Influence

gravitas

In: Lead

Article by Crispin Blackall, Image Credit August de Richelieu (Pexels) The word gravitas goes back to the ancient Romans and derives from the Latin gravitas, meaning weight, and from gravis heavy. It implies sound judgement, clarity of purpose, ability to yield influence and having organisational power. “In the world of corporate advancement, headhunters, talent managers, and HR professionals always ask themselves whether a person has the gravitas required of a role? Does the person have the necessary presence, speaking skills, and the ability to read an audience or situation? Does he or she have the emotional intelligence that enables him or her to easily influence others? ‘Finding Gravitas’ Kets de Vries 2015, INSEAD Knowledge What do you think of when you hear the term ‘gravitas’ personally my first thought is often of (the TV show) Brooklyn Nine Nine’s Captain Holt when he says “do you know what gravitas sounds like…” (and if youContinue Reading

In: Influence, Networking

Synopsis of an article from SmartBrief Leadership by Art Pretty, Published 25th June 2020 In this article Art shares some ideas and approaches on how you can build your network and collaborate more effectively across your organisation (without compromising your values). The ‘facts of organizational life’ Organisational politics are everywhere and sadly there is no escaping it, from the parent teacher association to community sports to the executive team. Some how in all environments where decision making authority exists, so too does the politics around making those decisions. “That’s workplace power. The challenge for everyone else is how to either cultivate power organically or to tap into decision-makers’ power.” Three approaches for growing your influence at work 1. Develop strong networks to help grow your influence Building a strong network provides support, guidance and insider knowledge. “It gives you access to private information and individuals with unique skill sets.” SoContinue Reading