How body language can undermine your message

Women often outperform men in leadership effectiveness but hesitate to identify as leaders, according to research by Julia Lee Cunningham, Sue Ashford and Laura Sonday, who write that this reluctance stems from a misalignment between competence and identity, which can adversely affect career trajectories and organizational outcomes. Organizations can address this gap by promoting a growth mindset, focusing on leadership behaviors and providing external validation to encourage women to embrace their leadership potential, they write.

Put it into practice: Women are more likely to organize office parties or take meeting notes, which should be recognized as critical "servant leadership" behaviors, the researchers write. "The way organizations define and evaluate leadership can significantly impact who identifies as a leader."

Public speaking often triggers anxiety, causing speakers to exhibit behaviors similar to lying, such as nervous gestures and protective postures, writes Ivan Wanis Ruiz, the founder of Public Speaking Lab. Wanis Ruiz suggests several techniques to improve your trustworthiness, such as not clasping your hands and instead moving them purposefully and avoiding using them to cover vulnerable areas such as your stomach.

Put it into practice: Traditional rules of public speaking, such as never crossing your arms, are overly simplistic, and true confidence comes from diversity in movement and gesture rather than rigid adherence to these rules, Wanis Ruiz writes. "Just like you can practice throwing a ball, you can practice looking confident -- even when you're scared."

Leaders can uncover powerful insights and boost innovation by asking the right kind of questions, including open-ended ones that invite more than a simple yes or no answer and encourage deeper reflection and exploration of new ideas, writes Eric Markowitz, a partner at Nightview Capital. "When you ask the right questions, the answers will follow -- and more often than not, those answers will lead you to opportunities others missed entirely," Markowitz writes.

Put it into practice: Using a beginner's mindset to approach situations as if you're first learning about them can eliminate bias and lead to questions that produce insightful answers, Markowitz suggests. "In business meetings or when researching investments, don't be afraid to ask, 'Why does this work this way?'"

Meijer President and CEO Rick Keyes discussed leadership, mentorship and customer focus during a keynote at Grocery Impact 2024, emphasizing the importance of inspiring teams. "We really lead people," Keyes said. "We manage processes and systems and inside of those processes and systems, and the work that we have to do each and every day to accomplish our goals, are human beings that are the ones that are really going to make the difference."

A 54-year-old Asian elephant named Mary at the Berlin Zoo uses a hose as a showerhead, waving it back and forth and swinging it to spray her back. The behavior has drawn attention and praise from researchers, apparently to the chagrin of Anchali, a 12-year-old elephant at the zoo. Anchali has figured out how to kink the hose and does so only while Mary is using it but not while other elephants play with it.

LinkedIn's Global Green Skills Report highlights the growing demand for green skills in areas like construction, manufacturing, energy and utilities. The demand for workers with skills in decarbonization, sustainable procurement and climate crisis mitigation is outpacing supply, demonstrating and urgent need for upskilling. The report emphasizes that the talent pool must double to meet corporate sustainability goals, urging businesses to focus on training current employees in climate fluency and related areas.

When I first started my career as a preacher, I liked to speak behind large lecterns or podiums, mainly because they could hide my fidgeting hands and provided an excellent solid barrier to cover the vulnerable parts of my body. Stepping away from my protective shield was frightening.

After years of speaking, though, I graduated to a music stand and tended to roam the stage once we got a wireless microphone. As my skills as a speaker grew, I no longer needed the protection of a lectern, but I still broke a lot of the "speaking" rules. I put my hands in my pockets. I crossed my arms. I didn't always make eye contact.

It didn't matter to my audience because if they spoke to me one-on-one, I displayed much of the same behavior. I was the same on stage and off.

This is the point Ivan Wanis Ruiz is making in his article. Sometimes, following the "rules" of public speaking can make you come across as dishonest. Not because you are, of course, but because you're nervous about getting it "right" instead of coming across as genuine.

Those nerves show up as defensive body language -- using your hands to cover your belly or your groin -- sensitive areas we all want to protect. Wanis Ruiz recommends keeping your hands moving and not clasping them in front of you but gesturing to each side of your body in turn.

This may seem like more rules to remember, but the key I found to confident public speaking is to bring your authentic self onto the stage at all times. Even when I've been speaking to crowds that don't know me, I would pick a few friendly faces and pretend they were good friends. That would help me settle into myself so I could project that confidence, even in a crowd of strangers.

As Wanis Ruiz writes: "By focusing on these minor physical adjustments, you can start to build confidence in your communication, no matter how you're feeling inside. Confidence, like any skill, can be practiced and improved with time."

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