Articles

Deception is in the headlines and on the national stage. We’ve been introduced to the concepts of “alternate truths” and a “post-truth” world. But deception is also in the workplace — and the ability to spot bluffing, empty promises, or misleading information is often a crucial factor in someone’s career. So how good are your […]

Joan got a call from her boss, Shelly: “I knew from the sound of her voice, when she said hello and asked how I was, that someone else got the promotion I was up for,” Joan told me. “I also knew that Shelly was unsure about her decision.” How did Joan know all that from […]

I want to tell you a story about Adam and Eve. No, not that Adam and Eve. The Adam and Eve I’m talking about are both being groomed to take larger leadership roles. And both are aware that body language is an important part of projecting the leadership presence that will help them succeed. This […]

There are many things that technology can do well when it comes to monitoring body language. A computer can detect the slightest microexpression — something that even highly trained experts don’t always catch. It can tell the difference between a genuine smile and a fake one. And the advances in artificial intelligence (AI) have demonstrated […]

Whatever your business goals are for 2023, this I know for sure: You can’t achieve them alone. Whether you’re the leader of a small team or the CEO of a Fortune 500 company, collaboration is not a “nice to have” leadership philosophy. It is an essential ingredient for survival and success based on the essential […]

Because I’ve trained them to do so, I know that many negotiators have learned how to read body language and to use the resulting insights to their advantage. But other negotiators miss valuable opportunities to read their counterparts’ nonverbal messages — simply because they don’t pay attention. They get so wrapped up in what’s being […]

TRUST. Every leader needs it. Trust is the foundation for successful collaboration. It is the glue that bonds team members and builds organizational commitment and engagement.  But there is a problem. We learn what is important to leaders by the behaviors we see modeled by those leaders, and too often there is a “say-do” gap […]

Years before I began researching, writing and speaking on body language and leadership presence, I researched, wrote, and spoke on change leadership. This article reflects the seven biggest mistakes I discovered then. Take a look and see how many of these mistakes are still being made today: Mistake #1 Not understanding the importance of people. […]

Working with clients as a therapist in private practice, and now as an executive coach, I’ve learned some valuable, but unorthodox lessons about goal setting: Don’t focus on building up your areas of weakness. Talents overlooked may atrophy, and weaknesses — regardless of how much effort is put into trying to improve them — will […]

Although there are many nonverbal strategies that help you look like a leader, there are gender, situational, and cultural differences that impact their effectiveness.  But one body language truth is universal: You are the most convincing, motivating and charismatic when your body language reflects your best authentic self.  You probably already realize that it isn’t […]

Change is difficult — and we have plenty of reasons to resist it! No one likes to contemplate letting go of the skills and behaviors that “got us here.” As individuals, we become psychologically attached to the status quo because it is familiar and comfortable. But even more difficult than fighting off the inertia of […]

A few years ago, I was giving a presentation to the CEO of a financial services company, outlining a speech on “Leadership Presence” I was scheduled to deliver to his organization the next day. And it wasn’t going well. Our meeting lasted thirty minutes, and through that entire time the CEO sat at the conference […]