Leadership has a dress code

I’ve always believed that leadership has a dress code. Not the one about what you wear. This one is about the connections you carry and the circles you run in. You won’t find it in the company handbook or on the values slide during onboarding. No one admits it exists. But watch long enough, and you’ll see it. And if you happen to inherit it, you wear that uniform every day, knowing a leadership role is coming. When fitting in was the only option I learned about dress codes long before corporate America. I learned in a Catholic school classroom, where every morning meant a plaid skirt, a crisp white Oxford shirt and black-and-white saddle shoes. Break the code and you got sent home. As one of the few Black students at my school, I already stood out. So I followed the dress code, every day. The uniform made me feel like I belonged. When I entered the mortgage industry, the uniform changed but the code didn’t. I was happy to trade the plaid skirt for a business suit. Then I looked around at the leaders and saw my Catholic school days all over again. Tailored suits. Expensive watches. Reserved parking for expensive cars. They projected constant confidence, never doubt, and I suspect no...