Life and leadership lessons from Harvey Specter (Suits)
Life and leadership lessons from Harvey Specter (Suits)
How to raise your social status
Although these qualities may do little for your soul, here are some life lessons you can glean from Harvey to bolster your social status.
1) Own Your Character
The character Harvey Specter in the popular TV series “Suit” is perceived as confident, charming, and sometimes arrogant. He never apologizes for who he is, and as a result, people have learned to accept him for who he is. You won’t see him paying too much attention to what people think of him, and if he gives it any thought at all, just know it’s so he can use it to his advantage.
How can you apply this to your life?
The world will see you in a manner built on how you see yourself. This means that if you portray yourself as a self-doubter, others will definitely doubt you.
Act based on what you know to be correct and wrong, and if, for any reason, another person gives you any reason to reassess your stance, you can do that in private. When this happens, you are to decide in response and not just change your perspective in the moment to save face.
2) Your Appearance Matters
Harvey said, “People respond to how we’re dressed, so like it or not, this is what you have to do,” in the very first episode of Suit, and he’s correct. People consciously or subconsciously respond to social status signals, be they good or bad.
Just as you do to people even without knowing it, people make snap judgments about you in only a matter of seconds, and that judgment can only be based on your appearance. They have nothing else to judge you on after all; up until that point, you had no prior engagement. If you wish to display authority, you have to dress the part, and if you want to be social, dress in a softer texture.
Body movement is also essential. How you carry your body gives others a shortcut to knowing your intent.
So then, how can you use this lesson to benefit you?
Decide what you want others to think when they see you and take steps towards looking and behaving the part, and people's perceptions will align with your intentions.
3) Stay flexible and solution-focused.
“What are your choices when someone puts a gun to your head?” Harvey asks Mike, and he responds, “What are you talking about? You do what they say to avoid getting shot.
Harvey then responds by saying, “Wrong! You take the gun, or you pull out a bigger one. Or, you call their bluff. Or, you do any of the hundred and forty-six other things.”
He decided to deal with the situation from a solution angle and tried to offer several of them.
This is the best frame of mind to be in because it helps you solve your own problems and those of others. This brings a better reputation because people will have no choice but to admire you for approaching the problem with a mindset to find a solution rather than trying to gain pity from those around you.
4) Maintain That Eye Contact
If you pay attention to the series, you will discover that Harvey is confident enough to look everyone in the eye—enemies, friends, colleagues, clients, and, of course, attractive women.
Why is this powerful?
Eye contact makes people feel like you’re engaged with them and interested in what they are saying. It also shows the other person that you are confident.
Try to maintain relaxed, open eye contact with friends, family, and even people you have just met, but ensure you don’t make it look creepy.
5) Keep Moving
From the beginning, the show clarified that Harvey is “the best closer” in New York City.
Why is that?
That’s because he focuses on action after action. And he made it clear that he only had goals and not dreams, and after each goal was achieved, he moved on to the next one.
This is somewhat similar to the Howard Schultz case, where he said his board apprised him of a multimillion-dollar new product flop, “Tactical Error. Onward.”
We set goals; sometimes, we hit them, and other times, we miss them, but we learn from both and forge ahead. Fresh actions will have to be taken based on what was learned, and that is the only way a business can grow.
6) Self-Belief
Watching the show, Harvey's self-belief level is there for everyone to see. He always looks assured and confident in his abilities.
Just as we learned from the show, it is easier to ask for forgiveness than ask for permission, and this is true because if we had to wait for the approval of others to take the next step, we might remain in a spot forever. Believing in oneself has a self-fulfilling prophecy; it’s okay to fail; fail fast, fail forward, and learn from it.
For a clergyman or a therapist, Harvey Specter might be terrible; however, as a businessman or a person looking to achieve results, he’s a textbook.
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