Leadership Credibility

You probably wouldn’t attend a corporate board meeting in a formal gown, or meet with a prospective client in your gardening clothes. Likewise, your documents shouldn’t wear the visual equivalent of inappropriate attire, raising eyebrows — and concerns — about your leadership style and credibility.
 
The visual aspect of your documents influences peoples’ perception of you as a leader. When they read your documents they experience a personal conversation with you. They hear your words as a voice in their mind while they read. And the appearance of the page or the screen containing those words functions much as your physical presence when talking to someone in person.
 
Here are a few things you can do with your documents to enhance your leadership credibility.

1. Use your visual branding to provide instant credibility.
   Make sure your business identity colors, typefaces and logo are used properly on your documents. You gain instant credibility by being associated with the identity of a familiar and respected visual brand. Conversely, your visual brand is elevated and enhanced by your leadership style — in person, and on the page and screen. Make sure both sides of this equation are congruent, professional, and polished.
2. Be visually clear and consistent.
   Clarity and consistency are key characteristics of effective leadership style. Deliver well organized, concise content on comfortable, clear, and engaging pages. Provide compelling titles and lots of informational headings and subheadings. Make sure the hierarchy is visually consistent and clear at a glance, to help your reader know exactly what they’re looking at. Incorporate graphics and pull-quotes to make it easier to scan your document for points of interest, and to understand complex concepts.
3. Separate your business and personal personalities.
   Understanding the difference between your business and personal personalities is essential. Informal banter is much harder to pull off in writing than in person, and can often misfire badly. The visual equivalent can just as easily misrepresent you. So leave that pre-printed paper at home, and reserve the emoticons, clip art, and the like for your personal communications. You don’t need to be stuffily serious, but you do want to be taken seriously.
4. Be appropriate.
   Take the time to learn and understand what is appropriate for your situation and your leadership style. Consider your reader’s situation, priorities, and expectations, then assess your documents—through your reader’s eyes—before they leave your desk.

Use your visual branding to frame your written communications, be clear and consistent in your content, show up as your business-appropriate self, and your leadership credibility will soar.