Imagine that you could make yourself feel confident whenever you wanted. Consider that confidence is just a few moments away by changing your posture. “Powerful people tend to be…more assertive and more confident, more optimistic…they also tend to be able to think more abstractly…Before you go into the next stressful evaluative situation…configure your brain to cope the best in that situation…and it can significantly change the outcomes of your life” – Amy Cuddy
This TED Talk is one of my favorite. I use what I’ve learned from this TED Talk at least once a month. It’s not unusual for someone to ask if I’ve done my ‘power poses’ before giving a talk. And my answer is usually, yes.
Recently I was devastated when articles came out that said researchers weren’t able to replicate the findings. They reported that the results from Cuddy’s research may have been overstated, with no physiological changes found. I felt cheated with a rug pulled out from under my feet. Especially because I’d had so much seeming success with the techniques.
Is it possible that power poses were no better than rubbing a rabbit’s foot for good luck? Had I been fooling myself that I’d felt more confident speaking because I’d sat ‘powerfully’ while waiting my turn at the podium?
The answer is: I guess, but so what? If it works, what’s the harm practically?
Consider this, even if it doesn’t really work. And, consider that it doesn’t even actually fool you that you have more confidence I urge you to still consider your posture because it still impacts how people perceive you. That is, even if you don’t feel more confident – people will still see you as more confident and in the end that is the most important thing.
Do you have any tips for appearing more confident that you really feel?
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