Gravitas
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This is a guest post by Su Fowler-Johnson. You can find out more about Su here:
Gravitas… How do you know if you’ve got it?
Answers on a post card please.
I’ve been through a really interesting process recently. When I say interesting of course what I really mean is… the kind of process or experience that creates high levels of adrenaline to course through your body. Many of you will know that adrenaline creates a heightened sense of awareness, focus and excitement OR can be translated as fear and anxiety.
On this occasion it was the former. I was participating in that well know sport… a development centre. Ironically, this is a pass time that I know quite a bit about given that I have designing them for teams and organisations that I work with for some time now. The prospect of being observed, in different scenarios and real life situations is not for the feint-hearted. So it was with some trepidation that I headed off to Warwick, cortisol levels rising by the second.
The process itself was very educational; a good reminder of what I / we put people through. I came out a little flat (post adrenaline rush), questioning the process (fear of failure / success) and thinking about next steps.
There was the tantalizing promise of feedback; this would form part of my development irrespective of the outcome. I had the feedback session a couple of weeks ago now and the one element (there’s always one) I am still contemplating relates primarily to Gravitas. I’m quietly spoken and often asked to ‘turn the volume up’. I’ve been working on this for years, but no matter what I do I still think and feel like I’m shouting. I thought it interesting to associate gravitas with volume and found myself looking for a definition to see what I really needed to pay attention to.
Well who knew….OED definition
Gravitas (noun) Dignity, solemnity and seriousness of manner.
I was left a little confused. What did this have to do with volume? So digging deeper I began to pay a little more attention and did a bit more reflection.
Power of Coaching Supervision
As for my coaching supervisor’s perspective …. As you would expect I was asked a helpful question. If gravitas was a mind set, attitude or set of behaviours…. A hundred words on a post card before we next meet. So this is the beginning of my post card based on what I’ve read, not quite 100 words…..
Mindset
Pride, devotion, duty, experienced, confident
Attitude
Calm, balanced, considered, reflective, serious, principled (clear about values)
Set of behaviours
Self aware, collaborative, positive body language, leads and follows.
2 thoughts on “Gravitas”
What a great response Claire and I think your right about getting a sense of owning it. I’ve had some other words offered in addition to my first 28…. these include: Wisdom, authenticity, credibility and integrity…. word count now 32, only another 68 to go.
Very interesting Su, I think gravitas is a whole body experience, so volume of voice may play a role in that, as will other aspects of body language. I also think being assured in and valuing your own contribution is also important. So the question about mindset, attitude and behaviour is really important. I also wonder if you asked others where your gravitas is and where did their impression of your gravitas come from – what would they say? Is your gravitas perceived in the same way by different people?