known for your creative solutions, people will certainly respect you as an effective leader, but if you speak fast, disorderly and with a higher than usual voice, your gravitas will be lacking in one-to-one communication no matter how many diplomas are hanging on your wall.

Sound silly? Listen carefully. Countless studies have shown that those of us who speak slower, more deliberately and with a lower, calm tone of voice give off a sense of being in control of the conversation, the situation and themselves. This subconsciously makes people trust and respect you on a superior level.

Listen And Communicate

So now you look the part and you’re speaking with an air of confidence that people associate with powerful authoritative individuals. But what good is that if every time you open your mouth your words are incongruent with your image? Because your sense of gravitas is created from multiple angles, all of them need to be in alignment to create a coherent picture.

Communication skills are essential in working with others and the most effective people have actively worked on these. For example, someone who remains calm and refrains from using indelicate words in high-pressure situations gives off a feeling of control even when those around them are losing their heads.

Possibly the most important communication skill is that of listening and being open to hearing other viewpoints. Although you want to be eloquent when speaking, responding with appropriate language (not with over-the-top weasel words) to someone creates a sense that you are intentionally listening, and it will make people want to actively engage with you more often.

Integrity

Remaining calm under pressure is more than just using the appropriate language, it’s a stoic way of being. We all know that actions speak louder than words; so working on controlling your emotions is an essential part of cultivating your gravitas. Raising your emotional intelligence is essential for all situations and will be a skill that people gravitate towards. Once you become known for being calm under pressure and controlled enough to see and prevent high-pressure situations from arising, people will start asking for your reasoned opinion and want to follow your integral advice. 

Authenticity

Cultivating gravitas seems like a very steep hill to climb. Many believe that it is not a skill that can be taught at all and that this "special something" is born into our DNA, but I believe that’s a myth. By now, I hope you have realized that gravitas is made of several skills that are indeed learnable. Heck, anyone can put on different clothes and "fake it" for a moment. What might hold people back from this, however, is the conflict they feel between their intentions and their actions.

Yes, creating a sense of gravitas requires a mind shift on a personal level, but it must be authentic. Taking the time to think about why gravitas is important and what that looks like for you, as an individual, is key. Making changes that you do not agree with or are not comfortable with will result in a shallow and inauthentic image that everyone will immediately see right through. Gravitas is your "gold standard" and if you don’t have it, you’re missing out.This is the first article in three-part series. Stay tuned for the next installment, coming soon.


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