TEACH & TRAIN

Glad to have some serious science** now to back up what I (and colleagues and therapists) have been preaching/teaching for a long time: Changing posture can help change your mind. Which is why one of my presenting classes is all about being as bossy as you can. Feet up on the desk, and all.

»I feel bigger«, they usually say afterwards and sound like it. As for Amy Cuddy herself: a somewhat slower voice and a bit more breathing (= oxygen) in the right places would probably give her some more resonance.

(If she was one of my students, I would also encourage her to sweep away her fringe and smile a little less, and rethink that bright pink lipstick…)

So: This is probably not my favourite talk in terms of female role models, and I feel Amy’s own body language is not fully congruent with what she says, but it is an immensely important talk in terms of content and relevance. And that’s what counts, really. Content still is queen.

** Update 2016-01

Unfortunately the science claim that power posing leads to actual changes on a hormonal and neuroendocrine level seems to have been overreaching a bit. This does not mean that your body is not a wonderful ressource. Giving yourself enough space, learning how to be comfortable inside your skin, learning about voice and breathing and control and letting go will always be relevant.