Leadership & Communication

Your Name Course and SectionProfessor’s Name March 15, 2025 Actions Speak Louder Than Words: The Power of Body Language In her TED Talk on body language, Harvard Business School Professor Amy Cuddy explores the role that nonverbal communication plays in confidence, perception, and total success. Cuddy explains that while “our bodies can change our minds,” having powerful body language can help others see us the same way and, even more importantly, help us see ourselves, so to speak (Cuddy, 2012). She proposes the idea of 'power posing' involves simply standing in expansive, open postures for as little as two minutes, which can increase testosterone, cause cortisol to drop, and have you feel less stressed and more powerful. Open and confident posture encourages participants in the classroom and leads to more participation and better engagement with peers and instructor. For students who are likely to feel nervous about speaking, this is particularly important. Confidence can be given through standing tall, making eye contact, and using open gestures when one is not comfortable with themselves. Power poses can be used at work to make one feel more confident before presentations and meetings, which then benefits communication and the feeling of assertiveness. In the realm of leadership, it is very important when gaining confidence is beneficial to credibility. Confidence and attentiveness, body language can also be sent and received in relationships, so that you’re better able to connect with others. For example, good posture and active listening, such as nodding and leaning slightly forward, can make exchanges more real. As a person, I agree with Cuddy’s point that ‘fake it till you become it.’ In fact, I’ve knowingly used power poses ahead of interviews or presentations, and I’ve felt less powerful, but it worked for me. At the time, I stood in a power pose before a major presentation in a college course and felt nervous, but I remember that I did stand there for a few minutes beforehand. As soon as I started speaking, not only did my anxiety decrease dramatically, but my delivery was more natural and sounded more authoritative. However, this is in line with arguments (Cuddy, 2012) that behaviors can influence emotions, and it is a psychological tool worth using. Skepticism around "faking" confidence does exist, although Cuddy states that evidence is presented to the contrary. Virtual Communication: Lessons from Keith Ferrazzi Harvard Business Review's blog post about the best ways to communicate digitally is entitled "How to Avoid Virtual Miscommunication." The one key insight here is that, in virtual environments where there are no nonverbal cues, one needs to overcommunicate their intent and emotions. What he points out is that when there is no context, like, for example, no visual reactions or seating arrangements that denote hierarchy in the case of physical meetings. In order to effectively communicate in a virtual enviro...