Amy Cuddy’s research on body language reveals that we can change other people’s perceptions — and even our own body chemistry — simply by changing body positions.

Why you should listen

Amy Cuddy wasn’t supposed to become a successful scientist. In fact, she wasn’t even supposed to finish her undergraduate degree. Early in her college career, Cuddy suffered a severe head injury in a car accident, and doctors said she would struggle to fully regain her mental capacity and finish her undergraduate degree.

But she proved them wrong. Today, Cuddy is a professor and researcher at Harvard Business School, where she studies how nonverbal behavior and snap judgments affect people from the classroom to the boardroom. And her training as a classical dancer (another skill she regained after her injury) is evident in her fascinating work on "power posing" -- how your body position influences others and even your own brain.

What others say

“Using a few simple tweaks to body language, Harvard researcher Amy Cuddy discovers ways to help people become more powerful.” — TIME Game Changers, March 19, 2012

My Thoughts

I can see how body language can change the perception of how people see each other. We have deaf students in our school and I also have a deaf person in my family. People go by first impressions and your appearance can impact how you are perceived by others. How you move, walk, sit, dance, play, are all actions seen by other people. The way we present ourselves makes a difference in the way other people see us. Hand gestures, smiles, and good posture and appearance can give people a good impression. Bad posture, dirty or miserable looks and untidy appearances can change the way people see you. First impressions are really important, might as wekk make it a good one.