Getting Dressed to Model the Way

There are many requirements for leaders, and opportunities to observe leaders in action. That’s what I tell my students, and as one of their class assignments each week they write an essay regarding their observations about leaders and leading. The search for a new president of the European Union (EU) is an important leadership opportunity that has received lots of attention from the European press, especially in the Financial Times. This headline in a recent editorial from Vanessa Friedman, fashion editor for FT, read: “Europe needs a man who’s suited for the job” gave us an unexpected source of inspiration about the challenges of Modeling the Way.

Her observation about the requirements of leaders to Model the Way (not her term, but ours) was not lost upon my students. Much like the U.S. media attention directed on Michelle Obama’s apparel, the same scrutiny, albeit more tongue-in-cheek here, gets directed toward every leader who needs to set an example that demonstrates his/her appreciation of the needs and aspirations of their constituents.

Friedman writes:

“There are, of course, some possible sartorial unions that can be made. The president might wear, for example, an Italian suit with a French silk tie and English shoes and shirt, or an English suit with Spanish shoes and an Italian tie and a French shirt, all with a German watch, and on casual days might branch out into Irish knitwear and even Swedish chinos. But then, if he were eager to publicize some of the smaller countries’ industries, he might take a chance on Romanian textiles (garments make up 15 per cent of Romanian exports, according to the International Trade Centre in Geneva). Meanwhile, if Turkey’s application for membership is accepted, that will throw another variable into the mix, since Turkey is a tailoring and knitwear centre, and it is important for new states to feel appreciated.

The challenge in all this is to avoid exposing oneself to charges of indecision and lack of centre while rotating the above. When dressing, as when doing anything, it will be the responsibility of the EU president to maintain his independence of mind and identify, while at the same time letting each country know that he also shares their concerns."

She concludes: “And you thought the shirt/suit question was a purely aesthetic matter. Hah! It is a microcosm of the job.” And that’s the point. We expect our leaders to balance having their own style while at the same time being in touch with the “style” (or fashions) of their constituents. It is not always an easily achieved balance.

Hope you are staying in style.

Barry