In ancient Rome, gravitas was a key virtue. Translated sometimes as weightiness or seriousness, it implied dignity, responsibility, self-discipline and authority. More than a thousand years on, the British Empire likewise embraced that ideal for leaders, with a code of composure for officials that was deemed essential for keeping local populations docile.
Today gravitas lives on in politics and in corporate workplaces throughout the world as a measure of individual worthiness and suitability for leadership. Someone with gravitas has the steady poise and purposefulness to be taken seriously. In the sphere of business, this quality also goes by the name “executive presence.”
For a perfect instance of gravitas, consider the actor James Earl Jones, whose deeply honeyed voice and slow, authoritative delivery made his performances in films like Star Wars, The Lion King and Coming to America iconic – not to mention his advertising one-liners like “This is CNN.” Ditto for newscasting legend Walter Cronkite, who never hurried, never lost his equilibrium and in most viewers’ eyes, never lied. Humanitarian Eleanor Roosevelt and author Maya Angelou had gravitas, too, voicing lofty principles at a formal pace with appealing rhythm, strategic pauses and commanding posture.
Gravitas is the rare instance where cultural stereotypes favor introverts. Although not all introverts have gravitas, several aspects of this attribute line up neatly with introvert tendencies.
The power of the pause. Introverts generally prefer to think before speaking and to choose words with care, even if this produces a stop-and-start-again delivery. This gives what we do say more weight and may make us seem wiser, more serious and more in control of ourselves than those who say whatever quickly comes to mind. Voilà: more gravitas.
Slower pace. Along with thinking before speaking, introverts tend to say fewer words per minute than average. I’ll never forget once hearing Prairie Home Companion’s ponderous Garrison Keillor being interviewed on the radio by a rapid-fire young journalist. The former sounded like a lumbering bear being buzzed by a bumblebee. Regardless of the content of their remarks, Keillor came across definitively as the one with gravitas.
Comfort with silence. The party in a conversation who lets silence sit is most likely an introvert. This conveys the self-confidence of someone who is grounded in themselves and doesn’t need to jockey for approval all the time. Again we have a component of gravitas.
Reserve. Someone with a more emotionally restrained manner, like Gary Cooper, Clint Eastwood or many introverts, appears to have the steadiness, competence and self-sufficiency that contribute to gravitas. This kind of energy can deepen the mood around them and put others in touch with the less impulsive, more reflective side of themselves.
Remember, of course, that someone with a deliberative vibe is not necessarily a deeper person worthy of everyone else’s attention. Gravitas can be a matter of style or performance and nothing more. Note also that the prevailing image of gravitas favors men. In addition, gravitas can be cultivated or enhanced through feedback, coaching and practice. All the same, those with the inborn, natural predilections of introverts often fit the benchmarks of gravitas with little or no conscious effort.