The National Football League has an advertisement running regarding its online store. The ad shows people showing off their team’s paraphernalia. The tag line: “The Drip is in the Details.”
I had no idea what “drip.” I looked it up. In my generation a drip was a slow dropping of water from a faucet. Or a person who was a bit of bore. Someone who tended to drag others down with a negative attitude.
Turns out I wasn’t even close. I found out that a drip “is a term to refer to someone's cool sense of style. Hip-hop culture popularized the term, and it gained popularity as a way to describe a person's impressive and trendy appearance. Drip can apply to clothing, shoes, jewelry, or just how someone carries themselves.”
The urban dictionary defines it as “when your bling is iced out but that stuff (word changed to protect my creditability) melting from all your hot bars, you got the drip.” Still not sure what that means, but let’s leave at you have immense swag.
What is leadership drip? What is the swag leaders need to strive for? What might leaders display that we can say they have drip?
Calm in crisis
Consistency in decision making
Character in conflict
Realistic optimism
Trusted
Authentic
Takes responsibility
Gives away credit
Self-aware
Courage in difficulty
Clear, but kind
When a leader displays these they have drip. And, yes, the drip is in the details.