Body Language and Executive Presence

Your posture and the way that you carry yourself sends a message to your audience about your confidence or lack of confidence.  If you are displaying confident posture, your audience will be more engaged and you are more likely to be influential.   You can write a great speech, build a powerful PowerPoint deck, think of great personal stories and rehearse, and still sabotage yourself if you ignore the importance of body language when delivering your presentation.  Whether you are delivering a presentation to a small group or a large audience, it is important to boost your executive presence.  Here are some ways to positively impact your body language and improve your executive presence, especially in stressful situations. 

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Assume a power pose before you do your presentation 

 

Take deep breaths 

 

Make a confident entrance 

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Move around the room strategically during your presentation 

 

Make eye contact with your audience 

 

Use appropriate gestures to engage the audience 

 

Assume the Power Pose

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Research shows that if you spend 2 minutes in a “power pose” before a stressful event, such as a presentation or an interview, it will change you physiologically.  You will be better able to handle the stress and will feel and come across much more confident, captivating, authentic and comfortable.    

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Try it yourself!  Take a few minutes to read the highlights of Harvard Business School professor Amy Cuddy's TED Conference talk on power poses and see some pictures of power poses. Then, before a presentation, sneak away somewhere for 2 minutes and try it yourself. You'll be convinced. 

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This Simple 'Power Pose' Can Change Your Life And Career 

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The full video of her presentation is in the link below if you'd like to watch it.

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Take Deep Breaths

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Another way to calm nerves is to take a few deep, long breaths.  The best technique is the 3-4-5 breathing technique. 

1. Breath in for a count of 3. 

 

2. Hold your breath for a count of 4 

 

3. Exhale for a count of 5. 

 

4. Repeat 4-5 times. 

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This technique will calm your brain and reduce your stress response. 

  

Try this breathing technique after you've used the power pose , and right before you walk into the room where you will be presenting or walk up on stage.   ​
 

Make a Confident Entrance

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​As soon as you enter the room or walk up on stage, the audience will start evaluating you and you want that initial impression to be a positive one. Enter the room or walk on stage with: 

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A steady wide stride,  

 

A bounce in your step,  

 

Keep your shoulders back 

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Hold your head high  

 

Smile.  

 

Remember to breathe!   

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If you're giving a presentation on stage, walk to the center of the stage, pause before speaking and smile while slowly scanning the room. This will convey confidence, even if you're not feeling it yet, and gives you a moment to collect yourself before you start speaking. 

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Move Around the Room

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When you are on a stage or at the front of a large room giving a presentation, you will want to move around the stage rather than standing behind the lectern.  The best way to do this is to identify three spots where the audience can see you and you can make eye contact with them.  As you present, walk from one spot to another confidently and then plant your feet once you get to the spot.  Stay in each spot for at least 2-3 sentences, especially if you are covering a key point or telling a story.   

If you are making an important point, walk towards the audience.  Walk from one spot to another to signal a change of topic or to give people a moment to think about what you've just said. Select spots that are far enough apart to take advantage of the stage, while not too far apart or your movement may take away from the presentation or you may get winded.  Avoid putting your back to the audience.  If you are taking a question, walk in the direction of the person asking the questi

 

Make Eye Contact Throughout

 

During your presentation, scan the room, making eye contact with people.  In the process, you can pick up cues about whether they are engaged in what you are presenting.  Are they taking notes, nodding their heads in agreement or nodding off and yawning?  Based on this input, you may talk faster or slower, or adjust your approach to make your presentation more interactive.  It can be tempting to look at your presentation or your notes when you get nervous; try to limit this as much as possible.

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By making eye contact, you are saying that you are confident and the audience is more likely to stay engaged. 

 

​Use Appropriate Gestures to Engage the Audience

 

Gestures can be used to emphasize key points in your presentation and connect with the audience.  It can actually make the audience trust you more!  See the article below from Fast Company about how gestures can make your presentation more effective and compelling by: 

 

Energizing your voice 

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Helping your thoughts flow 

 

Enhancing your credibility 

 

Helping you feel more in control 

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In conclusion, mastering the art of body language is essential for developing executive presence and delivering impactful presentations. Your posture, movements, and gestures communicate volumes about your confidence and influence over your audience. By assuming a power pose before your presentation, taking deep breaths to calm your nerves, and making a confident entrance, you set the stage for a positive first impression. Moving strategically around the room and making consistent eye contact with your audience further enhance your executive presence and keep them engaged. Lastly, using appropriate gestures to emphasize key points adds depth and credibility to your message. Remember, body language is a powerful tool that can make or break your presentation, so practice, seek feedback, and continue refining your skills to leave a lasting impression on your audience.

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