The Body as Director

The title “Director” suggests “one who directs” or leads, drives the show, the project, the team, etc.  What if our bodies had the ability to direct our minds, rather than the mind directing the body? 

Social Psychologist Amy Cuddy, a researcher and professor at Harvard Business School, has conducted experiments in this very arena and discovered that “high power poses” actually lead to hormonal levels in the brain. A substantial rise in testosterone and cortisol levels in the brain led people to perform differently in a variety of situations, including job interviews… but even more interesting was the effect on how people felt about themselves, subsequently affecting their behavior!  Rather than subscribe to the belief that you “fake it till you make it,” Dr. Cuddy believes you can fake it till you BECOME it.  You are no longer faking the feeling of being confident or powerful, but you have BECOME this person you thought you were imitating.

I often encourage my clients to assume a more powerful physical stance and use commanding gestures, even when they weren't "feeling it."  It’s nice to know there is science behind this practice and that more than doing it for the sake of the audience, it is a good practice for the speaker as well. 

I leave you now to watch Amy Cuddy’s Ted Talk- her personal story is worth staying tuned for.  Let me know what you think!

http://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_shapes_who_you_are.html?utm_source=newsletter_weekly_2012-11-02&utm_campaign=newsletter_weekly&utm_medium=email

-Greta Muller

greta@c3nyc.com