Posted on April 15, 2011
An article in The Wall Street Journal by Joann S. Lublin titled, “How to Look and Act Like a Leader,” emphasizes “commanding presence” in the boardroom and becoming a more confident individual who can become like the “executives with presence [who are] self confident, strategic, decisive and assertive.” I like to think however that as long as a person is dressed appropriately for work, it is not necessary to dress in an outstanding way at the workplace. Not all jobs are the same so I do understand and value the professionalism of a nice suit. I personally feel that a job well done will be a job well done with or without a suit. I also wonder about the person who cannot afford the fancy suit. Is his or her job any less appreciated? Hopefully not. If dressing up for work allows a person to perform better on the job because they feel more confident than that’s great and they should continue to do what they are comfortable with. What I appreciate about this article is its emphasis on being confident and assertive. Dressing like a leader can indeed help someone to feel and in turn become a better leader but it is not the only way. This article is thought-provoking and had me thinking about what it means to “look and act like a leader” regardless of how a person is dressed.
