Body Language for Leaders
Have you ever wondered why some people don´t need to say a word and others follow them?
If so, this article is for you.
If not, you will learn something valuable.
What Makes a Leader?
From my childhood until my young adulthood,
I tried to figure out what was the secret of some kind of born-leaders.
Superhuman individuals
who had a magic magnet to make groups of peers agree with decisions
in the blink of an eye.
What I learned when I decided to become a communication virtuoso is
that the secret for this is …
There is no secret.
Communication skills are as other skills,
learnable.
We can agree the key qualities of a leader are trust, credibility and authority.
From Mother Teresa to Donald Trump.
I am sure you can easily remember scenes where
all eyes were on these semi-god individuals.
Thousands of people shouting,
clapping and making all sorts of noises
after any word coming out of their mouths.
They were able to communicate such qualities in their speeches,
or at least that is what we have always thought.
If we carefully look at the content of their speeches,
the messages often are rather vague and general.
But what makes their performances so memorable?
Understanding the Silent Language of Body Gestures
Body language is a silent communicator that communicates
feelings, attitudes, and intentions without words.
Just make a quick exercise,
Try to watch a muted video of [Insert your favorite communicator].
Pay attention to the posture, gestures, and facial expressions.
What do they convey to you?
Can you notice maybe the confidence and firmness of the moves?
Nervousness in the speaker?
It feels like we almost know what they are talking about
without the need to listen to a single word.
Insanely amounts of money are paid to political communication departments
to improve this sometimes-forgotten skill.
What do they know that we don’t?
These subtle nuances can sub communicate cues of their real intentions.
Reinforce the message or hint a lie.
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However,
the importance of this matter extends beyond great historical leaders.
This also affects you and the way you interact with people in your day-to-day life.
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Establishing a Compelling Presence
Think about your workplace.
How much does a simple firm handshake tell you about another person?
In our small work environment,
a leader’s physical presence plays a crucial role in establishing authority.
Showing confident body language,
maintaining direct eye contact
and a firm posture
can help establish an immediate connection
and a sense of credibility and trust among team members.
Now, let’s consider the opposite situation.
Would you trust someone who avoids eye contact or shows clear signals of insecurity?
Hmmm… probably not.
I believe there is no need I tell you
which of the two scenarios is the most desirable.
A conscious effort to project an aura of confidence
sets the tone for effective leadership communication.
2.2. Fostering a Culture of Openness and Trust
Encouraging open communication and collaboration
starts with displaying receptive body language.
Subtle non-verbal gestures as nodding,
keeping direct eye contact and demonstrating active listening can
show our colleagues they feel heard,
valued and encouraged to express their ideas and concerns.
In times of challenging situations,
mastering the art of nonverbal communication
becomes even more critical.
By using calming body gestures,
confident posture and neutral tone of voice a leader can
de-escalate tension in a conflict with ease. Top of Form
Nonverbal Language You can Use to Improve your Leadership.
Master the Art of Open Posture.
What do I mean by open posture?
Cross your arms now.
Do you think this communicates another person you are approachable?
Not really.
Even If you are saying verbally the opposite.
Our mind works visually.
First, we see.
Second, we reason.
A closed position crossing your arms in front of you works
as a barrier between us and our counterpart.
The underlying message is that we are trying to protect ourselves.
When we show our core,
we are conveying totally the positive.
We show ourselves to the world as open and confident.
If you want the benefits of open communication,
we discussed previously.
Be aware of this next time you feel the temptation to cross your arms
during a conversation even though you feel more comfortable.
The Power of Eye Contact
Just one look can influence the culture of a team.
What?
Just one simple and irrelevant look?
Yes.
Direct eye contact during your interactions is a tool you want to have in your arsenal.
It shows a genuine interest and attentiveness.
Effective communication in leaders is more than giving orders is about
empathy, understanding and compassion.
Remember how much you could understand another person when she looked at you angrily.
When the person you liked looked at you.
When someone was happy to see you.
Never less, could say more.
But… I get nervous/ feel uncomfortable.
This is the pro trick of the day:
Don’t look at the eyes, look between the eyebrows.
By doing this the other person will feel you are looking at the eyes.
The more comfortable you get with these situations you can start focusing on the eyes.
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how to speak in public better than 90% of your colleagues
The Crucial Role of Tone of Voice for Effective Leadership
All this article is about congruence.
Congruence between your intentions and your projections.
One cannot intend to communicate a message of authority if your legs are shaking,
you’re looking at the floor and
you are stammering like on a Saturday night at 3 a.m.
We already talked about posture and sight.
And your voice is the third element on this soft skills toolkit.
By maintaining a confident and assertive tone of voice
a leader can convey their vision and goals.
A reassuring tone helps build trust and resilience,
a clear and consistent one avoids misunderstandings and
an encouraging and empathetic one boosts team morale.
One way you have to improve this area is
to record yourself during different situations and
check afterwards how you acted.
Another tip is to take a course where you can refine these soft skills and learn from professionals.
Oh, by the way.
We have one. Check it out