You’ve probably heard of body language, the nonverbal cues people give to others; such as, when your boss starts tapping the pencil in your update meeting.  You wonder, “Is he/she bored, nervous, anxious to wrap it up or simply just a pencil tapper?”  There are many nonverbal cues people give each other, often without realizing they are doing it and the impact it is having.

What I want to focus on today is how your body language affects you.  This is important because you can be in control of your body language and with that, you can empower yourself and influence others.  Did your mom ever tell you to stand up straight?  Maybe she was wiser than we knew?  Carrying yourself in a powerful way not only looks good and is good for your body but it does many other important things.  Carrying yourself in a powerful way directs your thoughts, feelings, behaviors and your body to be present and perform better.

Amy Cuddy, author, professor and social psychologist studies how nonverbal behavior and snap judgments influence people.  She is well known for her book, Presence, and her popular TED talk, “Body Language May Shape Who We Are”.  I’m including the link to the TED talk because it’s jam packed with great information that will help you personally and, especially, in your role as a leader.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ks-_Mh1QhMc

A key take away from the book and the TED talk is the Power Poses.  There are certain ways people stand or sit that actually trigger their body chemistry to make them feel more confident, comfortable, authentic, enthusiastic, passionate and captivating.  This leads to a powerful presence where you influence yourself and others.  Standing with your hands on your hips like Wonder Woman is one example of a Power Pose.  Then there are the Powerless Poses, such as, slouching while standing or sitting and crossing your arms in particular ways.  These give messages to yourself and others that you are less confident, friendly, energetic, etc.  There is lots of fascinating research that supports this information, so I encourage you to check out her book or listen to the TED talk. Body language is a powerful personal and leadership tool.

But for right now, just try this simple experiment:  Sit or stand up straight and smile.  How do you feel?  You get the idea!  For more leadership tips go to www.LoisCarson.com