Why is “having gravitas” often difficult for certain strong and capable people to achieve, and too easy for others to fake?
Gravitas — “seriousness of demeanor” — or more importantly, being seen as having real substance — is part of what makes leaders listened to, respected, promoted, or given the opportunities most desired in corporate or business/professional life.
Gravitas is something that can be seen as superficial, but does not have to be — nor should it be. The truth is the best place to start working on one’s “gravitas” is by making certain that you as a leader truly have genuine knowledge, ability, substance, experience, and a level of seriousness about your work, career, and/or profession. Building gravitas on a “shell” is not a strategy we would recommend.
People do make immediate judgments based on superficial things however — and they do make judgments quickly. Some of the judgments made are directly related to gravitas. So — if you have an interest in developing your “gravitas” you should know that working on the “outside” — creating an “appearance” — without developing the “inside” is essentially dishonest, deceptive, and likely to be easily found out by anyone that matters.
The tricky thing is this: someone might appear to have gravitas but be a fraud; or someone may actually have gravitas in the sense of substance, depth and experience, but not be perceived as such by others. Both are poor outcomes.
The work for a leader is this. Start within, build your credibility and substance, and then, work on your “shell” to make certain people correctly perceive your true substance — your real gravitas.
What are the areas to work on once one has real substance that will demonstrate gravitas?
Think about what makes you think someone has real substance. What are the “clues” that speak to you and say — “this guy, this woman, is the real deal- — smart, substantial, and knows what he or she is saying — and says it well.”
Gravitas “Clue” List
This list may not be completely accurate. It’s simply meant to suggest some of the things people use to make judgments about gravitas. Put another way — we just don’t want you to be “Clue List” about your Gravitas!
-
Appearance
Clothing and personal appearance — including cleanliness, neatness, and style. Does the person “look the part”?
-
Voice
Pace and tone. Is it easy to listen to this person and does he or she sound convincing? Professional? Clearly understandable? Authentic?
-
Confidence
Does the person seem comfortable in his or her own skin? Does the person seem natural and comfortable with what he or she is saying?
-
Dignity
Does the person make it clear by their presence that they respect themselves and others?
-
Skills/abilities
Does the person have command of the facts and an organized way to present them? Does the person provide examples and experiences that help make the point?
Feedback is likely the best way (perhaps only way) to get information on your level of gravitas. We suggest doing this casually or from time-to-time after a meeting or presentation. You might ask others — peers, bosses, or staff — one of these questions. Rotate them to get a variety of views on a variety of areas related to gravitas.
- Did I sound professional and like someone who had command of my facts?
- Was I boring, speaking too quickly, disorganized, poorly groomed, or in some other way a bit “off” to others?
- Did I seem confident, in control of myself, and clearly comfortable with the material?
- Did I interact with others in a way that demonstrated that I am confident and knowledgeable?
Additional Insights . . .
- Video
- One of the coaches at PeopleTek — Ora Shtull — has a wonderful Vlog that includes a video on gravitas! We suggest you take a look for more good ideas.
Do you wish you had more GRAVITAS?
- One of the coaches at PeopleTek — Ora Shtull — has a wonderful Vlog that includes a video on gravitas! We suggest you take a look for more good ideas.
- Additional Reading
- There is a brand new book out on leadership presence—and gravitas. The writer is a very well regarded expert. This should give you all you need to move your own “gravitas score” up.
Executive Presence – The Missing Link Between Merit and Success - Download a book on executive presence—simple to do and the book has great reviews
Inspire and Influence with the Power of Presence - Much has been written about executive presence and persuasion—Harvard Business School has some collections and articles worth a look. There are also ones especially for women leaders that may make sense for you to look at and reflect upon
Tailor-Made Persuasion (HBR Article Collection)
- There is a brand new book out on leadership presence—and gravitas. The writer is a very well regarded expert. This should give you all you need to move your own “gravitas score” up.