When I read that Simon Cowell, the well-known judge of American Idol<\/em>, just had a baby daughter, it made me reflect on the talents he has ushered into the world. One of my favorites is Susan Boyle. Remember her?<\/p>\n

She’s got a few albums and concerts under her belt now, but watch the quick YouTube clip to refresh your memory of the way we first met her. The Britain\u2019s Got Talent<\/em> (their version of our American Idol<\/em>–both by Mr. Cowell) audience tittered when this middle-aged, unadorned woman claimed she wanted to be the next Elaine Page<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In fact, the audience obviously didn\u2019t believe that Susan Boyle could be the next big celebrity singer. We expect our celebrities to look glamorous, don\u2019t we? Just as we expect our CEOs to wear gray or blue suits, white shirts, and red ties.<\/p>\n

So if you \u00a0show up with messy hair and rumpled clothes to address business decision makers, you will most likely suffer from the same judgment Susan Boyle experienced at her televised audition.\u00a0 The judgment will be politely concealed, but the senior people occupying the seats around the table will be squirming on their leather cushions.<\/p>\n

The video of Susan Boyle moved me to tears, especially when the judges finally gave voice to what I was feeling. \u00a0Ms. Boyle seemed to take it in stride that everyone spoke to her as though she were the village idiot. \u00a0She seemed accustomed to being dismissed.<\/p>\n

But then she opened her mouth! Having taken the stage with no apparent ammunition, she showed us she had nerves of steel, enormous talent, and a depth of humanity that made her seem more powerful than any glitzy show-off. So in the end, those of us who judged her based on a first impression were left feeling like we<\/em> were the idiots.<\/p>\n

That being said, the boardroom isn\u2019t a television show. Simon Cowell \u00a0knew that the\u00a0Britain\u2019s Got Talent<\/em> audience would misjudge Boyle because of her appearance. He knew that we\u2019d be surprised when this wonderful, unglamorous looking artist began to sing. Our experience of Boyle was a theatrical setup that counted on the judgments we make based on first impressions.<\/p>\n

The fact remains, however, that first impressions count for a lot. Few of us will get a chance to show what we can do if we don\u2019t package ourselves with appropriate clothes and grooming. Be advised and take care: people can make snap judgments and dismiss you entirely. Don’t give them the opportunity. Look the part.<\/p>\n

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When I read that Simon Cowell, the well-known judge of American Idol, just had a baby daughter, it made me reflect on the talents he has ushered into the world. One of my favorites is Susan Boyle. Remember her? She’s got a few albums and concerts under her belt now, but watch the quick YouTube… Read More »Executive Presence: Look the Part: The Camera is Always On<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8241,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"neve_meta_sidebar":"","neve_meta_container":"","neve_meta_enable_content_width":"","neve_meta_content_width":0,"neve_meta_title_alignment":"","neve_meta_author_avatar":"","neve_post_elements_order":"","neve_meta_disable_header":"","neve_meta_disable_footer":"","neve_meta_disable_title":"","_ti_tpc_template_sync":false,"_ti_tpc_template_id":""},"categories":[960,336],"tags":[618,327],"yoast_head":"\n