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You may have come across the old-school leader archetype that a powerful presence walks into a room and everyone stops in their tracks. Although this standard might be a thing of the past but charisma is a timeless attribute which you can harness to demonstrate your dominance over a room. In order to exert your influence upon others, you need to be aware of what non-verbal acts can help you establish your executive presence.
Following are the few non-verbal acts that help you command a room:
Acknowledge people as you enter:
Entering a room and heading towards your seat without recognizing anyone, gives the impression that you don’t care about the people who are already present there. Therefore, when you enter a room recognizes people by nodding your head and smiling. In the same way, when you leave the room, raise your hand in the direction of people you know and smile. It is because when people feel recognized, they feel valuable and this simple action of yours makes you earn respect without even saying a word.
Be attentive where you sit:
Some people don’t give importance to where they are seated during meeting. But it plays a very important role in making your presence felt by others. Don’t sit on the sidelines because it will make people think you have nothing important to say. Believe that everything you say is important and sit towards the front if the chairs are set in a row. This will make you visible in front of everyone and you will also be able to see others.
Avoid looking around:
When you are present at a meeting, avoid looking at your phone or your hands. It will give the impression that you are not interested in what is being delivered to you. Therefore, lift your head up and look at the speaker in a relaxed manner. This will make them feel you are interested in what they are saying to you.
Be careful of any nervous movements:
If you make any nervous movements when someone is speaking, you will lose your own chance of creating an executive presence. Avoid shaking your foot or twirling your pen because it is highly distracting for the speaker as well as the other people who are present in a room.
Keep your arms open:
Avoid crossing your legs like a braid when you are present in a meeting. Take some space and don’t be afraid to keep your arms shoulder-length apart on the table. This will allow you to be seen and not shrunken into a tiny frame. It will communicate your level of confidence to other people.
Slightly lean in:
Another nonverbal cue that can help you to command the room without speaking is to slightly lean into the speaker. It will help the other person to know that you are listening and interested in what is being said. When you will lean into others, others will do the same when you are speaking to them.
The article originally appeared on Forbes
