There’s no doubt that crafting clear and compelling talking points is an important element of your leadership effectiveness, but the strategic use of body language also plays a key role. Maybe an even a bigger role than you thought. That’s because verbal and visual stimuli are processed in separate parts of the brain. While words (spoken or written) are processed in the temporal lobe of the left hemisphere, just behind the ear, visual images are processed in the occipital lobe of the primary cerebral cortex, a more primitive region in the back of the brain. Images are processed instantly, often without conscious awareness, and make a longer-lasting impression.
In a Digital Age, visual is king.
Here are seven body language strategies that create a positive visual impact:
1) Choose your attitude before you enter the room.
A study at the University of Glasgow Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging discovered it takes the brain just 200 milliseconds to gather most of the information it needs from a facial expression to determine a person’s emotional state. That’s why you can’t wait until you’re in the meeting room to “warm up.” You’ve got to walk in, already expressing the positive emotions you want to project.
2) In negotiations, send early engagement signals.
Over the years, I’ve noticed that parties are more likely to reach an agreement if they begin a negotiation by displaying engaged body language (smiling, nodding, offering a handshake, mirroring, using open gestures, etc.). Interestingly, that positive result is the same whether the engagement display was the product of an authentic reaction or a strategic decision.
3) To maximize your impact, curb your enthusiasm.
If you are an extrovert, you most likely make a favorable first impression — because we are drawn to passionate people whose emotions are easily read. But when your communication style lacks nuance and subtlety, your exuberance can overwhelm (or exhaust) your audience. In situations where you want to maximize your impact, add control and composure cues to your animated body language. Remember to occasionally take a deep breath, lower your vocal volume, and relax your body. Bring your gestures down to waist level, and pause before making a key point.
4) Use “pro-social” signals to show you’re listening.
If you want people to voice their opinion, don’t multi-task while they do. Avoid the temptation to check your text messages, check your watch, or check out how the other participants are reacting. Instead, focus on those who are speaking by turning your head and torso to face them directly and by making eye contact. Leaning forward, nodding, and tilting your head are other pro-social signals that show you’re engaged and paying attention. It’s important to encourage people to speak up, it’s more important to let them know you’re listening.
5) Align physically to defuse a tense situation.
Strong verbal argument often comes from a person’s need to be heard and acknowledged. If you physically align yourself with that person (sitting or standing shoulder to shoulder facing the same direction), you will defuse the situation. And, by the way, a move that will escalate the argument is to square your body to the other person or to move in closer. This is especially true when dealing with men. Two men in a genial conversation will angle their bodies slightly, while two women often stand in a more “squared up” position – a stance that most men perceive as confrontational.
6) Unblock your body to foster collaboration.
Physical obstructions are especially detrimental to collaborative efforts. Take away anything that blocks your view or forms a barrier between you and the rest of the team. Even at a coffee break, be aware that you may create a barrier by holding your cup in a way that seems deliberately to block your body or distance you from others. A senior executive told me he could evaluate his team’s comfort by how high they held their coffee cups. It was his observation that the more insecure individuals felt, the higher they held their coffee. People with their hands held at waist level were more comfortable than those with hands chest high.
7) Gesture as you speak.
Brain imaging has shown that a region called Broca’s area, which is important for speech production, is active not only when we’re talking, but when we move our hands. Since gesture is integrally linked to speech, gesturing as you talk can power up your thinking.
When I encourage executives to incorporate gestures into their deliveries, I consistently find that their verbal content improves. Experiment with this and you’ll notice that the physical act of gesturing helps you form clearer thoughts and speak in tighter sentences with more declarative language. Experiment with all these simple strategies and notice the positive impact you make!