Pay Attention to Your Physical Presence

Luanne PaynickPosted by Luanne Paynick on February 17th, 2010 | 0 Comments

I had a blast last week. As luck would have it, I had the opportunity to be in the presence of 120 people who were attending a national sales conference. And, they weren’t just any people. They were ALIVE with energy. How do I know? All I had to do was be in the room with them. They were open . . . they asked questions . . . they laughed . . . they shared . . . they learned.  And, I believe, it was not by accident.

This team happens to be led by someone who approaches his work in a similar fashion. Although a focused leader, with definite goals in mind, he has a lightness about him. He takes his business seriously, but he doesn’t take himself too seriously. I believe he follows Ben Zander’s Rule #6 – “lighten up” (as described in his book, The Art of Possibility). And as a result those around him can do the same. What a marvelous gift he has given them, the freedom to be themselves  and enjoy the experience (which in this case was learning about how their behavior is viewed by others and impacts others). And, although this kind of newfound self-awareness can be intimidating, they still had fun.

How does this leader do it? The observer in me witnessed him in action, and though it may be more complex than what I’m about to share, I believe what I witnessed had an impact. His posture was open, his smile was easy, and his conversation was focused on each individual he interacted with – his eyes never left the person he was engaged with. His energy was contagious. As we teach, espouse, advocate in our Executive PresenceTM program, just his physical presence motivated people to follow suit.

I invite you to play with the power of your physical presence. The next time you are interacting with your team make an effort to:

  • Smile
  • Maintain an open posture
  • Relax your face
  • Laugh at something humorous (or share something humorous)

Pay attention to the reaction you get from them. Ask yourself:

  • Was the conversation easier?
  • Did you find that your interaction was closer to a dialogue – one where true exchange of facts and feelings occurred?
  • Do you feel a sense of easiness that may not have been there before?

Let me know what happened. I’d love to hear.

Image by andrewlee1967

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