Got Executive Presence? Part 3 Powerful Posture

The more I try to describe and define executive presence, the more I am convinced that it’s a series of behaviors and movements. Unlike charm and charisma, it can be learned. In other posts I’ve talked about handling your voice and your emotions. But what about our non-verbal communication? How can we develop our bodies to show that we are powerful?

Articles stating that to lead you have to be tall leave 5’1” me at a loss. It's more than stature. It’s how you sit and stand. Your body tells people how powerful you see yourself and how powerful you can be. There’s a reason we describe weak people as “spineless.”

Picture an executive on a stage. Her chin is off her chest. She stands with her feet hip width apart, shoulders back and stacked on top of hips, stacked on top of heels. Her rib cage doesn’t flare nor does her chest cave in on itself.

Is Your Posture Powerful?

Notice how you are sitting, right now. Where is your neck? Are the tips of your shoulder blades pressing down together or do they flail towards your arms? This matters. If your body defaults to an Atlas Shrugged cover, why would anyone give you more to hold? Short answer - they won’t.

So what can you do to develop a strong spine and powerful posture?

A few years ago, in an effort to start exercising after a long period of being, well sedentary, I discovered The Dailey Method. Years of computer use, uncomfortable airline seats and lifting a not very small child placed my spine in a position that wasn’t even remotely powerful. Beyond that, it was unhealthy. What I learned was I didn’t know how to sit or stand anymore. That’s right – I forgot how to sit and stand.

In came the amazing instructors and owner of The Dailey Method Menlo Park and Los Altos, Erin Paruszewski. They explain that in all things, I should strive for a neutral spine. It’s the not only the most healthy and safe position for your spine, it’s also the most powerful posture you can adopt. The first time I attempted a neutral spine exercise, I couldn’t. It was excruciating. Gradually, over time, my muscles grew stronger. Standing taller, I could own the space I occupied at conference tables and in rooms.

So what’s neutral spine, and how can you develop it?

According to Erin, “Neutral spine is our optimal spinal position. It’s the spinal position we should be in when we are behind the computer or the steering wheel. In neutral spine, we maintain all 4 natural curvatures of the spine and allow for the greatest range of motion and capacity to absorb impact.”

Erin says a simple way to practice is to sit in profile in front of a mirror.

• Slightly bend your knees with your feet hip width distance apart.
• Sit up tall and establish your plumb line. Ears over shoulders over ribs over hips.
• Take your right hand to your abdominals and your left hand to your low back. When you are in neutral spine you will have a natural “S curve” in your low back.
• Inhale to lengthen your spine and as you exhale, pull your abdominals in.

This helps to strengthen the deepest layers of your abdominals, your transverse abdominals. It also strengthens the deep intrinsic muscles that support your spine, which decompress the vertebrae and actually make you taller.

How do I know it works?

For me, besides finding that my neck doesn’t hurt at the end of the day, people started saying, “Something’s changed about you.” “You look...taller?” That’s almost funny.

Every time I walk into a room, onto a stage for a presentation, sit down for a conference call or interview, I pull myself back into neutral spine. Somehow, my mind recognizes the power coming from the posture and I have confidence I couldn't find anywhere else.

Give it a try. Do you believe that your posture can make you more powerful? How? Any tips on improving posture to improve your executive presence? Confidence and power can only be developed one vertebra at a time. Here’s to backbone.

Special Thanks to Erin Paruszewski @tdmpeninsula and the amazing team at The Dailey Method Menlo Park and Los Altos. Additional photo credit:http://www.thedaileymethod.com/fit-tip-why-we-work-in-neutral-spine/

Kate Thome is a freelance writer and payments industry expert in Los Altos, CA. She is currently writing a book about her father. Follow her blog at http://irememberthatnight.blogspot.com and on twitter: @kthome219.