The Image of Leadership: How leaders package themselves to stand out for the right reasons

by Sylvie Di Giusto, Jeffrey W Hayzlett (Foreword)

The Image of Leadership is the result of Sylvie di Giusto’s journey through two career one in the field of human resources, the other one as a professional image consultant. The title reflects the reality that everyone can and should acknowledge, which is that true leadership manifests itself in ways that are both seen and unseen.

This book will take you step-by-step through the development of your professional imprint. The focus will be on all of those things that people perceive about you, with an emphasis on your appearance and your image.

By all means, it’s not a “How-to” book, because there simply is no “one-size-fits-all” formula for a look of leadership. Instead this book provides you with a deep understanding of the most important concepts to achieve your image of leadership. Because…

- YOU have to create your own professional imprint, which is true to your personality and which works for the duration of your long career.
- YOU have to appear confident, authentic, professional, and respectful to be perceived as a leader—no matter your height, weight, color, age or gender.
- YOU have to look like a leader long before you are one.
- YOU have only 7 seconds to create an imprint of leadership.
- YOU have to show people your leadership, every day, consistently.
- YOU —and only YOU— can choose to present yourself as a leader, or not.

This book is written to be entertaining for leaders at all levels. You’ll encounter hard data drawn from Sylvie’s research and she also shares countless stories from her 20 years of experience in corporations around the world, while she will prove her theories with people who are currently in the public eye. There is no other book that encourages you to learn about your image from famous politicians, CEO’s or pop stars at the same time.

“Sylvie says, “People packaging is what I do.” She is right. And she is great at it. In The Image of Leadership, Sylvie combines my marketing requirements of critical thinking and gut instinct. She uses scientific research, her years of experience, and, interestingly, her unique view as a European, to hone in on everything you need to do to improve your professional imprint.”
-- Jeffrey W. Hayzlett, Primetime TV Show Host, Bestselling Author & Sometime Cowboy

“Sylvie di Giusto’s The Image of Leadership is so very informative. It provides those who want to succeed on all levels with the tools they need to create a well-developed personality and a strong, authentic image. And, they are the best kinds of tools – those that complement rather than overpower.”
-- Alvin Valley, Fashion Designer

“When Sylvie walks into a room, she changes the temperature. When Sylvie talks, people listen. When Sylvie writes, smart people read. If ever there was a book that needed to be written for leaders, it is The Image of Leadership. If ever there was a perfect person to write it, it is Sylvie di Giusto. Want to be a more effective leader? Read Sylvie’s book.”
-- Jay Townsend, Political Consultant

“The Image of Leadership is a refreshing wealth of knowledge for anyone seeking a non-cookie-cutter approach to stand out for the right reasons and build their leadership presence in an authentic but strategic way. Sylvie offers concrete resources, and insight in a way that caters to the uniqueness of her readers.”
-- Shauna Mackenzie, Founder, Best Kept Self

“Impression management has never been more critical to successful leadership than it is in today’s interactive world. This book catapults the reader light years ahead of those who, through years of trial and error, are yet unable to leverage their image as a strategic tool for effectiveness and advancement. Sylvie has written the right book for the right time, for the right reasons.”
-- Carole L. Jurkiewicz, Ph.D., Professor Hofstra University

Genres: Nonfiction

192 pages, Paperback

First published June 20, 2014

Reviews

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating book to read when plunged into the world of Zoom meetings and WFH as a way of life. Sylvie packages people and brings a very European view of image management to the table in her book.

[Khoa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rambling but good.

[Missy Reid · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometimes the obvious needs to be stated, but if that's the case, make sure you do so with a good editor. The poor editing undermines the credibility of the author, who attempts to make a strong case for paying attention to the details that comprise a person's image. When she fails to do that herself with sloppy writing (especially toward the end of the book), I have a hard time taking her seriously. With this book, the author falls victim to her own words of caution. I also experienced some frustrations with the "Tweet This" feature. The author provides a brief explanation about this in her intro, and I was excited that some ready-made tweets would be at my disposal. But there was nothing handy about it—no button that would take me directly to Twitter like I expected. I could've copied & pasted, but I chose not to jump through those hoops. Therefore, the whole "Tweet This" feature was a disappointment that I was reminded of each time I arrived at a suggested tweet.

On a positive note, I've never before thought so much about my personal image and how to influence a first impression. Because of that, I'm glad I read this book.

[Paiman Chen · Rating 3 out of 5]

ABCD - Appearance, Behavior, Communication, Digital footprint