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PERSONA

We've been talking about instincts, but there's another important word. Persona.

Your persona is everything about you that comes across to others, to anyone engaging with you or simply observing you in a meeting or an informal gathering. Persona is communication, in a way, if a facial expression or even a shrug communicates something before you communicate with words.

There's an amusing way to study persona, especially now. Watch political candidates in action. Ask yourself, objectively -- because this isn't a partisan politics sort of thing -- just ask yourself how various candidates are coming across. Ask yourself whose persona is engaging. Uplifting. Appealing. And whose persona isn't. Then, think about how you come across in a homeowners association meeting or your workplace.

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