A picture may be worth a thousand words, but it only takes a quarter of a second (250 milliseconds to be exact) for others to judge your competence and trustworthiness. This is according to 2011 research by Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital. Working in any type of business sector where you're interacting with others means you must look the part, and that often begins with your appearance. One way to invoke a leadership stance is to present excellent posture.
Good posture may sound like an unimportant business tool, but Harvard Business School psychology professor Amy Cuddy couldn’t disagree more. She says people question two things when they first meet someone new: can I trust this person and can I respect him/her? Cuddy, who has been studying first impressions for more than 15 years, reveals most people (especially in a professional setting) rank competence as one of the most important factors in evaluating someone.
It makes sense when you think about it. After all, would you go to a dentist who had yellow, tobacco-stained teeth? Or hire a nutritionist with bad eating habits? Of course not. Business professionals want to prove they are intelligent and deserve to be trusted with your business. How do you want to be perceived? Are you trying to sell a product or service? Work on adjusting your posture and you may see a positive difference in the way people treat you. Just like instating other good behaviors, it may take awhile to permanently re-adjust your posture, but it will pay off in more ways than one.
The average human head weighs 10 pounds in a neutral position (ears directly over shoulders). For every inch the head tilts forward the pressure on the spine doubles. If you are holding a tablet, smartphone or other device in your lap and looking down, that equates to what feels like 20 to 30 pounds your neck is holding up.
Stop the slouch and you can eliminate pain in your neck and back, while your confidence level soars. Start with these three easy posture tweaks.
Your appearance is the first filter people use when assessing you. Sitting and standing straight is considered one of the most important physical traits to show you possess leadership skills. The next time you present yourself to someone new, think about the impression you want to make—confident and smart, or lazy and lacking competence? Recite after us: Feet planted firmly on the ground, shoulders back, chest out and head looking straight ahead.