Convert the Negatives to Positives

There is one advantage to being short or not so attractive at the workplace—and you can convert it into a major career plus. People have lower expectations when they first meet you. On the flip side, I know many instances of good-looking silver-haired men who ran into major professional trouble when it became apparent that they could not measure up intellectually to their physical appearances. People have high expectations of good-looking people. They tend to have lower expectations of the small, bald guy. That creates an opportunity for those of us who are physically challenged.

If you do not have the ideal physical appearance, first take the steps described above to maximize what you do have. Dress right, and use your office as means to convey your organization, depth of thought, and interests. Then play on the fact that people meeting you for the first time will not be blown away by their first impression of you. Juanita Hinshaw, CFO of Graybar, recommends that executives who are at a disadvantage—particularly women—"listen and know when to speak. ... You have to know that what you say is going to make an impact." Carefully plan when you will make your move to impress that customer, boss, or client. And then—only when the time is right—speak with well-organized confidence. Doug Bain of Boeing notes that a resonant voice "instantly connects with people and commands a certain respect." You can literally silence a room that way. I have seen it happen many times. In fact, a confident voice is most effective when it is attached to an average-looking person. People with less-than-ideal appearances need to make every word count, and when they do so, they develop a sort of corporate charisma such that everyone turns to listen when they talk. You can do it too.