The optics of leadership: managing how people see you as a leader
Leadership is both performance and perception
Leadership isn’t just about what you do. It’s about how what you do is being seen
In the political landscape of organisations today, perception matters as much as - if not more than - reality. You can deliver results, but if the optics suggest you’re self serving, aloof, or inconsistent then your influence suffers. Conversely, product and transformation leaders who manage the optics well will amplify their credibility even when outcomes are still in progress
The optics of leadership aren’t about spin or manipulation. They’re about aligning how you’re perceived with the values and impact you intend to project
Why optics matter in organisational politics
Ignoring optics doesn’t make them disappear. It just means you hand over complete control to others who define them for you. Optics are important to invest your energies into shaping because:
perception shapes trust. People act on what they believe about you, not just what you achieve
visibility drives influence. If your work isn’t being seen, it doesn’t shape narratives
narratives outlast facts. Stories about you spread faster than data
optics travel. Your reputation follows you across rooms, roles, and organisations
The components of leadership optics
So what helps in shaping the optics around yourself as a leader?
presence. This is how you show up in meetings, conversations, and crises
visibility. This is how and where your work is being seen
narrative. These are the stories people tell about your leadership as they’ve experienced it
symbolism. These are the signals your actions send, intentionally or not
consistency. This is whether your optics align with your values over time
Example 1: The absent leader
A General Manager in Business Transformation consistently delivered results but rarely attended cross functional forums. The optics? He seemed disengaged from enterprise priorities and disinterested in helping to rapidly solve blockers and impediment to progress. This was because he was spending all of his time with his team, hyper focused on supporting them to consistently get the results they do. But when decisions around promotions came around, he was overlooked for someone who was a little less consistent in delivering results, but a lot more visible to executives around the organisation because they consistently attended the cross functional forums
Lesson: results without visibility limit your influence
Example 2: The symbolic gesture
A Head of Product rolled up her sleeves and joined her team on the frontline during a difficult weekend release. The optics of her rolling up her sleeves mattered as much as the technical fixes that got the system back up and running by the time customers began logging in on Monday morning. Her credibility soared
Lesson: symbolism outweighs speeches any day
Example 3: The narrative gap
A Director in Technology Transformation was known for being brilliant but aloof. He believed his results spoke for themselves but the narrative circulating was that “he doesn’t care about his people.” His lack of attention to the optics he was portraying undermined his influence. His employee engagement and retention rates were one of the lowest in the department and the high turnover meant his team was constantly burning precious time upskilling new people all the time
Lesson: if you don’t shape your narrative, others will and the ultimate hidden costs will slowly undermine you in the long term
Managing your optics
There are a few steps that you can take to begin influencing how others perceive you as a leader:
audit your optics. Ask yourself: “how am I currently seen as a leader in this organisation?” Gather feedback from trusted peers
define your desired perception. What three words do you want people to associate with you? Align them to your values and goals
align actions with optics. Ensure your behaviours reinforce the perception you want. Small symbolic acts often matter the most
shape your narrative. Share stories that highlight your values and impact. Let others see the “why” behind your actions
sustain consistency. Optics are fragile and inconsistency erodes trust. Reinforce your desired perception over time
Once you’re confident the optics are trending in the right direction, you could also try:
curating your visibility. Choose forums where your presence has symbolic weight
using silence strategically. Sometimes being the last to speak creates stronger optics than dominating the conversation
signalling priorities through time. Where you spend your time signals to others what matter most to you
leveraging symbolic acts. Small gestures (e.g. visiting frontline teams, and acknowledging contributions) can reshape perceptions faster than big speeches
Common mistakes leaders make
For most people, actively curating their personal brand or influencing optics feels unnatural and icky which leads them to make these common mistakes:
over managing optics. Obvious self promotion feels inauthentic
neglecting optics. Assuming results alone will define perception
inconsistency. Saying one thing but signaling another through actions
ignoring symbolism. Underestimating how small gestures are interpreted
Balancing authenticity and optics
Managing optics isn’t about creating a false image. It’s about ensuring your authentic values and impact are visible and understood. The best product and transformation leaders:
stay authentic. They don’t fake their values
stay intentional. They know perception shapes their influence
stay consistent. They align words, actions, and optics
stay symbolic. They use gestures to reinforce narratives
Example 4: The optics reset
A General Manager in Product and Transformation was known for being “all business” and she realised her optics limited her influence. She thought she was being professional but she was being seen as distant and transactional. She began sharing personal stories in town halls, acknowledging challenges she had experienced, and celebrating small wins. The optics shifted and she was now seen as being both results driven and human
Lesson: optics can be reshaped with intention
Your homework for this week
If three colleagues described the optics of your leadership today, what would they say? Are these the stories you want told?
Things you could do to help you with this:
write down the three words you want to define your optics
ask three trusted peers how they’d currently describe your leadership presence
identify one symbolic act you can take this week to reinforce your desired optics
share one story that highlights your values and impact
revisit your optics quarterly to ensure alignment
Why this matters
Optics shape how much trust you’re given, how your work is valued, and how your influence grows
Product and transformation leaders who manage optics intentionally don’t leave perception to change. They align their presence, visibility, narrative, and symbolic acts with their values. They know that in leadership, it’s not just what you do that matters. It’s how you’re seen doing it
Want to shape how others see, trust, and respect you?
Let’s work on this together. Here are three ways:
Influencing for Impact: This practical 2-day workshop is for you if you want to influence a decision maker, influence a change in customer or colleague behaviour, or influence someone to buy something from you
Executive and Leadership Team Coaching: Work directly with Lai-Ling to problem solve for your specific situation in a confidential setting. This is for you if you want to develop and execute on a game plan that is 100% tailored to you
Leadership Development: Invest in the product and transformation leaders in your company with leadership development that is customised for their role. This is for you if you want your people to learn about people and politics