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Command-and-control leadership is a thing of the past but charisma is a timeless attribute. You may not have an old-school-leader archetype powerful presence that can stop people in their tracks but you can harness your charisma to demonstrate your dominance over a room. Even without speaking you can create feelings of friendship and loyalty.
Following are the few non-verbal acts to establish your executive presence:
Acknowledge others and get your presence acknowledged:
Entering a room is a time when you can recognize people and get yourself recognized. It is a simple act when by acknowledging others you can earn respect and will make others acknowledge your presence.
Believe you are important:
In a meeting where you sit makes a lot of impact on your presence being valued. If you are in a meeting which is taking place around a table then sit at the table and not on the sides. Sit towards the front if the chairs are set in rows. But avoid sitting on the front row because being just seen is not that will help you command the room. You also need to be able to see others. Therefore, strike a balance between being seen and being able to see others.
Focus on the speaker:
When you are sitting in a meeting, avoid playing with your phone or looking around. Pay attention to the speaker but do not stare. Lift your head up and look at the speaker in a relaxed manner. When you will make people feel heard, the more attention they will give to you when you will speak.
Avoid fidgeting:
During a meeting you have to behave in a way that makes other people remember you. Therefore, avoid anything that distracts them such as twirling your pen or fidgeting.
Pay attention to your posture:
When you are present in a meeting, allow yourself to be seen. Keep your arms open and unlocked and rest your arms shoulder-length apart on the table. Take some space and don’t try to appear smaller and be confident with your body language.
Slightly lean in:
One of the important non-verbal acts that can indicate that you are listening to the speaker is to lean into them. Once you slightly lean in and listen to others, you will also get the same attention from them when you’ll speak.
You cannot command a room just be speaking; you can behave in a way that can develop reciprocal relationships with others. Treat others how you want yourself to be treated and you will be able to command the room just like a true leader.
The article originally appeared on Forbes
