If you have been shrinking, you're making it easier for people to overlook you. And we don't wanna do that any longer. Welcome to the Trill MBA show, the career management podcast teaching black women how to become unstoppable at work.
I'm Felicia Ann Rose Enuha, AKA the Trillest MBA, delivering the inspiring truth through strategies and tactics. So you feel protected, confident, and ready to conquer your career. Hey y'all, welcome back to the show.
We have been talking about power, right? How to get out of your own way, how to break the rules strategically. So if you haven't seen those two episodes, you can go back and watch them. But today, the third rule of power, we're diving into one of the most underrated but critical aspects of power, how you appear.
Now, listen, I already know what some of you are thinking. I should be judged by my work, not my presence. And while that sounds great in theory, we live in the real world and perception truly is reality.
The way you present yourself, how you walk into a room, how you speak, how you carry yourself, this signals power before you even say a word. And that in itself is powerful. That means this is something that you actually have control over and something that can help you along on your journey.
And here's the thing, powerful people take up space unapologetically. And so this isn't up for debate. You and me together, we're gonna work on this because I too struggle.
I don't like shrinking myself, but I have been conditioned that I'm too much, I'm too whatever, fill in the word. And so if you have been shrinking, you're making it easier for people to overlook you. And we don't wanna do that any longer because people who amass power in order to use it however they see fit, they don't shrink.
They take up space. They know they deserve to be wherever they are and they use their internal will and power to drive influence and others actions around them. And I know because of rule number two, which is break the rules, that sometimes this means we must defy social norms, which can be very uncomfortable.
But that's exactly why we're here today. Today, we're gonna talk about what it means to appear powerful, why it matters, and how you can start embodying power today. So let's get into it.
Why Appearance Matters When You're Trying to Get Power Number one, perception drives influence. People make snap judgments in seconds. Just from the few bits of data their eyes pick up from looking at you, those bits of data go into our brain.
And something that is a natural human thing is to take mental shortcuts. What that means is we rely on all of our experience and all of our knowledge from however old we are to today and we use that and we form assumptions and we filter that data through there so that we can quickly discern and make sure that we're safe, when we're doing what we need to do and where we're supposed to be and making sure that we are surviving. Human beings constantly do this even if we're not even conscious of it.
And so what this means is if you appear powerful, that perception of your power, just from that appearance as humans filter from what they know and how we've been socialized, then they will naturally lend power to you in the form of opportunities, credibility, and authority. So this is why you have a lot of people and some people might even put me in this category, but that's just not the case because I have the experience and the data to back up everything I've ever came on this podcast and talked about. But there are some people who just get on the internet and they just talk.
And they talk as if they are experts, as if they have authority. And we then lend that to them. We acknowledge and validate what we see, especially if they are saying things that we may agree with.
And we go, oh, makes sense. You see this a lot with CEOs of corporations. We don't really know how smart they are.
But if you look at the public perception of a powerful CEO versus someone who lacks presence, then we just believe that that person is competent. We just give them that. But the truth is their only competence in that moment is that they can command attention.
So that's something to think about. The key takeaway here is looking powerful isn't about faking it, but it is about signaling confidence and authority before you even speak. So are CEOs competent? Probably, in some things, yes.
And let's be honest, everybody doesn't have everything, but everybody has something that they're good at, they're even great at and gifted at. And so you just need to walk in your natural God-gifted authority of what you're good at and confident at and just show up in that manner. So it's your mindset that you wanna work on.
And that goes back to rule number one, get out of your own way. So we're gonna take a quick break, but before we go, during this break, I want you to reflect on the following. Think about a time when someone looked like a leader before you even knew their title or who they were for that matter.
What was it about them that made you take notice? So what are some things that you've seen with people who you feel have power, that they're a leader, they look like a leader? What are some characteristics? I want you to put in the comments those characteristics. I want us to put language around it. And we'll be back to talk about next, how to appear like you have some of those characteristics.
You're gonna share in the comments when we come back from the break. Hey guys, I am so excited that you are here watching this series on power. Please share this with your friends.
This information is so crucial to you having a career that brings you peace and joy and ease in life. It truly is a game changer to gain and use power in your career management strategy. So follow along.
These next episodes are all about Dr. Pfeffer's book, The Seven Rules of Power. You don't wanna miss it. I have digital guides.
Go to trillmba.com and sign up for our freebies. And there you will find all of the resources I've created over the years and the digital guides that go along with these episodes. Now let's get back to the show.
It is important to understand how to show up in a powerful manner. So we understand why appearance is important because it drives influence. But now where we are is we wanna understand how do we do that? And that's why you come to this show, to get the tactics.
All right, so let's talk about how to apply this rule. There are three ways to start projecting power right now. Number one, own your space.
Power isn't just about words or how you talk and the things that you say, right? It's in your body language. So stand up tall, shoulders back, make eye contact, sit up straight, be confident in your inner core and being, and then come off that way. If you have to think about somebody that you know that comes off that way and you have to mimic them a little bit, do that, use that.
One thing you'll notice about powerful people is that they don't shrink themselves. They take up space. You want to take up space.
They also command the room. When you walk in a room and let's say it's a room full of people, whether it's a conference room, convention hall, you're at a conference, what have you. When you walk in the room, do you walk in with the idea that I just wanna blend in? And I'll be honest with you.
I am definitely guilty of this in the past. I've walked in rooms and been like, oh, I hope nobody is looking at me. If you have that, you gotta let that go boo because let me tell you something.
You can't amass power for your own good if you are hoping nobody sees you. So I want you to be conscious of your thoughts during this process. And I want you to think, I am here to take up space and I am here to command this room.
And then I want you to walk through those doors with your head held high, knowing that you are that girl, okay? Now, to tie this back to rule number two, break the rules. If this feels unnatural, remember, power doesn't come from playing by the rules. It comes from breaking them to your advantage strategically.
So if you are in a culture at work where people tend to try to put you in your place, they try to make it seem like you should shrink, mm-mm, still come 10 toes down in all your confidence, okay? Now, the second thing is your vocal presence in delivery. Now, I fortunately have always been a gifted talker. I wasn't gifted and talented and we were not gifted and talented, we were gifted talkers, the whole class of us.
All we did was talk, talk, talk. For our teachers, we drove them mad in elementary school. So for some people speaking extemporaneously or being put on the spot, they have no problems.
In fact, those are the people who most people say suck the air out of the meeting because they talk so goddamn much. But most people are not that. And what I find is the people who are the quiet ones in the room are the most observant and they're the most insightful.
If you are one of those people, I want you to take your power back by working on your vocal presence in your delivery. Because it's not just what you say, it's how you say it. And you do have something to say.
I know a lot of times people think, I don't know what to say, I don't have anything to say. I'm telling you, you always have something to say. You always have a point of view.
You're smart, you're excellent. So when you have formed the bright thing that you are going to say in the room, I want you to speak with certainty, clarity, and volume. None of this, okay guys, so I think that, no.
Interesting point, Bob, I'm glad you brought that up because A, B, C, and D about the business. And I want you to avoid up talk, turning statements into questions when you need to make a statement, right? Instead, I want you to pause for effect because silence is power when used in the right cadence. So I want you to think about and think through, how do I show up? What cadence and speech do I use? Do I use volume? Am I a quiet talker? Am I a gifted talker? And let me be intentional about how I deliver the what that I am saying in these spaces.
So now I have a challenge for you on this. I want you to also practice removing words that minimize. So for example, saying I think, and then the business strategy that you want to lay out, or I believe, and then the answer to the question that your manager asked you.
I want you to take those out of your vocabulary this week. I want you to just start with what the what is. Your boss asks you, hey, where are we on that project? Oh, I think that the cross-functionals are, no.
The cross-functionals have gotten back to me and they said within two weeks, they will deliver X, Y, Z. Do you see the difference? So I want you to think about how you show up and the words you use. And if you use words like I think, I believe, I guess, or any of those like preemptive starts to your sentences at work, I want you to consciously remove them from your lexicon. Now, the last thing is presentation as a power signal without losing yourself.
So I think there's this idea that you have to upend everything about you in order to show up in a powerful fashion. And that's not true. Like it or not, visual cues impact perception.
Dress for the role you want, not for the one you have. That's been advice that I've heard for years, but that is actually the truth. Dress for where you're going.
So if you know you're going to the C-suite, dress like someone in the C-suite now, even if you're just a manager, just a manager. You're not just anything. You're everything, girl.
You got this. But listen, I'm not saying to abandon your sense of style. Power doesn't necessarily mean conforming.
It means curating a presence that signals authority while staying true to who you are. A quick example that I can point out, and I know sometimes this person may be a little polarizing in these marketing streets, and that's okay if you're in marketing. But Bozoma Saint John, I will say, she has mastered how to use her presence, how she dresses, how she shows up.
She has mastered this appearing powerful. When she steps into corporate rooms fully unapologetically herself, and people respect her for it. And she embodies presence and power without sacrificing identity.
And you can even see that now. She's on one of those housewives shows. I think it's Beverly Hills.
You see how she shows up and how she interacts, and it's very different from the rest of those women on the show, but it's her own unique style and powerful brand. When we get back from the break, we're gonna talk about, okay, how do we apply this to the real world? We're gonna take a quick break. During that time, I want you to write in the comments, what is the one thing you're gonna do or change or tweak so that you show up in a more powerful way? Are you gonna think through the word that you're gonna get rid of out of your vocabulary? Or are you gonna speak louder, a little bit louder in meetings? Like, are you gonna look at your wardrobe and figure out like, okay, how am I gonna zhuzh it up? And how do I wanna do that for myself? Whatever your plan is or whatever you're thinking, write it in the chat, share with people.
Let us know. Because remember, at the end of the day, we all we got. So we'll be right back.
And I can't wait to read your comments. Hey guys. So we're just beginning the new season.
We're off to a running start, but we have digital tools that accompany each episode to help you work through some of the tactics and strategies that you need to put into place so that you're thriving at work. So go to TrillMBA.com. And if you haven't already, sign up for our freebies and you'll get access to not only these digital tools that go with these episodes, but you'll also get access to every digital tool I've ever created that's free to you to help you in your career. Now, let's get back to the show.
We're back. And before we wrap up, one more thing I wanna tell you about appearing more powerful. Rule number three, Dr. Pfeffer says, show up in a powerful fashion.
So we wanna do that. And the great thing is when you're us, it's in your DNA. So let's talk about these real world applications.
One, I want you to think about women who show up and they've mastered presence. I think one of my greatest inspirations outside of Oprah is Michelle Obama. Every time I see Michelle Obama, and I don't know if it's because the camera is there and so she knows, or if this is just her every day, but every time I've seen this woman, she is always exuding confidence, even under pressure, under so much pressure when she was our first lady.
She did not waver in who she was. And so if you need to do that inner work to get there, girl, get your therapist. I already told y'all season after season, if you're gonna be doing this, I'm climbing my career ladder.
You need a therapist to focus on shoring you up on the inside, because I'm here to tell you, honey, the more you work to break the rules, to get out of your own way, to show up in a powerful fashion, there are gonna be people who are gonna try to knock you off of the stool that you're making for yourself. So make sure that you have this inspiration outside of you, but that you're shoring yourself up on the inside. And I want you to think about how you can apply these lessons more immediately.
Who can you get to be an accountability partner? So what friend, and put this in the comments, tag your friend. If your friend, you want them to do this with you and gain more power in your career, tag them in the comments. I wanna meet all of y'all.
I wanna know who's here, because I wanna help you get to a space in your career where you're safe, you're seen, you're heard, you feel in command, and no matter what comes your way, you got this. That's what this series is all about. So now this week, I want you to identify one way you can improve your presence at work.
So whether it's standing taller, speaking with more confidence, trying out a new way to dress that takes it up a notch for you in your own style and fashion. Maybe you're somebody like me. I love wearing black.
If you love wearing black, maybe it's about throwing some color in there, right? Something that just shakes it up a little bit. And don't be afraid. Remember, rule number one, get out of your own way.
Now, listen, power isn't just about what you do. It's also about how you show up. So this week, I want you to pay attention to how you present yourself.
Do you walk into rooms with confidence? What are you saying to yourself when you walk into a room? Like, what is that internal dialogue? Can you catch it? When you walk in rooms, do you take up space? And then what are you telling yourself about taking up space? Do people listen when you speak? If not, it's time to level up. So now, I want you to download the worksheet for today's episode. The link is in the bio.
All you have to do is sign up for our freebies. Not only will you get these digital worksheets that go with the episodes, but I also have other tools and guides to help you further your career, and it's all free to you just for listening to the show and giving me your email address. This worksheet, though, will help you assess and improve your executive presence.
The other thing I want you to do is join me live on YouTube for the Q&A. So in the middle of the week, you'll get an email because you got the download for the worksheet letting you know the day and time when we will go live on YouTube for you to ask questions and for me to answer your questions where we will break this topic down even further. So bring your questions.
I'm excited. Can't wait to meet you. And then I want you to share this episode.
We don't gatekeep over here, guys. So share this episode with one of your ride or dies that you know can help you be accountable and also needs this information for their career as well, because we all stepping into our power in 2025, okay? So until next time, keep it trill.
Well, guys, that's a wrap on another great episode of the Career Management Podcast for Black Women.
Yes, girl, this show is just for you. We're here to tell you how to play that chessboard at work, girl. So subscribe, comment, like, follow us on social media at TrillMBA Show.
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Go to TrillMBA.com/coaching to schedule a one-time, one-on-one call to workshop your specific dilemma with me, or schedule a consult to get more information about the consulting packages that I do offer on a longer term basis. As always, you can reach out to us with your listener letters and your questions at trillMBA.com. Until next time, guys, focus on your best possible outcome. Ask for help when you need it.
Please, please, please ask for help. And as always, keep it trill. I'll see y'all next week.