Lecture Notes: Body Language of Power

Introduction

First impressions are made in less than a hundred milliseconds.
Personal anecdote from the 1980s about a powerful executive behaving unprofessionally.
Discussion on the importance of power and influence in meetings and how body language plays a crucial role.

People focus too much on what they're going to say instead of how their body language communicates.
Body language accounts for a significant portion of impressions: only 7% comes from spoken words.
The body language of power is learned through socialization.

Authoritative Presence: Showing dominance and control, privileging one's own knowledge over others.
Approachability: Being open, empathetic, and able to relate to others on a human level.

Playing High:
- Associated with higher rank in social hierarchies.
- Relaxed, open body posture.
- Speaking in complete sentences and maintaining eye contact when addressing others.
- Used to reinforce actual rank or in competitive situations.
Playing Low:
- Associated with lower rank.
- Closed, tight body posture, minimizing footprint.
- Speaking in incomplete sentences, more glancing around.
- Used to build rapport and show respect to higher-ranking individuals.

Adjusting body language can help manage unexpected situations.
Example scenarios: overcoming resistance, responding to attacks, or encouraging openness.

Men and women are perceived differently in leadership roles despite similar behaviors.
Study on Heidi vs. Howard Roizen: gender biases in perception of competence and likability.
Women face dual expectations: organizational roles (playing high) vs. gender roles (playing low).

Research on body posture affecting hormones:
- Expansive postures increase testosterone (dominance).
- Constrictive postures increase cortisol (stress).

Success requires balancing playing high and playing low.
Encourage self-awareness and adaptability in body language.
Everything needed for effective body language is inherent; it's about permission to use it.