So what does a leader look like ? Being tall dark and handsome – will help. But, actually one of the biggest things people look for – is how healthy you look.

Remember how adhoc “sports” teams were frequently “picked” when you were little ?

I do.

Unfortunately, this is for the most part, not a good memory.

Two kids would be made “leaders”. Usually, the BIG deals, they would get to form their own team. Everyone else would nervously stand, waiting to be picked, as the “leaders” alternatively picked who they wanted on their side.

And they were choosing STRATEGICALLY. They wanted to WIN.

For the most part, they looked you up and down, deciding whether you would be an asset or a liability. Sometimes decisions were made based on prior knowledge, more often than not, it was on what you looked like.

I was never the first to be selected.

I was smart in school, not athletic – so I was always one of the last kids to be picked.

Eish !

Going back to childhood can be TRAUMATIC.

Fortunately now we’re all grown up, this doesn’t happen !

Picking in the board room

It does. You’re not being picked for how well you kick the ball or how fast you run, but when it comes to choosing who leads the team at work, there is “picking”.

The picking is not all about competence either.

Believe it or not, the criteria that is still being use, is WHAT YOU LOOK LIKE.

He’s got the LOOK

So………… to be a leader, what should you look like ?

Talk dark and handsome.

No jokes, it does help.

But, actually one of the biggest things people look for – is how healthy you look.

This is what a team of researchers from the Netherlands discovered.

Looking at looks

The researchers used fancy software to “create” some faces and fake profiles. The starting point was a white male, so gender and racial issues were not being investigated.

The researchers manipulated their faces, to create versions that looked

• Smarter
• More masculine
• Attractive
• Healthier

They then pitted the different personas against one another, looking to see which face would be chosen to lead a group of people, in different situations.

One situation required a go getting attitude for success, the other required team work for success.

148 participants got to choose the face they would follow.

Healthy wins out

No matter the situation, the winning face was

• Not the smartest.
• Not the most sensitive.

But the healthiest.

Eish !

This preference is more than likely deeply wired into our biology. In by gone days, being physical strong, would have been a big plus for any leader.

Around about now, I bet you’re wondering, how do you make a face look healthy.

The recipe for a healthy face

It is easier than you think.

Healthier faces have more colour. Specifically they have a “yellow” tone.   Not canary yellow, that is indicative of a liver problem, think more of the glow of a sun tanned body. The team was able to use the software to put a little more yellow in their faces.

Bet you’re now wondering what makes a smart face. This was achieved by manipulating the shape of the face.

They verified that their manipulated faces were indeed considered “healthier” and “smarter”, before starting the “selection process”.

So how do YOU look healthier ?

Be healthier i.e. create Better body chemistry. This blog is filled with tips and strategies that will help you to tweak your body chemistry, so you feel better. And look better.

Need help ? Sign up for updates.

However……….

You can cheat, a little

The yellow colour perceived as “healthy” is actually a reflection of the levels of carotenoids in the skin.

As with all things genes count, but not as much as you might think.

The more yellow vegetables and fruit you eat, think pumpkin and carrots, the more carotenoids go into your system. And they pop up under your skin, changing your skin tone –giving you a healthy glow.

NOTE : Getting enough sleep, will also help you look healthier.

Further reading

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