I have just completed a leadership course and it has helped me in many different ways. It was a leadership course for women. One thing that I found difficult to get my head around though is the emphasis that is placed on appearance and its relationship to impact as a leader. I am not naive - I do fully appreciate the need to present oneself in an appropriate manner. And I know the theory about how little the recipient is said to receive from what one says - rather it is how you present your message (and that includes appearance) that is most important. As a non make-up wearer it is a little disconcerting to constantly hear that dressing up to enhance one's femininity is important in leadership. We talked about authenticity, and no-one was saying to me that I wouldn't make it as a leader without make-up. But there is a fairly common view that it's a bit odd not to want to present oneself in a more traditional manner. I know that male leaders will have input to help them with their personal appearance so as to make the desired impact, but we would never get as personal as the make-up issue with men.
As a nurse educator I talk to my students about the importance of appearance - in relation to their roles in practice and the impact that appearance can have on how the patient will receive them. I also make sure that - when I am in the lecture theatre or in group classroom situations - I dress appropriately as a role model for students. In national meetings, I also am aware of the dress code and pretty much adhere to it. But - we should be advocating for women as leaders who have something important to say, and should not be perpetuating the ways in which men and women have dealt with appearance differently.
A very personal perspective........
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