Powerful communication through body language Prof Joep Cornelissen

Powerful communication through body language Prof. Joep Cornelissen Corporate Communication Centre

The two Steves

Effective leadership communication Speech Delivery Don’t: use technical information, Don’t: stay unmoved or passive management speak, empty Phrases, nor clichés. nor use a neutral tone of voice. Do: use framing Do: use animated voice, facial (analogies/metaphors), storytelling expressions, and gestures. (anecdotes), and image-based words.

Cornelissen, J. P. (2013), Portrait of an entrepreneur, Academy of Management Review, 38 (4): 700 -709.

The entrepreneurial challenge Cornelissen, J. P. and Clarke (2010), Imagining and rationalizing opportunities: Inductive reasoning and the creation and justification of new ventures, Academy of Management Review, 35, 539 -557.

Passion and preparedness in entrepreneurial pitches Chen et al. (2009); “Entrepreneur passion and preparedness in business plan presentations: A persuasion 6 analysis of venture capitalists’ funding decisions”, Academy of Management Journal.

… but gestures vary between: beats, cohesive, deictic, symbolic gestures.

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Study 1 • Four extreme real-life pitches (high/low on verbal analogies/metaphors, high/low on gesturing). • Measures from Chen et al. (AMJ, 2009) but added scales and items on specific effects of gestures. • First experiment: MBA students.

Study 2 • Controlled experiment

… back to leadership Charisma linked to persuasion, followership and employee support … previously defined as personal qualities (being ‘gifted’) (Max Weber in 1947) … now as charismatic leadership tactics around rhetoric (metaphors-analogies, stories-anecdotes, lists) and non-verbal delivery (animated voice, facial expressions and gestures).

Antonakis, J. , Fenley, M. , and Liechti, S. (2012), Learning charisma, HBR Antonakis et al. (2011), Can charisma be taught? Tests of two interventions, AMLE

Tomorrow’s task Think about how you engage and animate an audience. • What is your style: language or gesture driven? Or both? • Experiment! Think about different situations • Team meeting, town-hall meeting, crisis or change, and more. … and then perfect your delivery: • Use well-rehearsed stories, analogies and metaphors. • Pick one or two master gestures for impact.