MANA Group Share The Tiny Tricks That Make People Influential Leaders

NEW YORK - July 17, 2014 - PRLog -- MANA Group

www.managroup.org

MANA Group Share The Tiny Tricks That Make People Influential Leaders

NEW YORK, NY, July 2014 – Experts say you only have a few seconds to make a first impression. What exactly happens in those few seconds that determine whether someone likes or respects you?

It turns out, when others are sizing you up; they’re measuring your strength and warmth.

Strength is your capacity to make things happen with skills and willingness while warmth is the sense that you share the same feelings, interests, and view of the world as the person you’re speaking to. The path to influence is the ability to balance both strength and warmth to gain the respect and trust of others.

The path to influence--and the common thread that makes leaders like Nelson Mandela and Oprah Winfrey influential--is the ability to balance both strength and warmth to gain the respect and trust of others.

To come out looking good when people are judging you here are a few tips to give us the kind of magnetism we once thought could only come naturally:

Stand up straight and adopt a “heart-centered posture.”

It sounds simple, but doing these two things consistently makes a big difference. Posture is the number one way to project strength. There’s a reason standing at attention is one of the first things military recruits learn. Similarly, smiling is the most common way we project warmth. Leading with the heart is fundamental to projecting strength through posture.

Have a genuine smile and maintain eye contact.

There’s a difference between a genuine smile and one that seems forced. The best way to always have a genuine smile is to feel grateful for the people around you and the situation that you’re in. Eye contact is crucial for conveying both warmth and strength. When we say people see eye to eye, we mean they share a common perspective. At the other extreme, people who are uncomfortable with eye contact can seem anxious or even untrustworthy.

Be aware of the head tilt.

Lots of people go through life with their heads slightly tilted. This can be very warm if you're listening attentively, flirting, or playing with a puppy, but it comes directly at the expense of strength.

Own the space.

Moving with a sense of destination and purpose demonstrates confidence and ease. It also projects more energy than remaining fixed in one place. However, there is a difference between comfortably moving in the space and pacing anxiously.

Watch your gestures.

Certain gestures can really hurt warmth and trustworthiness--leaning away, crossing your arms, rubbing or grasping your hands together, and touching your neck, face, or stomach, for example. To varying degrees, these demonstrate anxiety, self-protection, and avoidance. Ball-shaped gestures look natural and poised, which provides a balance of warmth and strength. You can start by holding an imaginary volleyball with both hands between your waist and hips and curl your fingertips. When you’re making a point, this imaginary ball can grow to a beach ball or shrink to marble-size.

Be comfortable with the pause.

Overuse of phrases such as ‘um,’ ‘uh,’ ‘like,' and ‘you know’ signals some combination of youth, inexperience, informality, and lack of polish. The trick is to practice leaving silences instead of using filler, and to notice the effect that these pauses have on the people who are listening.

Strike a power pose.

Anytime you are heading into a stressful situation, adopting a power pose a few minutes in advance will help make that happen. Just stretch and hold a big position for a minute or so to give your hormones time to respond--you can often feel a tingle as it happens.

For additional information, contact a member of the MANA Group administration team at pr@managroup.org

MANA Group Fundraising: Providing charities with the funding they need to continue improving the world we live in.