DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.

            The article I have chosen for the current events in leadership, “How Do You Carry Yourself?” relates to leadership in a number of ways. In order to be an effective leader, communication is a very necessary skill to possess. Though many people think of communication as solely the words that you speak, the article brings up a great point in that this is only half of the script and your body is also simultaneously having a conversation. This non-verbal and often subconscious conversation that your body is having can often speak volumes about you as a leader. These non-verbal signals are far more powerful than our speech and can have a substantial impact on how the conversation we are having is received.

            In order to become a more effective leader you must first become aware of and understand the subconscious non-verbal conversation that your body has when speaking. This non-verbal conversation has a strong determination of the effect you will have on people. By understanding this second level of the conversation you will be able to deliver more powerful speeches and have more effective conversations with others. This is not something you can improve or even learn to recognize overnight, however, making an effort towards gaining a greater understanding of your unconscious cues is already a large step in the direction of becoming a better leader. If I’ve learned anything about leadership it’s that there is always room for improvement and with the knowledge I have gained through reading this article I will certainly make a concerted effort to improve my personal leadership skills going forward.

 

1) To what extent do you feel that the way you carry or present yourself has an effect on your perceived leadership capabilities, as seen by others?

I think that the way in which you carry yourself has a large impact on how you are perceived by others, especially with regard to your leadership capabilities. People who present themselves in a confident and well put together manor always seem more composed and capable as leaders than those who show signs of being nervous or have a disheveled appearance. Overall, it is important to carry yourself well as your outward appearance and body language is the first impression that many people have of you.

 

2) How confident do you feel in your ability to control the unconscious non-verbal signals of your body?

This is not something which I gave much consideration to prior to reading this article, however, after reading this article I can say that while I have some ability to control the unconscious non-verbal signals of my body that there is definitely some room for improvement. Overall, I think that I have a good sense of my non-verbal signals, but I have noticed some tendencies I have that I had never before given thought to.

 

3) According to the Psychodynamic Approach, the fundamental underlying concept is personality. As used in the Psychodynamic Approach, personality means; a consistent pattern of ways of thinking, feeling and acting with regard to the environment, including other people. In what ways is this Approach to leadership similar to the ideas brought up in the article?

This approach is very similar to the ideas brought forth in the article as many of the aspects of non-verbal signals and communications can be rooted in personality characteristics. For example, there are certain personality characteristics that can be correlated with certain non-verbal signals or tendencies. Overall, the Psychodynamic approach to leadership can be seen to have very close ties to the ideas covered and discussed in the article.

 

4) In what ways do you feel that your non-verbal communications can inhibit your ability to communicate effectively as a leader?

Your non-verbal communications can inhibit your ability to communicate effectively as a leader when they deliver an opposing message to what you are verbally communicating. This would completely negate the message you are trying to convey as people would not trust your message based of your non-verbal signals disagreement with the message you are speaking. Overall, this can be potentially harmful to any leader and leaders must take care to have both their verbal and non-verbal cues match one another when trying to communicate a message.

 

5) Do you feel you can learn to control the second conversation of your body? And if you are able to do so, how will understanding this conversation help you to be a more effective leader going forward?

I definitely feel that you can learn to control the second conversation that your body has. Although it may take a significant investment and will not show results right away the end result of gaining a better control of the unconscious conversation of your body would make the effort worthwhile. Understanding this conversation of non-verbal signals will help you to be a better leader moving forward as it enables you to deliver more powerful and effective messages and be perceived as more capable by followers. 

DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.