Business is always going to be a competitive place to be – that’s its nature – and if you’re expecting things to be easy when you’re a business leader, you need to think again. In fact, the more work you put in as a business leader, the more successful your business will be, and one aspect of that work that might surprise you is that you need to look as professional as possible. There are many different reasons for this, so keep reading to find out what they are and how to do it. 

Dress The Part

No matter how you feel about fashion, the fact is your choice of clothing speaks volumes about how professional you are (or at least, it gives a certain impression, and whether it’s true or not, it’s how people will think of you). 

For one thing, dressing in a professional way can show great attention to detail, especially if your shoes are clean and shined and your clothing is neat and tidy – and ideally ironed to remove any creases. Make sure your clothes fit well and that they’re made of good quality materials, and although you might want to show off your personality, when it comes to being professional in business, understated and reserved can work a lot better. 

A Good Headshot

Your headshot is often the first impression someone will get of you on social media, your website, and wherever else you use it (such as marketing material, for example), so it needs to be as professional as possible – after all, this might be the thing that persuades a client to work with you rather than one of your competitors. 

Your headshot is your opportunity to showcase your approachability, competence, and professionalism, so take your time to get it right. Choose a well-lit, professionally captured image that has a neutral background to show how credible you are, and work with a photographer to make sure you’ve got the right shot. If you don’t like having your photo taken but want a great headshot to choose from, you can even consider an AI headshot generator to give you plenty of excellent options. 

Excellent Communication 

As a business leader, you’re going to need to have excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, and this is also something that will show people how professional you are, so it’s certainly something you’ll want to work on to get right. 

One great way to do this is to always make sure you listen when people talk to you. In this way, you can give the right answers or enter into a proper discussion with them, helping them see what a great communicator you are. Whether you’re in meetings, presentations, or writing an email or letter, if you can convey your ideas well and clearly with confidence, your professional image will definitely improve. 

Good Time Management 

Good and efficient time management shows off your ability to balance all your business leadership responsibilities and tasks and make yourself as productive as possible. Set priorities, delegate tasks, and make sure you always allocate enough time for anything and everything you have to do, and people will soon notice. 

It makes a big difference to how professional people think you are when you always turn up on time and always hit your deadlines. On top of this, you’ll show that you’re serious about your business, and you’ll make it a priority, which is another point when it comes to being professional.

Originally Published on https://www.breakfastleadership.com/

Michael Levitt Chief Burnout Officer

Michael D. Levitt is the founder & Chief Burnout Officer of The Breakfast Leadership Network, a San Diego and Toronto-based burnout consulting firm. He is a Keynote speaker on The Great Resignation, Quiet Quitting and Burnout. He is the host of the Breakfast Leadership show, a Certified NLP and CBT Therapist, a Fortune 500 consultant, and author of his latest book BURNOUT PROOF.