Watch her video “ Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are” to see how it works. That’s what Cuddy’s famous “Wonder Woman” power pose is all about. The most surprising part is that it also works the other way around: intentionally adopting a powerful body stance can make you feel more powerful. Have you noticed this phenomenon? A confident speaker stands taller with head held high, arms raised and eyes wide open. She also points out that when you feel powerful, you unconsciously make yourself bigger. This synchronicity projects confidence and credibility, and can transform a bundle of nerves into a powerful presence. Read on for the lessons from Cuddy’s book that, for me, defined the principles of Presence.Ĭuddy explains that when we feel “present,” our postures, movements, facial expressions and speech are all in alignment. Sprinkled in with the research are personal stories that contain strong take-a-way messages. In her book, Cuddy shares a series of surprisingly simple techniques and the science behind them. It turns out that the power pose is only one of Cuddy’s simple “nudges,” or small adjustments to our body language, mindset and behavior that can collectively lead to big changes. Can you really increase your confidence simply by striking a pose? If you’ve seen Cuddy’s TED talk about power poses, you may have been skeptical. In her book, Presence, Harvard professor Amy Cuddy teaches us how to access our personal power and bring our “boldest self to our biggest challenges” so we can confidently achieve our goals.

The situations that require us to be confident and inspiring can instead make us feel powerless and ineffective. Have you ever finished a pivotal business presentation and immediately wished for a do-over?Īll too often we approach opportunities filled with doubt, execute them with dread, and leave them feeling distraught.

Amy cuddy presence ted talk