Talk to the hand . .
A question my clients frequently ask when we have our initial session is: What should I do with my hands? This is a universal worry -- my acting students have it, as have generations of novice actors before them. In a famous scene from Act IV of Anton Chekov's The Seagull, Nina describes her failed attempts on the professional stage "... really, my acting was so amateurish... I didn't know what to do with my hands, I didn't know how to stand on the stage, I wasn't in control of my voice. You have no idea how awful it is when you know you're acting badly." Yes, Nina, people who speak publicly often do have an idea.
Whether onstage, behind the podium, or around the conference table, we all suffer from self-consciousness if we are not physically grounded. A funny, yet instructive, example of this lack of groundedness can be found in an episode of Up All Night. Chris (played by the brilliantly comic Will Arnett) guests as a law expert on Ava's TV show. His first appearance does not go well. His "untethered" arms flail all over the place, ending with floppy hands. Ava declares him a "disaster" and his on-camera career seems doomed. He is oblivious. We laugh because we recognize not only the underlying anxiety that causes his behavior, but also because we know we would never be that clueless!
Harness the power of gesture
It's not just your hands; your whole body needs to be engaged in your message. Before you speak, get your instrument ready to communicate by doing physical and vocal warm-ups. Then breathe. If you are relaxed and physically expressive your entire body supports your content. Remember, you are not just a talking head. If you were, what should I do with my hands? would be a non-issue.
Politicians in particular show us how gesture can enhance or detract from a message. Australia's Prime Minister Julia Gillard a good example of a political leader whose physical engagement reinforces her verbal message. In this clip of her visit to our local high school with President Obama, we see two leaders who are physically at ease in front of a dozen international cameras and high school students. A combination that would strike fear in the hearts of many!
But be sure you're saying something
Avoid the "Clinton thumb" It is a purely political construct, a gesture no one uses outside the political arena. Real people just do not do it. It is a gesture devised to simulate sincerity without going out on a limb and really committing, a marker of feigned authenticity. People have told me that Clinton adapted the gesture from his hero JFK. But I ask: "Just because JFK did it, and Bill Clinton did it, does that mean you have to do it, too?" Tips you can use! Use both your lips
Aside from making it difficult to understand what you are saying,"keeping a stiff upper lip" sends a message that you are withholding something, and are not altogether trustworthy.
If you don't know, ask questions
When preparing for a speaking engagement, make sure you know who you are speaking to, what the occasion is,and why you've been asked to speak. If you don't know, ask. Because if you assume, you know what that makes you.
"Step into those leadership shoes"
I often give use this as an image for physicalizing your leadership persona. When you actually put those shoes on, though, you need to practice walking in them before you "go public." You can't be perceived as a leader if you're off balance or clomping around like a horse.
