I’m a BIG football fan. If you’re not watching, right now, it’s the most exciting and intense time of the season, there are playoff games leading to the Super Bowl!
At the end of each season, usually the last Monday in December, also known as Black Monday, several head coaches got fired and teams began shopping the league to fill the open positions.
Yesterday morning, I was watching the sports show on ESPN, First Take. They vigorously debated the sports story of the day, about the Defensive Coordinator for the New Orleans Saints, Rob Ryan.
The discussion was about the fact that he still remains in the number two position; Defensive Coordinator, second to the Head Coach, despite his stellar performance that makes him a solid prospect for the top job.
But he’s not being pursued.
They debated whether or not it is due to his appearance.
Rob Ryan
It was stated that Rob is completely qualified, competent and ready for the position. They said he motivates, has solid game plans and has an impressive record, but he needs to improve his appearance.
They talked about how his long gray hair and beard make him look like a renegade. If he’s going to be the representative of a franchise, the face of an organization, you have to have the look. Wow and ouch!
It gets worse…they went on to say that he is fat, appears slovenly and that’s his crime. They said it’s the importance of perception and presentation; presentation matters, that’s life, deal with it.
By the way, Rob has a twin brother Rex, he’s the head coach of the New York Jets. Rex has close cut hair and is a few pounds lighter than his brother Rob . According to the argument, Rex has ‘the look of the leader’ and can proudly represent the organization.
Rex Ryan
The contrast of twin brothers in this story illustrates the harsh reality that appearance matters and is closely connected to perception and ultimately your potential for success.
Maybe Rob truly is a renegade. Maybe his appearance is a reflection of his inner world and belief that he is his own man, does not want to conform to conventional standard looks and is unwilling to change it for anyone, despite the toll of his image and earning potential.
I personally love Rob’s look. I think he looks unconventional and distinctive. His appearance is endearing, each week there are fans in the stadium dressed in costume mimicking Rob’s appearance.
However, this is when you have a choice, a crossroads, to make a decision about your appearance, change it or remain the same. If you choose to stay the same, you can consciously accept the consequences about the potentially negative perception your appearance makes about your performance and career limitations.
If the consequences are a source of pain and you choose to make a change… Rob, call me 🙂