Presidents and Politicians - Faces of Power?

Peter Sellers, Harrison Ford and Kevin Kline have each portrayed fictional U.S. presidents in movies. In his role in 'Being There', Sellers played a character who became president by mistake! Other actors have become politicians e.g. Ronald Reagan, Arnold Schwarzenegger. It’s an open question as to which of them was most credible.

Aphasia is a neurological condition, central to which is difficulty comprehending language.

Neurologist Oliver Sacks wrote of a group of patient diagnosed with Aphasia who were watching a televised speech by a U.S. president – rumoured to be Ronald Reagan. They were laughing loudly, although there were no jokes in the speech. Sacks noted that the Aphasia patients all had a pronounced ability to read body language, and they found the speaker’s words and actions totally lacking in congruency.

We can reasonably argue that this is an isolated incident, and it’s certainly a small sample. What I have observed over many years, however, is that leading political figures globally frequently raise questions about their authenticity, when their body language, gestures, facial expressions and tonality fail to align with their words. Many use their hands to beat out the rhythm of their speech, while frequently saying nothing of substance.

It’s an art perhaps first perfected by Calvin Coolidge (U.S. President 1924-28), who was once described as having mastered the art of doing nothing. One observer commented, “He don’t say much, and when he do he don’t say much!”

What politicians who rise to high office generally share is an ability to transmit an aura of confidence, even when they lack competence or suitability. This is not to imply an intention to deceive, but rather that ambition is often the driving force. Many – whether consciously or unconsciously – have recognized two key things:

1 – Most people are so engrossed in their own lives, and are not really paying attention, so neither clearly see nor hear what is happening around them.(Check out the Invisible Gorilla experiment)

2- A significant percentage of people lack real confidence, and are content to follow those with greater confidence, and a willingness and ability to communicate apparent value. The Wizard of Oz was a great deal more than a story…

We’re living in increasingly unsettled times, with the ‘Great Resignation’ and ‘Quiet Quitting’ very much in evidence. Sources such as McKinsey and Edelson have reported that there is? great dissatisfaction internationally with many people at various levels of leadership in business. In both politics and business there appears to be a leadership vacuum, and we’re faced with the challenge of becoming our own leaders. Cultivating a true understanding and acceptance of our own best qualities, strengths and gifts, and committing to embodying them in our daily presence changes the dynamic of our relationships, both in-person and virtual.

A second challenge – if we choose to accept it, a la Mission Impossible? - is to awaken our innate abilities to read people, and to know who has real substance and depth of character and behaviour.

"You could read people. Their eyes were chapters and their faces were books. Their expressions were stories". - Katie Kacvinsky

Would you prefer to know if the emperor has no clothes?

If future articles I’ll offer specific tips on reading people accurately.

If you would like to know how I can help you and your business DM me. I look forward to speaking with you.

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#politicians #presidents #bodylanguage #readingpeople #facereading