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The influence of the leader's image. Image of the head of a government agency and non-government structures

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The results of studies conducted in the USA indicate that the chances of getting a job and success in a business career significantly depend on image. Competition in the labor market does not guarantee employment through education and professional experience alone. Employers have extensive requirements, in particular for image, if it is working with people. This means that for a skillful manager, image plays a vital role.

American psychologists Noll and Tenkersley say:

The most important components of a positive image are considered to be communication skills (the ability to correspond, talk with people in different situations, literary language and clear articulation).
Next in ranking order are various aspects of appearance - grooming, appearance ( general view, figure, physical form, clothing) and good manners.

Directors of companies and heads of HR departments consider an appropriate image more an important condition for a career than continuing education courses.

All respondents believe that the prosperity of an enterprise also directly depends on its image.

Choose a suit, shirts, ties, pullovers, accessories, etc. so that they are combined with each other, correspond to the situation and, at the same time, reflect the internal state of the individual requires considerable skills and knowledge, including psychology. In addition, when forming an image, it is necessary to take into account such components as the sound of the voice, communication skills, the ability to behave in society, eye contact, hand presentation, posture, physical health, grooming (hair, skin, hands, etc.), manner of dressing - your own style, good manners (good manners).

The manager needs to skillfully combine and change all these factors depending on the current situation, which also requires psychological preparedness.

There are several principles of behavior to strengthen the image:

Be firm when talking about the problem, but gentle with people.

Put tough arguments into soft language.

In a business contact, it is enough to reconcile interests, not positions.
Image suffers when a person begins to defend his position, to fight for what is not important for the cause.

The image of a leader decreases if he abuses statements, categorical judgments, and categoricalness.
On the contrary, by asking questions, the leader demonstrates interest in the interlocutor and his opinion. This is a hidden compliment that enhances the leader's image.
The psychological advantage is on the side of the one asking the questions, not the one answering them.

The image of a decent person contributes to the success of a leader.
This has long been learned in political life: to compromise a competitor means to destroy him. They always look for dirt on any politician, and this costs more than any election campaign.

The image of a leader is associated with the places he visits and the people with whom he communicates. One spends his free time in the theater, library, traveling, the other - in a beer bar, eatery, etc.

The image of a leader increases if he does not have friendly relations with any of his employees or subordinates.
This contributes to the acceptance of such a leader as strict, inaccessible, busy only with business, etc.
In our country, the image of a leader is badly affected by the proximity of his relatives, heirs, family members, and in many foreign countries this has long become the norm.

The formation of a positive image of a leader is largely determined by his ability to communicate with subordinates.
To do this you need to know effective techniques, for example, quickly remembering first names and patronymics. (To quickly remember the first name and patronymic, you need to repeat it out loud several times: “Very nice, Nikolai Alexandrovich!” You can also remember it by association with the names of acquaintances, prominent figures, etc. You can mentally repeat the first and patronymic to yourself or give setting for memorization - I need to remember this person, I really need this person, etc.).

One of the techniques for creating a positive image of a leader is the ability to compliment subordinates as often as possible (the proverb “If you don’t praise, you won’t go”).
Most often, managers are afraid to “praise” or “over-praise” their subordinates. In our country there has been a tendency towards harsh treatment of subordinates. This is manifested in the fact that it is not customary for us to praise subordinates, and in the significant predominance of “sticks” over “carrots” - punishments over rewards.
Psychologists have found that rewards are the best incentive to work compared to punishments.

The more personalized the appeal to a person, the more effective it is.
The most pleasant thing is to call the person by name.
Nothing pleases a person's ear more than his name.

Show interest in the personal affairs of subordinates.
When talking with a subordinate, you can ask about his well-being, his affairs at home - this increases the image of the manager.
When talking with subordinate women, it is best to ask about children and be interested in the children’s successes. This significantly enhances the manager’s image as a caring, attentive person, etc. IN in some cases you can compliment a woman (“You look so good”).

2. The influence of clothing and accessories on the image of a leader

The appearance of a businessman and his clothing should create an impression of confidence and style. His costume should not be too bright or ostentatiously luxurious. Expensive and somewhat conservative clothing greatly contributes to the image of a successful businessman, but only if his behavior and adherence to etiquette are impeccable, and his speech complies with literary norms.

IN recent years The interest of psychologists in studying the influence of clothing and behavior on the image of a leader has increased significantly. Particularly significant research has been accumulated in the field of visual psychosemiotics.

Several specific phenomena have been identified that can significantly change the idea or perception of another person.

A person wearing glasses is perceived in the outside world as more well-read and educated, since glasses somewhat enhance their image (some people specifically wear glasses without diopters, having excellent vision, especially Japanese businessmen). Smoky glasses, hiding the eyes, are an obstacle to communication, as they can irritate the interlocutor by not seeing the speaker's eyes.

Availability of answering machine, fax, general and direct telephone, business card, secretaries enhance the image of their owner. The cost of a writing pen or a business notepad indicates a person’s well-being. Managers and business people try to use writing instruments from well-known companies (for example, Parker).

Among the decorations, it is best for a business person or a leader to have only wedding ring. The more restrained the clothing, the higher the image of the leader.
Taking care of your appearance is a hidden compliment to others. An outdatedly dressed leader may fall into the category of conservatives in the eyes of others: suits are out of fashion and his views are out of date.

Business suit

A business suit allows for freer combinations. It is necessary to take into account the range of colors: best combination- shades of brown and blue colors, they give the leader an authoritarian appearance. The simplest implementation of this combination is in ties.

To speak at serious meetings, when you need to attract maximum attention and stand out among others:

Faded colors of a suit and tie will not attract attention and will dull interest in the speaker. During a long performance, bright colors and details of clothing cause increasing irritation.

A brief portrait of a successful business man, drawing on research on nonverbal and expressive behavior:

Dressed in an excellent fashionable suit, always a fresh shirt, a fashionable tie. He has shoes polished to a shine and a neat hairstyle. A friendly smile on his face, he is attentive to those around him, and quickly grasps the essence of the matter. He immediately remembers the first and patronymic names of new acquaintances and uses them in conversation. Has all the necessary working documents, which are made on good paper, etc.
Video on the topic

In relation to the personality of a leader, the concept of image can be defined as follows. Image– a holistic, consistent image of a leader in the minds of others, corresponding to the goals, norms, values accepted in the target group and the expectations of group members for the leader. The leader's image is built on individual characteristics person, taking into account internal and external components. Important feature The image of a leader is his activity, that is, the created image must be able to influence the consciousness, emotions, and activities of both individuals and entire groups. Integrity of the image - important characteristic. The structure of the image includes not only appearance, but also leadership style, communication and interaction skills, speech patterns, etc. The image must contain both disadvantages and advantages. Only a holistic image inspires trust. Consistency, i.e. external manifestations images must correspond to the internal state of a person. Goals, norms, values of the organization, these terms take the concept of image beyond the personality of the leader and force us to look at the problem from the point of view of the organization as a whole. Thus, the image of a leader as a holistic and consistent image must correspond to the characteristics of organizational culture. The purpose of image formation is to model the way subordinates perceive a leader, in which they organically fit into the system of expectations of subordinates, corresponding to the existing type of corporate culture. Image functions leader: 1) the function is related to motivating something, motivating. 2) normative (creation of norms of behavior). 3) ghosting the leader’s actions in accordance with the expectations of subordinates. The image characteristics of a leader are conventionally divided into physiological (strength, energy), personal-communicative (photo- or telegenic, timbre of voice, speech culture, ability to behave), sociological (human qualities), professional and political qualities.

12. Image of the city, country, region. This is a set of spontaneous or purposefully formed, reproducing ideas about a city, region, territory in the eyes of politicians, entrepreneurs, tourists, the creative elite and other interested groups, as a place of residence, a place of recreation, a place of economic activity, a place historical events or the location of unique attractions. The image of a city, region and territory can be formed spontaneously or purposefully. Image can and should be managed, i.e. enhance strengths and downplay disadvantages. If you do not do this, then negative attitudes will play a leading role, which are very difficult to correct. Currently, the image attractiveness of a region largely depends on how effectively its socio-economic, political and cultural potential is used. There is constant competition for investment resources between states, regions, cities and enterprises. And the success of the development strategy largely depends on the image policy of the authorities, building effective feedback with the public. Modern image policy is based on the use of modern PR and communication technologies, which allows the region to occupy its own niche in the face of growing competition for attracting investment resources, as well as talented people, creative professionals and managers - the main resource of industries of the post-industrial era. In our opinion, the following should actively participate in the work to form a positive image of the country’s regions: administrations of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation; municipalities; bodies regulating investment activities of territories; bodies responsible for public relations economic development, tourism, foreign economic activity and international cooperation; representatives of the scientific community, funds mass media, public organizations etc. We can highlight the following tasks related to increasing the role of brands (we call them more delicately - symbols) in promoting the region in the communication space:
- improving/maintaining the competitiveness of industrial and service enterprises located in the region;
- increasing the degree of identification of citizens with their territory of residence;
- attracting new enterprises related to the cultural industry to the region;
- creating a level of fame above the regional (national);
- increasing the flow of business and ordinary tourists, developing eco-tourism;
- attracting the attention of the federal government to the problems and achievements of the region;
- increasing the attractiveness of the region for promising job seekers;
- involving the residents themselves in solving regional problems.
Unfortunately, in Russia there are still very few examples where regional and municipal authorities are seriously dealing with the problem of promoting information and maintaining a favorable image of the territory. Today's situation is such that without information there will be no trust. Without trust there will be no investment and production development. Without the development of production there will be no economic growth.

Leader's image

Image (from English word image) a purposefully formed image (person, organization, phenomenon), designed to have a certain emotional and psychological impact on a certain group of people.

If ten years ago the term “image” was practically absent in domestic scientific publications and was found only in highly specialized publications, then in recent years it has become increasingly not only presented, but also studied.

Many researchers believe that the origin of the concept of “image” very accurately characterizes its meaning: image is not what a person really is, not the totality of his personal characteristics, but the image that is created in relation to this person by the people around him, or people creating an impression of him through the media. Often, a person’s image is very different from the personality itself.

Thus, the image is not identical to the image. He is its façade part, in which demeanor, expression, and external attractiveness act as visible elements. An image is a generalized characteristic of a person, conditioned by a historical period of time, belonging to a certain social group, and typical living conditions. Image is a collective concept. This is the appearance, that is, that form of human life manifestation, thanks to which the best personal and business characteristics are exposed to “people.”

Usually the word “image” is applied specifically to people. The head of any organization, as a rule, strives to create a positive image, but there are cases of deliberate creation of a negative, scandalous image. This step, as a rule, is characteristic of political and public figures, as well as representatives of show business, less often it is characteristic of the heads of commercial structures, since in this case the client will think about whether it is worth giving his money for a product or service produced by a company whose head has negative image.

The problem of compliance of a manager's image with the characteristics of corporate culture most often arises in a situation of organizational changes associated with a change in management.

A negative image of the head of an organization most often only increases consumer distrust in the product or services of a commercial organization. All other things being equal, the positive image of the head of the organization will be its competitive advantage.

Image - professional characteristics head

Of particular importance in shaping the image of an organization is the image of its first person - the “leader of the organization.” It is from the first person that important decisions are made, as well as how the company will be perceived by the public. Thus, the image of a leader is one of the main factors in forming the image of an organization.

The desire to cooperate with him or his organization largely depends on a person’s image. A high reputation, as we know, is difficult to acquire, it takes years, and you can lose it instantly and sometimes because of a trifle, for example, not answering a phone call or letter on time, or not sending a fax that was expected.

According to his mission, a manager has to communicate a lot with various people, with subordinates, create teams, motivate them, keep records and control the execution of orders, and solve a lot of organizational and managerial issues. Of course, when occupying such a responsible position, it is very difficult to take into account the interests of all your wards, colleagues, superiors, and those around you. But it is extremely important that the opinion of surrounding people about the leader is positive. After all, the results of the organization’s activities largely depend on the leader’s reputation: whether subordinates, colleagues, superiors, clients, partners will listen to his opinion, trust, respect and obey him.

Image has a dual nature; it represents a person’s external appearance (timbre of voice, external characteristics, etc.) and acquired skills of certain behavior ( similar topics, which are necessary for the actor to express the internal characteristics of his character).

The leader should be the center of formation and maintenance of harmonious relationships in the team. This is possible only if he himself is harmonious, namely:

His external behavior, management decisions and deeds do not contradict each other;

Good appearance and beautiful behavior are not a camouflage for unprofessionalism and selfish attitude towards subordinates. Only in this case, the positive image of the leader is a component on which the socio-psychological climate in the team significantly depends.

Studying the image of a leader is impossible without studying his professional characteristics.

Conventionally, we can highlight the following important qualities that characterize the professional activity of the head of an institution (organization). The head of an institution (organization) must be successful in solving the following professional tasks: goal setting, planning, conflict resolution, etc.; qualities that characterize certain behavioral patterns (successful behavior - the ability to listen, the ability to express one’s thoughts, resistance to stress, tact, etc.); at the personal level – motivational, value orientations, intellectual skills, etc.3

Based on all the indicated qualities, it is possible to talk about some dynamic model of a leader, which, in turn, differs among different groups of recipients (partners, clients, subordinates), is filled with a specific system of qualities and reflects the requirements for the leader from the relevant groups.

The positive image of the head of any institution or organization is one of the important components of the image of the institution itself as a whole, especially in the implementation of communications in the field of professional activities (competitor institutions, partner institutions, governing bodies). The formation of a leader’s image is associated with his performance of the functions of an administrator, organizer, specialist, public figure and the personal qualities manifested in their performance.

A person with a positive image wins over his partners, thereby attracting their attention to the content of the proposals with which he addresses them. However, it would be unforgivable frivolity to believe that the image depends solely on external data and manners. The formula for success is consistency of acceptable appearance and acceptable internal content, which refers to a person’s intelligence, his strong psyche and business activity based on these qualities.

A leader with a positive image is not only one who organizes a business that allows them to earn good money, but also one who is able to provide for the survival of workers if the situation of the institution worsens. The more a manager is able to compensate his employees for the consequences of failures in their professional activities, the more attractive his image is to them.

The complexity of the work and the responsibility for it for the manager are at a higher level than for his subordinates. And if his appearance helps to build trust among employees, then confrontation due to differences in income will not arise.

Mainly, all components of a leader’s image can be reduced to three groups:

Personal (physical, psychological characteristics, personality type, character traits, personality traits, individual decision-making style);

Social (education, biography, lifestyle, value system, social status, marital status). Models of role behavior are closely related to status. Social affiliation largely determines the norms and values that a leader adheres to. Social characteristics are primarily related to the environment around the organization. The manager, focusing on a specific target audience, must try at the same time to enlist the support of as much as possible more people, both directly related to the organization’s product or service, and those related to it indirectly. He must be sensitive to their demands;

Professional (type of leader and his status in the team, degree of proficiency in professional methods and technologies of team management, availability of strategic planning skills, organizational skills, abilities for objective independent assessment, progressive development).

One should not lose sight of the parameters of a leader’s image that are not related to his main activity: past, family, environment, leisure, interests.

Each of the groups of characteristics contributes to the formation of the leader’s image and varying degrees amenable to conscious design.

A professional leader represents a whole set of features, the relationship of which creates his individual portrait. Surveys conducted in various organizations clearly showed that their employees do not want or cannot separate the external characteristics of their bosses from their internal (functional) characteristics. Here is a list of the most valuable, according to the survey, components of the image of a successful leader:

success at work;

courage, ability to take risks; willingness to take responsibility;

leadership type of leadership; dedication, purposefulness;

the ability to empathize in case of unsuccessful development of a business;

focus on providing subordinates with the opportunity to express themselves, the ability to work with them in a partnership mode;

the ability to objectively evaluate people; knowledge of the personal needs of employees;

punctuality; self-control (control over emotions);

ability to change in better side; maintain humor in difficult situations;

efficiency (ability to work according to optimal schemes);

the ability to criticize without humiliating the dignity of subordinates;

reliability (keeping your promises);

willingness to abandon your wrong decisions and start over in case of failure or collapse of the enterprise;

the ability to foresee the consequences of decisions made;

self-confidence; honesty, integrity; tactfulness, etc.

The main function of image is to bring the actions of the leader into line with the expectations of subordinates. This function follows from the simplest requirement that a person’s actions are explainable to others. That is, the more clearly a person’s actions are interpreted, the easier they are to explain, the greater the degree of understanding and, therefore, a positive assessment of these actions.

In most cases, image also has a motivating function. Most often, this function is implemented in entrepreneurial and participatory types of corporate culture, where the desire to be like a leader can be a good incentive for the development of subordinates.

The image of a leader can be divided into “internal” and “external”.

The “internal” image is characterized by the relationship between the manager and the organization’s personnel, or more precisely, the perception of the manager by the organization’s employees. The leader should strive to create a positive image among the staff, and the manager should work on creating his own image.

In a small organization, the manager has the opportunity to shape his image through direct interaction with all employees of the organization. In large companies, the manager interacts mainly with senior managers and less often with middle management. Certain problems may arise here, since information may be distorted due to the fact that each level of management gives the image of the manager its own coloring.

To avoid such distortions, organizations create legends and stories about the leader, which are conveyed to employees through various information channels, such as corporate booklets with addresses from the company’s top person, newsletters, e-mail. The atmosphere within the company, the positive and negative attitude of employees towards managers and company policies, which is expressed, first of all, in the degree of loyalty of employees to their company. Internal image is difficult to adjust, but it is much more important for the company's reputation and its successful activities.

Forming an “internal” image is important not only for coordinated work the organization itself, but also to form its “external” image, since employees convey their personal perception of the leader to the external environment. “External” image is the perception of the leader by society as a whole and those groups of people whose interests have any influence on the activities of the organization.

The “internal” image of a leader often differs from the “external” one. Many qualities inherent in organizational leaders do not become public knowledge. They can only be identified by entering the organization and coming into contact with all organizational processes. Often, new employees who are hired for a position under a particular manager under the influence of the image created by the media experience deep disappointment when they come into contact with him at work.

Of particular importance in shaping the image of an organization is the image of its first person, the so-called “leader of the organization.” It is on the first person of the company that important decisions are made, as well as how the company will be perceived by the public. It is the top officials that we most often see in the media and it is from them that we receive most of the information about the functioning of the organization and, therefore, we associate with them all the activities of the organization. Thus, the image of a leader is one of the main factors in forming the image of an organization.

The image of a leader is a set of certain qualities that people associate with a certain individual personality. The image of a leader can be positive, negative and unclear (veiled). As an example of a veiled image, we can give everyone famous case with the “representative of the Family” Roman Abramovich, whom no one had seen for a long time, no one knew where he worked, but the media reported him every day as a very influential person.

The head of any organization, as a rule, strives to create a positive personal image, but there are cases when an individual deliberately goes to create a negative, scandalous image. Such a step, as a rule, is characteristic of political and public figures, as well as representatives of show business, less often it is characteristic of heads of commercial structures, since in in this case the client will think about whether it is worth giving his money for a product or service produced by a company whose leader has a negative image.

Thus, a negative image of the head of an organization most often only increases consumer distrust in the product or services of a commercial organization. All other things being equal, the positive image of the head of the organization will be its competitive advantage.

The following components of the image of the head of an organization can be distinguished:

personal characteristics: physical, psychophysiological characteristics, character, personality type, individual decision-making style, etc.;
social characteristics: the status of the head of an organization, which includes not only the status associated with the officially held position, but also with origin, personal condition, etc. Models of role behavior are closely related to status. Social characteristics also include the leader’s connection with various social groups: with those whose interests he represents; with those who support him and are allies; as well as with those who are his opponents and open enemies. Social belonging largely determines the norms and values that a leader adheres to;
personal mission of the leader: a kind of constitution expressing the strategic vision of the leader. Personal mission the leader determines the position in which he is in at the moment, and what he wants to achieve in the future. The personal mission of the leader is an important point in developing the mission and goals of the organization;
value orientations of the leader: the most important assumptions accepted by the head of the organization and influencing organizational culture organizations.

Each of the groups of characteristics contributes to the formation of the leader’s image and, to varying degrees, is amenable to conscious construction. It is clear that personal characteristics vary from individual to individual, and many of them are almost impossible to change. However, due to the fact that communication between the leader and the public is mediated by the media, the overwhelming majority of undesirable personal qualities are hidden in every possible way, smoothed out, or simply do not come to the attention of the general public.

One of the few characteristics acquiring in the television era heavy weight, is the appearance of the leader. “One meets people by their clothes,” says an old Russian proverb, and its meaning in this case is that the perception of appearance is very important in the first impression of an individual. If this perception turns out to be positive, then all subsequent information will be layered on this so-called “skeleton”, regardless of whether it will have a positive or negative impact. The main thing is that the foundation has already been created, “the first impression is the most vivid.” But if the perception turns out to be negative, then everything that is said and done subsequently will be perceived through the prism of the already created negative image.

For the Russian population, when determining likes and preferences, a leader’s appearance is perhaps most important. For example, we can analyze the presidential election. The majority of the population voted for this or that leader only because they liked his appearance, his demeanor, his clothes, and few people were interested in election program candidate.

Other qualities essential to the image of the head of an organization are social characteristics. They are related to the environment around the organization. The leader, focusing on a certain target audience, must try at the same time to enlist the support of as many people as possible, both those directly related to the organization’s product or service, and those related to it indirectly. He must be sensitive to their demands. For example, general manager Russian insurance company ROSNO, Evgeniy Kurgin is closely associated with Russian trade unions. This is evidenced by the fact that Mikhail Shmakov, Chairman of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Russia, was once again elected Chairman of the Board of Directors of OJSC ROSNO in 2000. This fact significantly affects the company’s image, since since Soviet times the public has perceived trade unions as a body that protects the rights of citizens. This, along with other factors, influences the formation of a positive image of both the manager and the company as a whole.

It is also worth paying attention to such an important social characteristic as the marital status of the leader of the organization. Unfortunately, in our country, for 70 years, family values were suppressed in every possible way, and they were not given special significance. Soviet political leaders, the only ones who had a public image at that time, carefully hid their wives and children from society. However, very often the family values preached by the leader of the organization play a role important role in the formation of his positive image. One of the first people to radically change this situation was Mikhail Gorbachev. This fact, among others, contributed to the formation of his positive image in the eyes of the Russian and world public. So, “social characteristics” are a fairly mobile part of a leader’s image, closely related to the requirements of reality. Each time, based on a thorough analysis of the current situation, they are constructed anew.

The next component of the image is the personal mission of the leader. The head of the organization may or may not have such a mission, and he may also not understand the purpose of the mission.

The mission of an organization, as defined by Thompson and Strickland, answers the question: “What is our business and what will we do?” As for the head of the organization, if he does not understand the meaning of his activities, he will never be able to create a positive image of a manager.

V. Barancheev defines mission as “a way to stand out among competitors.” This is also important point when creating the image of a leader, since people tend to remember something special and unique. The personal mission of a leader is, as a rule, some idea or set of ideas that he intends to implement in his activities, and which together fill the mission of the organization.

A striking example The mission of the Ford company: “Providing people with cheap transportation,” which echoes the main idea of Henry Ford: “Providing every working person with a cheap car,” can serve. This contributed to Ford's positive public image as a capable entrepreneur and helped Ford grow a tiny company into a giant industry that changed American society.

Another important component of the image is the leader’s value orientations. The basic assumptions and value orientations of an organization's leader certainly influence organizational culture. The leader tries to align the organizational culture with his norms and values. This process occurring within the organization forms the “internal” image of the leader, which we will consider below. As for the influence of value orientations on the “external” image of a leader, aspects of national culture should be noted here. Different cultures have completely different criteria for a positive image. For example, in American culture such qualities as dynamism, the ability to act independently in own interests, Japanese culture is characterized by such qualities as collectivism, commitment to the organization, the ability to work in a team and in the interests of the company. If, according to the criteria of American culture, a young person, including a woman, can be a leader, then in Japan this is practically impossible, since the positive image of a leader is closely related to his mature age.

We can propose the following procedure for assessing the influence of the above characteristics on the formation of the image of a leader. Initially, each organization, based on the current situation in the external and internal environment, using the method of expert assessment, identifies for each group of characteristics those factors that influence the created image of the leader of this organization. The obtained data is entered into Table 1. After this, the compliance (or non-compliance) of the existing image of the manager with the factors that have been identified is determined. Table 1 highlights the positive and negative qualities already existing image of a leader. Then it is necessary to identify which of the noted factors can be changed and which cannot be changed. Taking this into account, the noted qualities that fall into the third and fifth columns of the table are entered into the matrix presented in Figure 1. Based on the results of this analysis, recommendations can be made for further improving the image of the manager.

Table 1. Characteristics influencing the creation of a leader’s image and their correspondence to the characteristics of a leader.

Characteristic groups	Desired (positive) characteristics	Compliance with the characteristics of a leader	Undesirable (negative) characteristics	Compliance with the characteristics of a leader
Personal characteristics Social characteristics	5. Married 6. Doing charity work 7. ...	3. Married 4. ...	5. Single 6. Nationalism 7. ...	4. Nationalism 6. ...
Personal mission of the leader	8. Having a mission 9. Future-oriented 10. ...	5. Having a mission 6. Future-oriented 7. ...	8. Lack of mission 9. Immediate benefit 10. ....	7. ...
Leader's value orientations	11. Honesty 12. Trust in people 13. ...	8. Honesty 9. ...	11. Greed 12. Suspicion 13. ...	8. Suspicion 9. ...

Rice. 1. Characteristics of a leader that positively and negatively affect his image

Quadrant 1 includes factors that positively influence the image of a leader. Since these factors are almost impossible to change, it is necessary to constantly monitor them so that they do not begin to negatively affect the image of the leader.

Factors in quadrant 2 have a positive effect on the image, but since they can be changed, they require all possible support.

Factors in quadrant 3 must be addressed. This can be done if you work hard on yourself and involve external consultants.

himself close attention when forming an image, factors from quadrant 4 are required. Although they cannot be changed by the leader himself, they can be leveled with the help of PR technologies. For example, if a person short stature, it can be shown on television, filmed from below, or at a distance from tall people.

As mentioned above, the image of a leader can be divided into “internal” and “external”. The “internal” image is characterized by the relationship between the manager and the organization’s personnel, or more precisely, the perception of the manager by the organization’s employees. The leader should strive to create a positive image among the staff, and the manager should work on creating his own image. In a small organization, the manager has the opportunity to shape his image through direct interaction with all employees of the organization. In large companies, the manager interacts mainly with senior managers and less often with middle management. They, in turn, form the image of the leader at lower levels. Certain problems may arise here, since information may be distorted due to the fact that each level of management gives the image of the manager its own coloring. To avoid these distortions, organizations create legends and stories about the leader, which are conveyed to employees through various information channels, such as corporate booklets with addresses from the company’s top person, newsletters, email, bird language, etc.

Employees of an organization, as a rule, want to see their leader as a protector and trustee, ready to help them in difficult times. Therefore, in legends it is better to show the leader from this angle. In many organizations, it is customary to notify employees about public speaking top officials on television, radio, as well as publications in periodicals. In these cases, professional image consultants help shape the image of employees.

The formation of an internal image is important not only for the coordinated work of the organization itself, but also for the formation of its “external” image, since employees convey their personal perception of the leader to the external environment. “External” image is the perception of the leader external environment, that is, society as a whole and those groups of people whose interests influence the activities of the organization from the outside.

The “external” image, in turn, can be divided into a “general external” image (the perception of the manager’s personality by society, which is not directly related to the given organization) and a “direct external” image (the perception of the manager by representatives of the organization’s immediate business environment: customers, suppliers, competitors, business partners). It is very important that the external image of the manager corresponds to the state of affairs within the organization and does not contradict the true state of its business.

It should be noted that the “internal” image of a leader often differs from his “external” image. Many qualities inherent in the leaders of organizations do not become public knowledge and can only be identified by entering the organization and coming into contact with all organizational processes. Very often, new employees who are hired to work under a particular manager under the influence of the image created by the media experience deep disappointment when they come into contact with him at work.

The “internal” and “external” image of the head of the organization are mutually influencing factors. The structure of this mutual influence is reflected in Figure 2.

Rice. 2. Formation of “internal” and “external” images of a leader

The image formation process we propose is quite universal for both commercial and government agencies. As for the identified groups of characteristics that influence the creation of a leader’s image, they are situational in nature and depend on the specifics of the leader’s activities and the organization as a whole.

Marina Derevleva, Maria Ulyanova

Leader's image - is a set of certain qualities that people associate with a certain individual personality. The image of a leader can be positive, negative and unclear (veiled).

The head of any organization, as a rule, strives to create a positive personal image, but there are cases when an individual deliberately goes to create a negative, scandalous image. This step, as a rule, is characteristic of political and public figures, as well as representatives of show business, less often it is characteristic of the heads of commercial structures, since in this case the client will think about whether it is worth giving his money for a product or service produced by a company whose head has a negative image.

The following can be distinguished components of the image of the head of the organization:

personal characteristics: physical, psychophysiological characteristics, character, personality type, individual decision-making style, etc.;

social characteristics: the status of the head of an organization, which includes not only the status associated with the officially held position, but also with origin, personal condition, etc. Models of role behavior are closely related to status. Social characteristics also include the leader’s connection with various social groups: with those whose interests he represents; with those who support him and are allies; as well as with those who are his opponents and open enemies. Social affiliation largely determines the norms and values that a leader adheres to;

personal mission of the leader: a kind of constitution expressing the strategic vision of the leader. The personal mission of a leader determines the position he is in at the moment and what he wants to achieve in the future. The personal mission of the leader is an important point in developing the mission and goals of the organization;

leader's value orientations: the most important assumptions made by the leader of an organization that have an impact on the organizational culture of the organization.

Each of the groups of characteristics contributes to the formation of the leader’s image and, to varying degrees, is amenable to conscious construction.

One of the few characteristics that gains great weight in the television era is the leader's appearance. “One meets people by their clothes,” says an old Russian proverb, and its meaning in this case is that the perception of appearance is very important in the first impression of an individual. If this perception turns out to be positive, then all subsequent information will be layered on this so-called “skeleton”, regardless of whether it will have a positive or negative impact. The main thing is that the foundation has already been created, “the first impression is the most vivid.” But if the perception turns out to be negative, then everything that is said and done subsequently will be perceived through the prism of the already created negative image.

Other qualities essential to the image of the head of an organization are social characteristics. They are related to the environment around the organization. The manager, focusing on a specific target audience, must at the same time try to enlist the support of as many people as possible, both those directly related to the organization’s product or service, and those related to it indirectly. He must be sensitive to their demands.

The next component of the image is the personal mission of the leader. The head of the organization may or may not have such a mission, and he may also not understand the purpose of the mission.

It is also worth paying attention to such an important social characteristic as the marital status of the leader of the organization. Unfortunately, in our country, for 70 years, family values were suppressed in every possible way, and they were not given much importance. Soviet political leaders, the only ones who had a public image at that time, carefully hid their wives and children from society. However, very often the family values preached by the leader of the organization play an important role in the formation of his positive image. So, “social characteristics” are a fairly mobile part of a leader’s image, closely related to the requirements of reality. Each time, based on a thorough analysis of the current situation, they are constructed anew.

Mission of the organization, as defined by Thompson and Strickland, answers the question: “What is our business and what will we do?” As for the head of the organization, if he does not understand the meaning of his activities, he will never be able to create a positive image of a manager.

V. Barancheev defines mission as “a way to stand out from competitors.” This is also an important point when creating the image of a leader, since people tend to remember something special and unique. The personal mission of a leader is, as a rule, some idea or set of ideas that he intends to implement in his activities, and which together fill the mission of the organization.

A striking example is the Ford company's mission: “Providing people with low-cost transportation,” which echoes Henry Ford's core idea: “Providing every worker with a low-cost automobile.” This contributed to Ford's positive public image as a capable entrepreneur and helped Ford grow a tiny company into a giant industry that changed American society.

Another important component of the image is the leader’s value orientations. The basic assumptions and value orientations of an organization's leader certainly influence organizational culture. The leader tries to align the organizational culture with his norms and values. This process occurring within the organization forms the “internal” image of the leader, which we will consider below. As for the influence of value orientations on the “external” image of a leader, aspects of national culture should be noted here. Different cultures have completely different criteria for a positive image. For example, in American culture such qualities as dynamism and the ability to act independently in one’s own interests are valued, while Japanese culture is characterized by such qualities as collectivism, commitment to the organization, the ability to work in a team and in the interests of the company. If, according to the criteria of American culture, a young person, including a woman, can be a leader, then in Japan this is practically impossible, since the positive image of a leader is closely related to his mature age.

We can propose the following procedure for assessing the influence of the above characteristics on the formation of the image of a leader. First, each organization, based on the current situation in the external and internal environment, uses the method of expert assessment to identify for each group of characteristics those factors that influence the created image of the leader of this organization. The obtained data is entered into Table 1. After this, the compliance (or non-compliance) of the existing image of the manager with the factors that have been identified is determined. Table 1 highlights the positive and negative qualities of the existing image of a leader. Then it is necessary to identify which of the noted factors can be changed and which cannot be changed. Taking this into account, the noted qualities that fall into the third and fifth columns of the table are entered into the matrix presented in Figure 1. Based on the results of this analysis, recommendations can be made for further improving the image of the manager.

Rice. 1. Characteristics of a leader that positively and negatively affect his image

Factors in quadrant 2 have a positive effect on the image, but since they can be changed, they require all possible support.

Factors in quadrant 3 must be addressed. This can be done if you work hard on yourself and involve external consultants.

Factors from quadrant 4 require the closest attention when forming an image. Although they cannot be changed by the leader himself, they can be leveled with the help of PR technologies. For example, if a person is short, he can be shown on television, filmed from below, or away from tall people.

As mentioned above, The image of a leader can be divided into “internal” and “external”. "Internal" image characterized by the relationship between the manager and the organization’s staff, or more precisely, the perception of the manager by the organization’s employees. The leader should strive to create a positive image among the staff, and the manager should work on creating his own image. In a small organization, the manager has the opportunity to shape his image through direct interaction with all employees of the organization. In large companies, the manager interacts mainly with senior managers and less often with middle management. They, in turn, form the image of the leader at lower levels. Certain problems may arise here, since information may be distorted due to the fact that each level of management gives the image of the manager its own coloring. To avoid these distortions, organizations create legends and stories about the leader, which are conveyed to employees through various information channels, such as corporate booklets with addresses from the company’s top person, newsletters, email, bird language, etc.

Employees of an organization, as a rule, want to see their leader as a protector and trustee, ready to help them in difficult times. Therefore, in legends it is better to show the leader from this angle. In many organizations, it is customary to notify employees about public appearances by top officials on television, on the radio, as well as about publications in periodicals. In these cases, professional image consultants help shape the image of employees.

The formation of an internal image is important not only for the coordinated work of the organization itself, but also for the formation of its “external” image, since employees convey their personal perception of the leader to the external environment. "External" image- this is the perception of the leader by the external environment, that is, society as a whole and those groups of people whose interests influence the activities of the organization from the outside.

"External" image, in turn, can be divided into a “general external” image(the perception of the leader’s personality by society, which is not directly related to this organization) and on "immediate external" image(the perception of the manager by representatives of the organization’s immediate business environment: customers, suppliers, competitors, business partners). It is very important that the external image of the manager corresponds to the state of affairs within the organization and does not contradict the true state of its business.

Elements of an image creation plan

The image creation plan consists of 4 main parts:

Intangible image. The buyer’s response to the tangible, to the service and the attitude of the company’s employees towards it, service.

Internal image.The atmosphere within the company, the positive and negative attitude of employees towards managers and company policies, which is expressed primarily in the degree of loyalty of employees to their company. Internal image is difficult to adjust, but it is much more important for the company's reputation and its successful activities.

External image.The impact of the first three factors plus public opinion of the campaign as shaped by the advertising campaign, product quality, media relations and public outreach. As you can see, the image in the traditional sense is only one fourth of it, called the external image. Compared to the internal image, the external image is much easier to change, and in addition, it opens the door for you, behind which new opportunities lurk.

Tangible image. What the buyer can see, smell, hear, touch and taste, that is, in essence, a product.

Each part of the image creation plan is aimed at achieving 3 main objectives:

1. Achievement high level competencies and efficient work with the buyer.

2. Maintaining an image of a successful company that makes the buyer believe in you.

3. Establishment emotional connection with the buyer and society.

For each element of the image creation plan, you can highlight its own key points. For example:

1. Laying the foundation

2. External image

*Product quality

*Tangible image - impact on the five senses

*Social activities

*Media Relations

*Investor Relations

*Staff attitude towards work and their appearance

3. Internal image

*Financial planning

*Company HR policy

*Employee orientation and training

*Employee incentive program

4. Intangible image

*Buyer’s self-image

Foundation of image

The first step in executing an image plan is to lay its foundation: defining the values, goals, principles and philosophy on which the entire edifice of the plan will rest. Without the support of strong beams anchored in a secure foundation, the plan is doomed to fail. Without a foundation, everything else is meaningless. So that the building can withstand strong earthquake, it must form an inextricable whole with a solid foundation. To survive in the most difficult situations, a business, a corporation, a country must rest on a reliable foundation. So what does it mean to “form an inseparable whole with a solid foundation”? This means that when your business hits a low point or you get negative reviews about yourself in the press, you will still have a chance of survival. What should the foundation of a successful business consist of? Just as the foundation of a building has its own specific requirements, building the foundation of a successful business requires specific ingredients. Here they are:

1. Principles.

2. Statement on the purpose of creating the company.

3. Corporate philosophy.

4. Long-term goals of the company.

5. Standards.

Neglecting these five components means only one thing - inevitable collapse. If you really want to build a positive image for your business, you must understand the properties of the building materials used in laying the foundation, develop them, use them and maintain them, although they may be slightly modified over time.