{"id":662110,"date":"2019-07-08T09:00:33","date_gmt":"2019-07-08T07:00:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ie.edu\/insights\/?post_type=articles&p=662110"},"modified":"2020-06-24T12:56:04","modified_gmt":"2020-06-24T10:56:04","slug":"gestures-that-betray-speakers-and-their-leadership","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/www.ie.edu\/insights\/articles\/gestures-that-betray-speakers-and-their-leadership\/","title":{"rendered":"Gestures that Betray Speakers… and Their Leadership"},"featured_media":662111,"template":"","meta":{"_has_post_settings":[]},"schools":[29,33,35],"areas":[20],"subjects":[],"class_list":["post-662110","articles","type-articles","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","schools-business-school","schools-human-sciences-and-technology","schools-university","areas-human-behavior"],"custom-fields":{"wpcf-article-leadin":["The use of certain gestures can negatively affect a speaker\u2019s ability to convey an image of authority, regardless of whether the speaker is male or female. However, men and women tend to commit different types of mistakes when speaking in public."],"wpcf-article-body":["Public-speaking skills and leadership style are closely related. A speaker\u2019s gestures\u2014and other forms of nonverbal communication\u2014are a reflection of certain parameters of his or her behavior<\/a> as a team leader. I recently studied<\/a> short presentations given by men and women and analyzed the types of gestures they used in front of the audience. I found that both sexes made similar amounts of mistakes, but that men and women tended to make different types of mistakes.\r\n\r\nEven when speakers have a clear idea of the knowledge and message they want to communicate, gestural behavior<\/a> can derail efforts to achieve empathy with the audience and convey an image of authority. In fact, nonverbal communication is on a par with voice control as one of the key ways in which speakers signal authority to the audience. While some gestures buttress an image of power, others can erode a speaker\u2019s authority.\r\n
Protective hand gestures and pacing can be signs that the sympathetic nervous system is generating an automatic fight-or-fight response.<\/blockquote>\r\nGestural differences and similarities between men and women<\/strong>\r\n\r\nBoth men and women tend to repeat the same gestures while speaking in public, possibly to protect themselves from the audience. From an emotional perspective, speaking in front of a large group of people is akin to being on trial, so gestures are a natural way to protect one\u2019s self-esteem.\r\n\r\nIn my analysis, I found that both sexes commit the following types of mistakes, in descending order of frequency: defensive hand movements, unbalanced posture, and nervous pacing. Protective hand gestures and pacing can be signs that the sympathetic nervous system is generating an automatic fight-or-fight response. Both types of actions originate in the nervous system as a self-defense mechanism in dangerous situations.\r\n\r\nThe most noticeable differences between the sexes have to do with the types of gestures used. Women tend to shift their weight to one side and keep their arms firmly at their sides, while men are more likely to pace back and forth and use verbal fillers like \u201ceh\u201d or \u201cum.\u201d\r\n
While some gestures buttress an image of power, others can erode a speaker\u2019s authority.<\/blockquote>\r\nGestures can have a negative impact on the audience<\/strong>\r\n\r\nWhat gestures prevent speakers from conveying authority to the audience, and why? Let\u2019s take a look at various actions involving different parts of the body. When it comes to controlling the gaze, speakers should avoid staring directly at a single person or looking down or away to avoid eye contact with the audience. As for facial expressions, limited movement of the facial muscles is often a sign of a tense speaker.\r\n\r\nAs for hand gestures, speakers should avoid clasping their hands for no purpose other than protecting themselves from the audience, putting their hands in their pockets, or playing with a pen to release tension. The most common mistakes\u2014found in 64% of speakers\u2014have to do with the use of the hands. Hand gestures are therefore the factor most likely to affect a speaker\u2019s ability to convey authority.\r\n\r\nUnbalanced posture is another common mistake, as it reveals insecurity. This is the second most frequent type of gestural error, found in 58% of public speakers. Many speakers shift their weight to one side in an unconscious attempt to signal that they are in sync with the audience and do not pose a threat.\r\n\r\nBoth men and women\u201442% of speakers overall\u2014try to reduce tension by moving around the stage with no apparent purpose. This sort of pacing back and forth is inadvisable, as it bears no relation to the content being delivered verbally. Moving for no clear reason expresses uncertainty and does not help to convey authority.\r\n
The most common mistakes\u2014found in 64% of speakers\u2014have to do with the use of the hands. Hand gestures are therefore the factor most likely to affect a speaker\u2019s ability to convey authority.<\/blockquote>\r\nClassification of common errors by sex<\/strong>\r\n\r\nAs part of my analysis of speakers\u2019 gestural errors, I classified the most common types of mistakes made by men and women:\r\n