If I had to rate the various skills I have what would I consider the most important excluding domain knowledge. I think one skill that would come close to the top is being character acting. I'm almost embarrassed to admit that I have sat in my office awaiting a tough meeting thinking how would Meryl do this. Now truth is I don’t know if it ever made a difference in how others saw me, but it did make a difference in how I entered various work situations, from giving presentations to interviewing to dealing with difficult negotiations. So yes, Meryl is my go to role-model for when I’m figuring out how to get through a tough situation. I thought it was my little game to help me prepare and get through the situations but I’m now delighted to know there may be a scientific justification to my behavior. According to Amy Cuddy, spending 2 minutes holding a power pose can make a big difference on an outcome such as a job interview as it increases the right type of hormones for the situation (testosterone) and decreases the wrong one (cortisol). She had this hunch when she experienced public speaking fear. She has since completed research on the topic and the results actually support the ‘fake it till you make it’ saying. She is the lady who now has research rights to ‘ it’s not fake it till you make it, it’s fake it till you become it’.
So today when you’re not busy I suggest you play the game below and aim for a 'She Can Oscar' nomination.
So today when you’re not busy I suggest you play the game below and aim for a 'She Can Oscar' nomination.
Strike a confident pose right now – Go on, pretend you’re Meryl in Devil Wears Prada or Julianna Margulies in the Good Wife. - Shoulders back, chin slightly up, no slouching. When you take your next steps walk with purpose – Walk like Hilary Clinton or Condoleezza Rice (not Oscar winners, but you bet they think about their power posture), as you move from here to wherever you’re going next. - Again no slouching, arms comfortable, good size strides, head up. When you next sit down, own the space around you – Try Carly Fiorina or Christine Baranski (Diane Lockhart) from Good Wife. - No bending over the table, sit back in seat, elbows on the arms of the chair. If you’re ordering coffee or a drink - Try Madonna or Sarah Jessica-Parker - deliberate and assertive. - Order it in the style of your favorite power actress from telling them what you want, reaching in your purse, handing the money over, waiting for your coffee, through to walking away with coffee Feel free to substitute in your own female (or male) power play heroes that inspire confidence. So what if you don’t have their clothes and their script you can still act the part. And remember; play the part for at least 2 minutes – will anyone notice? probably not but will they respond differently to you? Yes, they probably will. Please let me know who your favorite go-to actress/leader role models are? Want more on this topic then spend 21 minutes with Amy Cuddy, and her amazing Ted Talk. |