Page 170 - The New Articulate Executive_ Look, Act and Sound Like a Leader

BODY LANGUAGE 161

◆ Turn your feet slightly as you move to face different parts of your
audience—sort of pivoting or rotating on the same spot. The
trick is to rotate gracefully, without bobs or jerks.
◆ Keep your head in the same place, which will happen automati-
cally if you don’t sway and if you rotate slowly on the same spot
under your feet. (If you choose to leave your script behind and
walk around, stand up straight, and of course don’t worry
about keeping your head in the same place.)
◆ Use your hands to help animate your talk. I tell my clients that if
hand movements do not come naturally, use short chops of
their hands for emphasis and grander, larger gestures (if they
feel comfortable with that) to make important points. You can
also hold a pen in your hand to give your hands something to
do other than folding them across your groin or falling com-
pletely limp to your sides. Touch your hands together, open
them up—keep them moving. You might let one hand slip into
your pocket while using the other to help you make a point,
and then switch the free hand into the other pocket and bring
the other hand out.

If any of these suggestions seem awkward or uncomfortable, then
seek your own counsel and trust your own instincts to tell you what
to do and when. President Barack Obama, former president Bill
Clinton, and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, all practice the hand
movements we’ve been talking about with comfort and skill.
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If you can get away from the lectern, do so. Now you’ve got the
whole stage. Just be sure to move slowly and never turn your back on
your audience. Stop from time to time to make a point or discuss an
issue. Don’t be afraid to pause for emphasis.
For example, you can ask a question, such as, “What do you think it
will take to turn this thing around?” Or make a big statement such as,
“This is the most important moment in the history of our industry,”