With the theme of "Revolutionary Leadership," ICMA's 99th Annual Conference opening keynote address  introduced the importance of body language as it relates to influence and leadership. Describing the local government management profession as one of the most stressful she has encountered, Harvard Business School professor and social psychologist Amy Cuddy focused her keynote on stress as an obstacle to achievement and the role of body language in mitigating stress and projecting confidence and trust.

Cuddy is internationally recognized for her research on body language and the influence it has on how we are perceived and the effect our body language has on brain chemistry.  Body language shapes both who we are and who others think we are; it elicits feelings of trust or distrust and can project confidence or insecurity.  Body language matters to local government leaders because it is the conduit for influence. In particular, Cuddy has explored the role of “power poses” and the influence they have both on perception and on brain cells. Just as someone who smiles feels “happier,” so too can someone who poses confidently feel confident and become confident.

Power occupies space. Those who feel powerless tend to try to occupy as little space as possible, projecting a diminished image of themselves. The power poses that Cuddy recommends are not initiated to intimidate or assert dominance. Rather they are practiced to release stress and facilitate a receptive, fully present self.

Cuddy advised the audience to pay attention to their environment and how it affects posture. We need to assume postures that allow us to become our aspirational selves. By practicing postures that reduce our stress levels or insecurities, we can create a persona that we can step into. We give ourselves power, which enables us to reveal our true selves.

For local government professionals who often spend time in stressful situations, body language is especially important. As Cuddy quoted from Maya Angelou, “Stand up straight and realize who you are; that you tower over your circumstances.”

ICMA is grateful to its Strategic Partner ICMA-RC for sponsoring the opening session.