Does Your Body Language Convey Confidence?

If you want people at work to trust and respect you, regardless of your title or authority, pay attention to your body language. How you stand, sit, and speak all affect whether people are open to being influenced by you. For example, standing up straight with your shoulders back helps you come across as confident and commanding, while slouching and looking down at your feet have the opposite effect. When meeting with someone you don’t know well, keep your arms uncrossed, your hands by your sides, and your torso open and pointed at the other person. This sends the message that you are open and trustworthy. And try pitching your voice a little lower than you normally would, to connote power. This can counteract the effect of nervousness, which tends to push the tone of your voice higher.

Adapted from “How to Increase Your Influence at Work,” by Rebecca Knight