#24: Putting power in your presence, with Amy Cuddy

Even if you don’t know Amy Cuddy, you have likely heard her message on power poses — as in, stand like Superman or Wonder Woman and soon you’ll be feeling pretty super yourself. Amy burst onto the scene in 2012 with her TED talk on power poses, which has garnered tens of millions of views.

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As a Harvard University researcher, Amy found that although people express their power through their body language, those poses also communicate to our own brains. In other words, if you stand like a winner in the classic pose of arms thrown up in a V, then your brain will think, “Look at that! I must be a winner!” In her book, Presence, Amy lays out the science of power of poses – while taking it a step further and delving into what prevents us from tapping into our own power.

Amy saw firsthand how selling is done right – by watching her father interact with his clients in a small-town insurance agency. They bought from him because they had a true connection, not because he was a salesman.

SHOW NOTES:

02:50  Amy gives an overview of her book, Presence.

05:15  Some people believe that to be present, they need to use yoga or meditation. But Amy says that’s not necessary.

06:40  Amy shares some important thoughts on how to prepare for meetings so you can make sure you’re present – and ready to make the most of them.

09:45  Amy talks about two different types of power that people must have in order to be present.

11:45  The key, Amy says, lies in finding ways of identifying where your power is.

14:55  We all have to deal with distractions – for example, when you’re in a meeting, trying to be present, but something catches your eye and your mind jumps. Amy shares some ways to keep that from happening.

18:05  Amy shares some of the insights she gleaned from her father, who was an insurance agent.

21:20  Amy explains why it can be important to let presence speak for itself.

22:35  Amy defines powerlessness and discusses how to overcome it.

25:00  This leads us to one of Amy’s key points: that the body leads the mind.

26:05  Amy says using technology absolutely drains us of the power we project outward to the world. She sums up this problem with the term “iPosture.”

28:50  Amy shares her thoughts about the imposter phenomenon – that overwhelming lack of self confidence that causes fears of being viewed as a fraud – and ways of conquering it.

31:35  Amy says that when people are lying, their body betrays them. She explains how to tell that someone is feeding you a line.

32:55  So let’s say you implement all of the strategies that Amy walked us through. How would you know if they’re working?