THE POSTURE OF SUCCESS

But the gist of it was this: 

There was ONE really telling bit of body language that the interviewers only noticed upon reviewing the videotapes.  When Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, and other CEOs talked about their successes, they leaned in toward the interviewer and became animated.  They got excited, intense, and descriptive because that’s what we do when we physically lean forward.  They were engaged and enthusiastic, literally moving TOWARD that empowering experience.  In fact, they were moving into success. 

But when they were talking about their failures, they universally leaned back and away from that experience; both literally and symbolically distancing themselves.  They became philosophical, abstract, and dissociated when talking about their obstacles and losses.  The memory and analysis were intact.  But the emotional payload was negligible.  They just weren’t engaged with it. In fact, they disengaged, stepped back, and took a longer view when discussing their major challenges, failures, and obstacles.   

Being aware of your posture and tension in the body is crucial to managing stress and staying positive when adverse events and obstacles arise.  Try this the next time you find yourself thinking about stressful events, past or future:

Deliberately sit up straight and lift your head.  Chin up. Drop your shoulders.  Lean back into your chair.  Now steeple your fingers in front of you.  This is the posture of an executive – a decision maker.  And you FEEL detached, analytical, and in control.  It’s automatic.  

The truth is that when you behave in successful ways, you significantly increase your odds of succeeding.  Success isn’t a “thing”, it’s an action.  You can’t put it in a shopping bag.  You have to DO it.  

We can show you how.