Aspiring and seasoned leaders have been trained to manage their leadership communication in many important ways. And yet, all their efforts to communicate effectively can be derailed by even the smallest nonverbal gestures such as the way they sit in a business meeting, or stand at the podium at a speaking engagement. In The Silent Language of Leaders, Goman explains that personal space, physical gestures, posture, facial expressions, and eye contact communicate louder than words and, thus, can be used strategically to help leaders manage, motivate, lead global teams, and communicate clearly in the digital age.
- Draws on compelling psychological and neuroscience research to show leaders how to adjust their body language for maximum effect.
- Stands out as the only book to address specifically how leaders can use body language to increase their effectiveness
- Goman, a respected management coach, is widely considered as the expert in body language issues in the workplace
The Silent Language of Leaders will show readers how to take advantage of the most underused skills in the leadership toolkit - nonverbal skills - to improve their credibility and stay ahead of the curve.
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION: THE LEADERSHIP–BODY LANGUAGE CONNECTION 11 LEADERSHIP AT A GLANCE 13
Your Three Brains 15
Wired for Body Language 18
The Eye of the Beholder 20
Personal Curb Appeal 21
Five Mistakes People Make Reading Your Body Language 27
When Your Body Doesn’t Match Your Words 32
The Body Language of a Great Leader 34
2 NEGOTIATION 35
Four Tips for Reading Body Language 38
Are They with You or Against You? 42
Dealing with the Disengaged 53
Are They Bluffing? 54
Body Language Guidelines for Negotiators 57
3 LEADING CHANGE 67
This Is Your Brain on Change 68
The Body-Mind Connection 73
Announcing Change 79
What Do People Want from You? 90
The Power of Empathy 91
4 COLLABORATION 93
The Universal Need for Collaboration 94
Wired to Connect 97
Six Body Language Tips for Inclusion 102
The Importance of How You Say What You Say 108
Using Space 111
Dress for Success 121
What Your Office Says About You 123
Familiarity Breeds Collaboration 125
5 COMMUNICATING VIRTUALLY AND FACE-TO-FACE 127
Technology, the Great Enabler 129
Six Tips for a Conference Call 135
Important Tips for Videoconferencing 137
Technology Brings a New Range of
Communication Options 138
What's So Great About Face-to-Face? 143
6 HE LEADS, SHE LEADS 151
The Neuroscience of Gender 152
Why Jane Doesn't Lead 155
Thirteen Gender-Based Differences in
Nonverbal Communication 159
Leadership Styles of Men and Women 163
The Body Language of Male and
Female Leaders 164
Body Language Tips for Male and
Female Leaders 168
Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus 174
7 WORKING WITH GLOBAL TEAMS 177
Culture 179
Cross-Cultural Body Language 188
Lessons Learned 193
8 INTERNATIONAL BODY LANGUAGE 195
Greeting Behaviors 200
Business Cards 204
Time 206
Distance and Touch 211
Eye Contact 215
Seating 217
Emotions 221
Women 225
Closing Words of Advice 226
9 THE NONVERBAL FUTURE OF LEADERSHIP 237
All Generations Bring Change 238
The New Generation of Workers 240
Gen Y and the Future of Visual Technology 242
The Future of Leadership 248
Predictions for the Future of Body Language 249
Acknowledgments 255
Notes 257
About the Author 265
Index 267
