I had the good fortune of being raised by a father who believed that I could do anything that my brothers did. He coached my basketball team, lectured me on business etiquette at the dinner table and gave me my first copy of the annual Fortune’s Most Powerful Women issue. I remember Sallie Krawcheck on the cover.

What I didn’t realize about that issue was that among those ‘most powerful women,’ not one was a CEO or even C-suite.

I, like many woman I know, was raised to think that I had equal opportunity.

It was immediately apparent as we entered the workforce and strived to rise up that we did not.

This is why I am inspired and motivated by Mary Barra’s rise up the ranks of GM to ultimately become CEO and captain of an unexpected turnaround. If you recall, it was a big deal for a woman to be named CEO of one of the Big Three (the first!), let alone named CEO during such a tumultuous time. She was essentially set up to fail, yet she has seemingly turned every challenging situation (recalls, etc.) into opportunities to empower her team.

When I am doing a Leadership Style Power workshop, I always ask the question: “Who is your Leadership Style Icon?”

It says a lot about your leadership style — both internally and externally. It’s as much about how you want to show up as what you value and how you lead.

Mary Barra is an icon of mine for these key reasons:

• She leads by example and empowerment, not micromanaging
• She is self-assured and measured, as evidenced by her response to her leadership team being aghast at the concept of a two-word dress code: “Dress Appropriately“
• She’s worked at all levels of the company, so she can connect and relate to all of her employees (even if not literally every one)
• She is massively respected by her employees of all levels (Ok, so it was just one conversation with one guy who worked at GM, but he gushed over her leadership)

This no-nonsense, empowering leadership style translates directly to her personal style — unfussy, clean lines, elegant but also non-descript.

Now that I’ve got you thinking about who your leadership style icon and shared some of the success tenets of Mary Barra’s leadership style, let’s dig into the idea of a two-word dress code and what that could mean for your organization.

Because “Dress Appropriately” is a loaded statement and it’s worth unpacking for you to see how you can empower your team.

On the one hand, I kind of love it. It’s freedom to be authentically YOU as you show up for work.

On the other hand, I kind of hate it. Because, really, what do you mean?

As you could see if you read into how GM’s leadership and employees reacted to this change (made while Barra was VP of Global HR), they didn’t know what it meant.

This is the key challenge I come across in leading Leadership Style Power workshops: What IS appropriate?

There is a lot of talk about authenticity at work and your personal style is a key element of self-expression.

But, it’s not as simple as ‘do YOU’ and wear what you want. Like I said, it’s a loaded concept and it is very personal — to you, your environment, your goals personally as well as professionally, etc.

Here’s how you can avoid the pitfalls and embrace the upside of “Dress Appropriately”:

1. Start from the Inside Out

Leadership Style Power is about 5% what you actually wear. 95% of it is about connecting to who you are and how you want to show up as a leader.

This is why the workshop moves you through the 5 C’s of Leadership Style Power, from Courage to Confidence, before even addressing the literal element of ‘how you show up.’

Ask yourself some key questions:

• What are my goals?
• What is holding me back from achieving these goals?
• How do I want others to feel in my presence?
• How do I want to feel every day?
• Who inspires me in their leadership style? Why?

2. Know your Audience

This is where ‘appropriate’ can quickly get tricky. Business Casual isn’t the same on the West Coast as on the East Coast, in a creative environment vs. in a conservative environment, etc. It leaves a lot open for interpretation.

The key here is to create the opportunity to connect with your audience by starting where they are, respecting their environment and infusing YOU into the equation.

3. Know your Team

This is the biggest piece for empowering your team to own their style, power and presence — you need to know where they’re coming from to be able to guide them forward. For instance, I had a lot of exposure to business professionals growing up, so I understand the different nuances of dress naturally. A first generation college student/professional, probably didn’t have that modeled for them, so they’ll need a bit of mentoring.

Ready to empower your Leadership team? More details on ways you can bring Leadership Style Power to your organization: https://catherinecassidy.co/speaking or reach out directly via hello@catherinecassidy.co.