Jon Michail's Personal Branding Masterclass

Why Gravitas is Everything

October 21, 2021 Jon Michail Season 1 Episode 14
Jon Michail's Personal Branding Masterclass
Why Gravitas is Everything
Show Notes Transcript

During this episode, Jon explains what is Gravitas and why you need it to succeed.

Do you want Jon's help to elevate your personal brand? Get in touch here: https://www.imagegroup.com.au/contact-us/

------

Let's connect:

Website: www.imagegroup.com.au/
Email: enquiries@imagegroup.com.au
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jonmichail-imageconsultant-personalbrandingcoach/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/imagegroupinternational
Twitter: @jon_michail
Instagram: @imagegroupinternational
------


Podcast Editor and Producer: Ana Carolina Alves 

Additional Voice: Charles The Voice 

Music: Have a Smoke by Crowander (CC BY 4.0)

https://freemusicarchive.org/music/crowander/night-walk-urbanlo-fihip-hop/have-a-smoke

------

Review Jon Michail's Personal Branding Masterclass in Apple Podcasts to let us know what you think of the show: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/jon-michails-personal-branding-masterclass/id157815926 

0:01
Welcome to Jon Michail’s Personal Branding Masterclass. Jon is the founder and CEO of image group international and award-winning image consulting and personal branding pioneer established in 1989. This podcast will bring you old-school wisdom, inspiring ideas, strategies, and hacks for the new tech world. Here you will learn everything about personal branding: the system, the techniques, and the right mindset to have a successful personal brand, image, and reputation.

0:30
Hello, today we'll be talking about gravitas. Before I start our chat, I'm going to kindly ask you to subscribe to the podcast on the platform that you are listening to. So every time we have a new episode, you will be notified. Cheers. 

0:47
So our conversation today is about gravitas and why it's important for your life. I've already explained before, what is gravitas? But I'm happy to explain again, for those who don't remember, gravitas equals authority. So let me give you an example. It represents the seriousness and importance of manner, causing feelings of respect and trust in others. A good example is an effective politician. That could be very good as a politician, but he lacks the statesmanlike gravitas of a world leader. perfect examples of that might be without being political. is a Donald Trump, like gravitas? Where Barack Obama certainly had gravitas. Other good examples from an Australian perspective are previous prime ministers, like John Howard, and Paul Keating, as opposed to a prime minister that lacked gravitas, most likely Kevin Rudd. 

1:57
Let me give you some examples that really clarify what gravitas means words, let's, let's call them keywords. Our centre of gravity, Cornerstone, is a focus, importance, seriousness, value, weight, and definitely worth more often than not, people with gravitas will be recognized in leadership positions, which goes out to show you if you don't have gravitas, you're missing out. Good examples of this are virtually all leaders need to display some level of gravitas. And an example of that is if you study leaders, for instance, in the future post COVID, you'll remember the real leaders with gravitas versus the leaders with no gravitas. So an example would be, I would say, is somebody that hopes to secure some special authority for what he or she has to say, the gravitas, the word gravitas would imply that authority comes along with weight. So you have no gravitas, you don't get an opportunity to have the influence that you're possibly looking for. 

3:23
But the best news is this you can develop it everyone can develop and cultivate gravitas. You know, there are opportunities available for everybody. In episode four, the power of an authentic personal brand. I spoke with my good friend Roy D. Roberts and shared some tips on how you can attain a unique personal image and therefore start to build your gravitas. If you didn't hear it yet, please go back and have a listen to it. Now I'd like to share with you, how you can cultivate gravitas, authentic gravitas in the business world. Many people believe that leaders were destined to reach the highest positions because of their genes. Therefore, it implies that they were born that way. Nothing is further from the truth, especially with gravitas is concerned. 

4:20
So my number one tip would be to figure out first who you truly are. And how do you do that is focus on some of the inner power that you need to get clear on is your values, your purpose and your mission. So then you can get really, really solid on your inner personal values. So you know what you stand for. What you represent and what you will do not do in your life moving forward. You said discovering you why along the way of why you get out Have bed every morning is a good start, of course, that we've mentioned previously in finding who you truly are. 

5:08
My second tip to cultivate gravitas is to face the mirror and virtually look at the body language that we covered in the last episode. And it would be a great idea for you to revisit that if you want to get more specific info on body language. But in reference to today's session, it's about gestures and movement and how they have an immediate gravitas, which registers on acoustic and visual levels that mean gossip online, and that means zoom as well. So what you say fewer words have more gravitas? Say what you mean? What do you say? In reference to language. Also, don't raise your voice. Learn how to pause, choose your words correctly. any reference to voice your tone, what does it communicate the inflection? does it provide the intellectual thrust also, and the gravitas to the arguments that you bring to the table? So this is you know, this is great practice and an opportunity to lift your profile from a point of view of obviously authentic gravitas and a reputation that carries weight. 

6:31
My third tip is to find a deeper connection. And this is by being courageous. But how do you do that? Well, first of all, is asking great questions and questions that are great normally start from what and how and have deeper conversations. Authenticity is about having deeper conversations and allowing yourself to be vulnerable at times. Commit to your word. Your word is your integrity. And also gravitas is also a sense of responsibility. People with gravitas take their role seriously. A good COVID is COVID. And how many have shown a lack of gravitas about the problems we have been facing. And my last tip is very congruent. So let me explain what is congruence? congruence is virtually your look, sound and feel. All communicate the same thing. So if you want gravitas, yes, looking professional, looking in place, to your standards, your personal standards, or your business standards, is part of being congruent. Sounding professional, as per your personal and business brand, is also part of you building a congruency, and gravitas and of course, the feel. It's how people feel about you from a whole perspective, you know, visually, verbally and of course, kinesthetically, in reference to how you come across. So does that represent gravitas? So gravitas is not about you know, faking the authority. It's about being the real you. And when you do try to fake gravitas, of course, it stands out. 

8:30
So before we finish, I'd like to share with you an experience about gravitas. I remember working with the leadership team of a large consultancy, that was pitching their services to one of the largest banks in the world, the usual relaxed approach. Very, very casual and laissez-faire was not working. And they hired our firm, to uplift their messaging in all aspects, including their overall presentation, their language, and of course, even concepts like their manners. Including manners means also being on time for the meaning of having business cards, assuming that's appropriate, doing the succinct pitch and then delivering on the promise. The end results while the three-member team was winning a multi-million dollar contract that has avoided them for over seven years. But further, than that, the extra bonus was it led to significant referrals. So they have a return on investment, many x and of course they also had a return on benefits. And those benefits included personal brand benefits and of course business brand, reputation benefits.

10:04
Well, the show is almost over. Thank you for your attention. Please email me if you want my help to promote yourself in the media. The email is on the description of the episode. As always, if you liked this episode, please share it with your friends, family, and colleagues. You can also share it on your social media. You can follow me on Twitter at jon_michael or LinkedIn as Jon Michael and on Facebook as Image Group International.  If you like the show, I'd like you to write it on Apple Podcasts. For this, you just need to click on the link in the episode description. Thank you all see you next week and wish you abundance in all you do, cheers.

10:57
Jon Michail’s Personal Branding Masterclass" Podcast is sponsored by Image Group International, a global team of practical, digitally savvy personal brand and image strategists, based in Australia, committed to maximizing your impact, influence and authority in the business world.   To learn more and apply for your personal coaching, seminars and group workshops please visit imagegroup.com.au or call 1800 631 311.