a leaders most influential skill for times of change - body language

June 2016

A Leader’s Most Influential Skill For Times Of Change

Unleash Your Higher Powerhttp://www.uqpower.com.au/higher-power-leaders

Introduce yourself to someone:

Like it’s a waste of your time

Let’s get social first

Introduce yourself to someone else:

By being over the top trying to impress them – in a phoney, artificial way.(think car salesman)

Fake It

Introduce yourself to someone else:

Like they are your long lost best friend

Lead With Love

You just used your most influential skill

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The world of business is facing time of

VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity) like never before.

What does it take for leaders to create a successful, sustainable business during times of change and still bring their people

happilyalong on the journey?

It takes powerful influence.

The most powerful influence tool at your disposal is not words, data, money, the carrot or the stick.

The Most Influential Leadership Skill

The most influential and valuable skill you have is your body language.

Become fluent in body language as your second language and navigate change successfully.

LEADERSHIP SUPER POWER

Change happens on an emotional level NOT an intellectual level.

Common sense, logic and data won’t get people to sign up for the next round of restructures.

Great leaders understand this.

Higher Power Leaders work with and communicate through body language – the language of emotions.

BODY COMMUNICATES EMOTION

Neurologist and author Antonio Damasio proves unconscious mental processes drive our decision making. Then we use logic to justify our emotional choice.

Emotion is at the heart of change.

EMOTION > LOGIC

SCIENCES PROVES IT

- 7% of meaning is in the words that are spoken

-38% of meaning is paralinguistic – the way we say it

-55% of meaning is in body language & expression

WHY YOU MUST BECOME FLUENT IN A SECOND LANGUAGE

“When it comes to body language,

there are some who have better vocabularies than

others.” Doug Larson

Spotlight on USpotlight on UWhat’s your biggest What’s your biggest

communication communication challenge or fear challenge or fear during times of during times of

change? change?

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5 MUST LEARN SKILLSin body

languageDURING TIMES OF

CHANGEUQPower.com.au#StartWithU

PersuasiveProductive

Physiology Psychology

1 THE BODY LANGUAGE OF VISION

As a leader you make strong, confident entrances. You stride through the workplace with purpose, head held high, straight back, calmly and confidently.

People see that you are comfortable in yourself and therefore with the direction you are leading the team.

VISION = PERSUASION

VISION GIVES PEOPLE CONFIDENCE TO FOLLOW

Assume a wide neutral stand. Relax and remove any tension, lower shoulders, straighten back. Smile (no frowning). Arms neutral by your side.

It’s important we get this right. Things must change

around here.

VISION BODY LANGUAGE PRACTICE

2 IQ BODY LANGUAGE

Eye contact is a powerful motivator to encourage speaking because people feel they have your attention and interest. EG: sitting with two staff – give them equal eye contact and they will take turns speaking.Give one less eye contact and they will speak less.Try it out when networking!

IQ = ‘EYE Q’

IQ = PRODUCTIVE

As the leader, your body language sets the tone for any meeting. If you look down, check your watch, read phone messages it will shut down the sharing and stifle collaboration resulting in reduced productivity and creativity.

GIVE ‘EM LOVE EYES

To ensure you stay connected with your team and those around you maintain steady eye contact.

Not doing so will make them feel unloved and unimportant or that you don’t care or have something to hide. So give them lots of eye attention.

(Just don’t stare without blinking, that’s creepy!)

Your non-verbal communication skills are MORE IMPORTANT than your verbal skills.

So long as you are mindful and ensure there is congruence – ie: your words and your body match.

WORDS = BODY

3 PHYSIOLOGY – BODY LANGUAGE

You have to #startwithU by believing in U and your message.If you don’t believe, no one else will because your body will tell them so - every one can spot a phoney!

THE BODY NEVER LIES

Knee to knee, toe to toe is best when it comes to engaging and influencing so face people directly. Even a quarter turn away creates a barrier signalling a lack of interest and causes the speaker to shut down.

Take away anything that blocks your view or forms a barrier between you and the other people.

FULL FRONTAL IS BEST

4 EQ BODY LANGUAGE

IT IS CRITICAL FOR LEADERS TO

understand and manage emotions

DURING TIMES OF CHANGE

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Emotional contagion

CAN MAKE OR BREAK CHANGE EFFORTS

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Emotional contagion

IS FIRST AND FOREMOST A NON-VERBAL PROCESS

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Are You “Batteries Not Included” Leader?

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AKA a “Drainer” of energy?

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Are you “Batteries Included” Leader?

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AKA a “Giver” of Energy?

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Emotions = energy in motion

When a leader is afraid, angry or low on battery their body language spreads fear like a virus affecting everyone’s

moods, attitudes and lowering energy.

When a leader is happy, open and buoyant people will feel

energised, positive and open to change.

Their energy is increased.

Neurologist Richard Restak’s contagion phenomenon findings mean that emotions are infectiousYou can catch the mood of other people just by being near them.

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Emotional leads tend to flow from the most powerful

person in the group to the others

– which means the LEADER

sets the mood!

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If your people are demonstrating absenteeism, presenteeism, or challenging

behaviour you need to consider your own

emotional cues.What messages are you sending to your people?

TOXIC WORKPLACES are caused by chronic dysfunctional emotional energy patterns and unhealthy ways of communicating and relating to each other.

Is your workplace culture going down the drain?

To repair a toxic workplace you have to approach ‘healing’ it through many forms of energy – and

importantly through EQ BODY LANGUAGE.

DID YOU KNOW?At any one time approximately 76% of employees are looking for a new job or

getting ready to walk out the door.

3 TOP REASONS FOR STAFF TURNOVER

1 – No development opportunity, I’m bored2 – I don’t like my boss , not comfortable3 – Not paying enough, I don’t feel valued

A LEADER’S EQ REALLY MATTERS!

A 2020 WORKPLACE WILL NEED TO PROVIDE AN INTENSELY personalised, unique, social learning experienceTO ATTRACT, DEVELOP AND ENGAGE EMPLOYEES ACROSS ALL GENERATIONS &GEOGRAPHIES.

HOW ARE YOU IMPACTING YOUR PEOPLE WITH THE NON-VERBAL

MESSAGES YOU SEND?

DISCUSSION

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