Confidence is Power

Call it what you will, swagger, cocky or confidence, these traits exude Power.  My blog is based on the majestic alpha animal, the all powerful lion.  In the animal kingdom, this powerful alpha beast shows its dominance by his movement, posture and voice.  In the real world, humans are no different.

You know the saying about the 10 second rule? You can walk into a room and size up a person within the first 10 seconds, that’s why they say make your first impressions last.  In corporate America, the most confident person can be spotted very easily by the way he carries himself, the way he moves and his posture when sitting or standing.  He/She let’s everyone knows they are there in the room and usually the non-confident person tries to make him/herself less noticeable.

So why should you care if you are confident or not?

Studies show confidence can reduce stress

In a recent study by Dana Carney, Amy Cuddy, and Andy Yap in the book “Power Posing,” reveals psychological and behavioral changes typically associated with powerful people.  Confident people felt more powerful, were more willing to take risks, and experienced significant increases in testosterone along with decreases in cortisol (the body’s chemical response to stress.)

Ever notice why the top sales people or the fast movers and shakers in corporate America move up and keep going up, confidence is definitely the key.  Besides, who doesn’t want more stress in life?

So below are 5 useful tips to jump-start your confidence into power transformation.

5 tips to gain confidence and power

1.  Posture – Don’t slouch, as simple as this may sound this is where people mess up the most.  When you walk or sit, keep the shoulders upright, show the world you are here and be noticed.  This simple fix will increase the perception that you are very confident.

Also just like the golden rule in interview techniques, always do a firm handshake even if it’s a female.  I remember one time I shook a female ceo’s hand very lightly and she blasted me because I should always shake everyone’s hand with the same firmness, never again did I shake another females hand very lightly.

Last but not least is eye contact, we all know it’s important to keep eye contact but the big mistake is when we stare like a robot.  Be firm with your eye contact, gaze deep in the eyes but always…always…make sure to make it seem natural by looking away at times or raising the eyebrows with emotions.  Staring like a mad man just to keep eye contact is a big no no.

2.  Tone – Don’t be soft spoken when you talk, a strong and firm tone can increase your confidence perception like night and day…it’s that dramatic!  Even if you don’t have a strong voice, always make sure even if you are unsure of the words coming out your mouth to be crisp and firm.  Raise the tone when you talk and you will see a difference.

3.  Movement – There is a reason why people say that a person has swag in their walk its because when they walk they reveal that they are confident.  Don’t walk with a slouch(posture) and don’t walk too fast to avoid people.  When walking around the office, make sure people notice you, walk in the middle of the walkway (if no one is in-front of you), walk openly and lastly walk with your chin up and head held high.  Royalty does this for a reason, its to show leadership and in order to achieve power through confidence, keep your head held high(its not just a saying folks).

4.  Mind – Do not over think things!  Just be yourself and don’t care what other people think, this is the biggest reason why some analytical people (nerds) gain a bad reputation…they are NOTORIOUS for over thinking…and that’s why the dumb jocks are NOTORIOUS for being confident, its because they don’t over-think as much…makes sense?

5.  Attitude – POSITIVE POSITIVE POSITIVE….leave out the insecurities and negativity, its poison.  Every time you think negative or become unsure of yourself, you are actually poisoning your brain to train it in making you feel like a loser when you are actually not!  Get out of the mindset and quicksand, you always want to reassure self with positive thoughts on a daily basis.

Fish for compliments, be humble and grateful and most importantly start beginning to love yourself again.  You can be stuck being a normal looking person or you can display confidence in everything you do and can actually be perceived as a powerful, good looking and charismatic human being…now which do you prefer?

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