Level with your name. 363 × 454 on the page, so shoot about 1100 × 1375 for a sharp screen.
The cropHead and shoulders, into the upper chest and no further. At this size a torso leaves your face at ninety pixels and a full body is a thumbnail, so put the head in the frame.
Eyes roughly a third down the frame. Face filling a good part of the width. Shoulders squared to camera, not turned.
The pictureStraight to camera. Not selling anything. Not smiling because you were asked to. Black and white, because colour makes a headshot and mono makes a person. Plain background, or a real one, never an office you do not work in.
Tell the photographerShoot it tight for the site, then shoot the same setup wider. You will want a wider crop for LinkedIn, for a slide, for the social card. Same session, same light, five extra minutes, and you never book another one.
About me
Richard Everard
I had the privilege of working for Cisco for over twenty-seven years, and it taught me a great deal that I am grateful for.
I started my career in sales and ended it as Vice President for service sales across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. In between, Cisco gave me many opportunities to try different leadership roles, and I do not think I was ever bored. The place is full of talented people you can learn from, and it allowed me to develop and to mature into the person I am today.
Two lessons will stay with me for the rest of my life: the importance of customer satisfaction, and of listening to the individual contributor. They are where the rubber hits the road, and they have great insight into the business.
I have always wanted to demystify leadership, which is too often treated as something you are born with rather than something you can build. Leadership is not static. It evolves, and it requires continuous investment in yourself to be the best leader you can be. Encouraging the next generation of managers is something I am passionate about.
Away from the work
I live in Rome with my partner. Having grown-up children brings new freedoms. Since leaving Cisco, I have had the time to travel, to learn, and to pursue personal development.
What began as an attempt to understand my own behaviour became a lasting interest in neuroscience and behavioural science. I have a keen interest in the science of health because it is an integral part of self-mastery.
What I do now
I trained in behavioural science with NCI, and I work with those instruments both on myself and with the people I coach. Understanding my mind through a neuroscience structure has been life-changing for me. It explained why I felt the way I felt for most of my life, and gave me answers and solutions.
If you would like to talk
Write to me. I take a small number of clients, and the first conversation costs nothing and commits you to nothing. I will tell you honestly whether I can help you.