Do You Know What Your Body Language Just Said?
When was the last time you addressed an important audience? Perhaps it was when you were leading a team meeting, addressing a group of executives in the C-Suite, making a pitch to potential clients/customers, or speaking at a conference.
Regardless of where you were or to whom you were speaking, at some point your audience decided that “something wasn’t quite right” -- or, conversely, that it could safely place its trust in you.
Do you know that decision was most likely not based on a critical analysis of your statements?
While you were focused on getting the words just right, people were evaluating you based upon an intuitive assessment of what they believed you really meant by those statements --the intentions, motivations, and agenda underlying them. They were reading and reacting to your body language.
At the core, it’s all about whether your verbal and nonverbal messages were in alignment. Body language that agrees with what you’re saying reinforces your credibility and builds trust. But when your words say one thing and your body sends the opposite message (a head nod while saying “no” or a shoulder shrug when trying to express certainty), people are forced to choose between the two messages. And, intuitively, they’ll discount what they hear in favor of what they see.
For the past thirty years, I’ve studied and been awed by the impact of body language on leadership effectiveness. I’ve seen first-hand how nonverbal signals can literally make or break a leader’s success. The human brain is hard-wired to read and respond to these silent signals, but most leaders don’t understand how the process is taking place and are unequipped, therefore, to use it to their advantage.
Whether you’re an established member of the C-Suite or an aspiring executive, it’s a great time to reinforce your nonverbal savvy. In fact, your timing couldn’t be better. Two factors have come together that highlight the power of body language for leaders: 1) advances in scientific research that provide direct links between body language and communication effectiveness, and 2) the growing importance for leaders to project credibility, build trust, and enhance human connection in an AI era.
Nothing has added more to the scientific validity of body language than neuroscience and the use of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), which has been a breakthrough technology for better understanding the brain. Consider, for example, this research from Duke University that shows why we like and remember those who smile at us: Using fMRI, the Duke researchers found that the orbitofrontal cortices (a “reward center” in the brain) were more active when subjects were learning and recalling the names of smiling individuals.
Additional warm body language behaviors that increase liking include touch, eye contact, and mirroring.
Touch: If you wonder about the effectiveness of that pre-negotiation handshake, here’s a study that may interest you. According to research published in the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, scientific evidence supports what successful businesspeople intuitively know. A handshake activates neural circuits in the brain that increases positive feelings of competence, and trustworthiness - encouraging positive cooperation.
Eye contact: If you want to enhance participation at your next meeting, remember to look at people when they’re speaking so they know they’re being heard. Eye contact is not just a social signal of attention; it’s a complex, brain-stimulating interaction. When two people make eye contact, their neural activity synchronizes fostering a shared sense of purpose and understanding.
Mirroring: Technically, it’s called limbic synchrony, and it’s hardwired into the human brain. It's the process by which we unconsciously switch our facial expressions and body posture to match that of another person when we like, agree with, or admire them – mirroring that person’s nonverbal behavior. When leaders make it part of their communication skillset, it sends a silent signal that they are connected and engaged. This is why mirroring plays such a key role in collaboration and empathetic listening.
When it comes to displaying confidence and leadership presence, your body language says a lot. Power, status, credibility, and confidence are non-verbally enhanced through the strategic use of height and space. Keeping your posture erect and your shoulders back, broadening your gestures, and holding your head held high makes you look sure of yourself. Widening your stance, relaxing your knees, and centering your weight in your lower body, helps you appear “solid” and confident.
It’s also a two-way street. Embodied cognition theory proposes that your mind and body work together. Your thoughts and emotions influence your physical state, and your physical state shapes your thoughts and emotions. This means the way you hold your body can actively change how you process information, experience feelings, and even make decisions. For example: Studies have found that people who adopt expansive postures report feeling more confident, alert, and enthusiastic compared to those who slump. The body-mind feedback loop also means that changing your physical position can shift your psychological state within minutes.
Remember: Your body is always talking, and the more you’re aware of what it’s saying, the more you can use this silent language to your leadership advantage.
