Just how important is body language in executive presence? You’ve probably heard dozens of times that “over 90%” of all communication is nonverbal. While this statistic is based on a study from 1967, the “over 90%” figure doesn’t quite tell the whole story.
In that study, psychologist Albert Mehrabian set out to determine the impact of nonverbal cues when a speaker said one thing but offered inconsistent nonverbal cues. His conclusion? When words and nonverbal cues didn’t match up, listeners were more likely to base their decisions on body language cues 55% of the time and tone of voice 38% of the time. 55% + 38% = 93%.
While it’s an oversimplification to say that “93% of communication is nonverbal,” leaders can learn one important lesson from this study—that is, people are listening with their eyes as much as with their ears, and we send dozens of signals with our body language that can either reinforce our messages—or undermine them!
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Nonverbal Signals Matter
In a recent episode of the Diary of a CEO podcast, author Vanessa Van Edwards discussed with host Steven Bartlett how she struggled to understand the nonverbal cues she saw in other people.
Calling herself a “recovered awkward person,” Van Edwards suggests that “charisma can be learned.” She says that 82% of our impressions of people are based on what she calls “warmth cues and competence cues.” Those cues combine to form charisma, a trait often associated with strong executive presence.
Of course, most leaders, especially early in their careers, aren’t formally taught or coached on nonverbal communication skills, and they might stumble as they learn to communicate with both superiors and direct reports.
Other leaders might struggle with encoding and decoding nonverbal cues. Leaders who are neurodivergent or more on the introverted scale might have many of the skills necessary to be highly effective leaders, but their less-honed nonverbal communication skills might limit their career paths.
What are the nonverbal cues that can help leaders develop a strong executive presence?
Nonverbal Cues: Warmth + Competence = Charisma
In her 2022 book, Cues: Small Signals, Incredible Impact, Van Edwards writes that “Nonverbal cues are either supporting your message or detracting from it.” Those nonverbal cues can include gestures, facial expressions, body movements, posture.
Van Edwards suggests that often, leaders have an imbalance between their warmth and competence. Some leaders might be more personable; they might be perceived as trustworthy, compassionate, and friendly, but not necessarily powerful, competent, or impressive.
Similarly, leaders who are highly competent can be seen as smart, dependable, and important, but not always approachable, collaborative, or kind. They might be described as intimidating or cold, and others might even be suspicious of them.
Both warmth and competence are important, and when put together, they result in charisma. While no two charismatic people use exactly the same cues in the same combination, there are some common cues among the most charismatic leaders. Further, effective communicators can usually adapt their cues to the needs of their audience.
The Cues You Need
Van Edwards groups a number of nonverbal cues under each category.
Warmth cues: These include nodding, mirroring, head tilting, touch (high fives, handshakes, fist bumps, and others), and smiling.
Competence cues: These include power posture, flexed lower eyelid (what might be described as an intense or steely expression), and steepling the hands.
Charisma cues: These include leaning in (leaning forward a few inches to indicate engagement), fronting (turning head, torso, and feet toward another person or audience), anti-blocking (removing anything between speaker and audience in a conversation), healthy personal space for the situation, and eye contact.
How the Right Cues Improve Executive Presence
For leaders who want to improve executive presence, practicing these simple cues can help create stronger connections and engagement with listeners while increasing the perception of competence and solid abilities.
For example, leaning forward slightly has been shown to increase motivation, creativity, and engagement. Making eye contact, even briefly, will stimulate the release of oxytocin in both the speaker and the listener. Oxytocin in small amounts helps improve feelings of connection and warmth.
Cues can also help leaders understand how their audiences are receiving their communication, which can give them an opportunity to alter their presentation, even in mid-conversation. Leaders confronted with stony silence, confused expressions, or crossed arms will know their communication isn’t being well-received, and they can answer questions or alter delivery to connect better with the audience.
Finally, body language such as the power posture advocated by Amy Cuddy in her 2012 TED Talk may help leaders improve their confidence, which can result in a more commanding presence in a room. Combining a competence cue such as power posture with warmth cues such as smiling and shaking hands presents a high degree of charisma.
Poor executive presence can have significant long-term consequences. But while executive presence may come more naturally to some people than others, any leader can become a more powerful presence in any room. With a little practice in nonverbal cues, every leader can eventually claim, along with Vanessa Van Edwards, to be a “recovered awkward person.”If you’re struggling to develop your executive presence, the coaches at Stewart Leadership can help! Call us to learn more.
