Yes, there are a few of them, Richard Branson and Jonathan Shwartz amongst those well known, but why do long hair find so little favor with business leaders? Is it because the 60’s have conditioned us to associate long hair with rock and roll and hippies or is it because the prospect of maintaining a heavier mane is too time consuming for the jet setting brigade. Is it because long hair denote the recklessness and rebelliousness of a college kid rather than the gravity of a corporate boss responsible for top and bottom-lines and chairing board meetings.

Got a tough business situation - be creative, be innovative. Don’t let the straitjacket of established thought blind you to the newer possibilities. Think out of the box. Yeah, right. But when it comes to how you look, well, look exactly like 10,000 other people do in pinstriped suits swarming the boardrooms, the world over.

Dichotomy, yes. Why? You tell me, and, that’s not the only dichotomy here.

The effect of America on global business is ubiquitous and America is known for the freedom to be yourself. Then why does corporate America or, for that matter, corporate world has so little room for some of its most competent, effective, innovative and yes, powerful inhabitants to be themselves in the context of personal appearance. Or are we trying to suggest that so many of the global business leaders, all strong willed individuals and most of them innovative in their own ways think exactly the same when it comes to their hair length?

The usual refrain is that while you may be ok with it, the guy across the table, be it an investor or a major shareholder or a board member may find you less than reliable/serious if your hair style matches with that of the rock star he saw head-banging last night on tube, screaming his vocal chords out with fingers moving frenziedly over guitar strings. The logic is not without merit. The environment does condition us to think about certain things in certain ways and howsoever rational we are, environmental conditioning does creep in during decision making.

Yes, there is individual freedom but then, there are shareholders, board members and investors who are as human as the rest of us, warts and all. Better safe than sorry!!!

Meanwhile, people like me who lead a business along with maintaining long hair hope that that all important investor did not see a rock concert last night !!!