Your clothing choice is a personal expression of who you are, from laid-back casual to polished and put together.
Your clothes can be even more revealing when you're in a management position, instantly broadcasting your personality and view of the world.
Inspired by New York's Fashion Week, we decided to take a closer look at the fashion choices of today's top executives and what it says about their management styles. We wondered, what does Marissa Mayer's preference for bold colors and patterns say about how she runs Yahoo? What about Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's iconic hoodie?
With the help of stylist Tiffiny Dixon, founder of fashion consultancy MEO, here are some insights into what the clothes say about the leader.
Marissa Mayer's various patterns and colors shows she isn't afraid to think outside the box.
The CEO of Yahoo may often be criticized for being a fashionista who wears designer labels, but Dixon says this criticism comes from being a woman in a predominantly male industry. According to Dixon, the fact that Mayer continues to stay true to her fashion sense and is often seen in fun colors and patterns correlates with her ability to think outside the box.
Mayer shows this in her management style. Shortly after taking the reigns as Yahoo's CEO, the company took on a massive redesign of its site.
"She has been known for mixing things up," says Dixon, "whether she is establishing new requirements like implementing sign-up sheets outside her office for a five-minute meeting, or ending the long-standing work-from-home policy at Yahoo."
Mark Zuckerberg's fashion sense and management style has "risky business" written all over it.
When you think of the creator of Facebook, you probably think of him in his usual getup: jeans, t-shirt, and a hoodie.
Indeed, when he wore a hoodie to a meeting with venture capitalists back in May, some analysts questioned his "seriousness." Others asked if Zuckerberg's hoodie represented the new power suit. Whatever you think, the tech genius' casual wear is his way of staying true to his style despite what's going on around him. It may be risky, but it's what makes Zuckerberg who he is, Dixon says. It also makes Facebook what it is.
"[Zuckerberg] has been the name of the game since he decided to risk it all when he dropped out of Harvard to expand Facebook," she tells us. "Years later, Zuckerberg is still making risky decisions, as he often opts for hoodies when making important business presentations."
Elon Musk's fashion sense is sleek, cool, and put together — similar to his innovative and creative way of thinking.
When you see Musk, he is usually in a sleek, polished ensemble, but nothing too fashion-forward.
What does this say about him? Dixon thinks it means the creator of Tesla Motors is a "no-fuss guy."
"This personal style has definitely manifested itself into his $7.7 billion career story," she says. "From creating PayPal, making it super easy for small-business owners and consultants to run transactions, to government and non-profit organizations looking for electricity (SolarCity), Musk has definitely brought the no-fuss, easy-living experience to [his business life]."
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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