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Have you watched Amy Cuddy’s TED talk on power poses? I first came across this when I was preparing to give an ignite talk at the end of a Fellowship I participated in.
Because of the size and prominence of the audience, nerve-wracking does not come close to describing what I felt in the days leading up to the talk. I had dreams of forgetting everything I was meant to say as soon as I got up on stage.
With over 10 million views, this is one of the most watched TED talks, and with good reason. Standing on stage, public speaking and making an impact is one of the things that scares all of us who are not natural performers.
In this and her latter book, Presence, Amy gives some great tips on how to show up in the most powerful manner. It is especially relevant for women who have received so many mixed messages on being in the limelight and on shining.
The impostor syndrome
We have all felt this at some point in our lives and do not believe anyone who claims otherwise. Social and cultural conditioning and a multitude of other factors conspire to spread that nagging feeling that we sometimes have, that we do not belong in the space we are inhabiting, that we will be found out or that we are frauds.
In Amy’s talks, she addresses importance of faking it till you make it – not financially but in terms of feeling powerful, assertive and calm especially when in high pressure scenarios.
Being open, present
Posture has everything to do with the signals we send to our brain.
When in an important meeting or interview, folding your arms and slouching versus sitting upright, being present and interested can make all the difference between how engaged and participative we are.
Being present also means minimising to the largest extent the noise we have in our heads that reeks of self judgement and doubt. It’s easier said than done but if we tune into the messages we are replaying in our heads, the negative ones have less of a chance of becoming self-fulfilling prophecies.
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