Gravitas is something that we all want to have as agency leaders. But how do we achieve this?
We’re all familiar with the adage about “faking it till we make it.” But how do we translate our desire to seem strong and confident into actually… seeming strong and confident, when we feel anything but?
Gravitas for Agency Leaders
Catherine Allison, Director of Master the Art joined me to look at how to improve our oomph.
“I’ve been working either within or with agencies for the past 25 years, either in client services, business development roles, or helping them to win more business by helping their staff to present and communicate better.
I’m also a professional actress. So what I discovered when I was working in-house at agencies that there were so many skills that I was gaining from the acting world that helped me with every day agency scenarios. Whether that’s formal pitching, communicating, showing leadership skills, whatever it may be.
All of these things I found were really important in the agency world.”
Marrying Skill Sets
Marrying these two skills together, it soon became clear that the key to success in both industries, is not just having expertise but also the ability to communicate that you are an expert.
And this is through your delivery, your body language and your connection to the other person. As well as the words you speak.
But how do we even start discovering what we as individuals need to do to improve?
The Gravitas Equation
The answer, says Catherine, lies in The Gravitas Equation:
“Caroline Goyder has written an absolutely bloody brilliant book called: “Gravitas: Communicate with more confidence, influence and authority.
I would highly recommend it.
She believes that knowledge, plus purpose, plus passion, less anxiety, equals gravitas. These are the three pillars upon which gravitas rests and where each of those pillars meet. That sweet spot is where you find your own gravitas.
Don’t let Life Get in the Way
And then the only interference, the only thing that gets in the way are all of those anxieties and tensions that rise up in us at any given moment in our everyday agency lives.”
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Catherine is founder of Master the Art and has over 24 years of integrated agency experience working in client services and business development roles. She’s also a professional actress and voice artist and draws on theatre and voiceover experience to give agency teams and individuals useful tools and techniques for effective communication and powerful presentations.
