“There’s a reason for the things that I have on” explains Johnny Cash at the beginning of his song, “The Man in Black”. Cash had worn black for many years at this point. His attire became associated with his stance as an anti-authoritarian man of the people. His fashion was intentional. When he finally breaks it all down in song, he explains how his dress code was designed to draw attention to the plight of those society ignores. But we knew that all along.
Personal branding, executive presence, whatever words we use to describe how we present ourselves, can feel inauthentic. We believe that authenticity should simply happen naturally without any effort on our part. Cash is universally accepted as authentic and real. If he can intentionally craft his image while remaining true to his core; so, can we all.
An underutilized tool in your presentation toolbox may be how you present yourself remotely, AKA Digital Executive Presence. Even with many companies returning to office, so much communication still happens over video calls. We can shape how we show up on video to align with the values we wish to project.
I will leave you with a few suggestions that you can try and you can check out my video on the topic if you want more.
- Quality equipment: computer, network, mic, camera
- Analog over virtual backgrounds
- Have a clean workspace (at least on camera)
- Books, art, trinkets can tell your story for you
- Leverage color
“… until things are brighter, I’m the Man in Black”
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