Thursday
Mar. 24, 2016 at 1:52
pm
By Katherine
Noel/Business Insider
Close your eyes and
conjure up an image of Donald Trump. What’s the first mental picture you get?
Is he grinning from
ear to ear? Or maybe shouting, his brows furrowed in anger, both arms raised in
the air?
The many faces of
Donald Trump have been on constant display over the last several months,
plastered on newspaper covers and television screens across the world as he
shouts, laughs, and fist pumps his way toward the GOP nomination.
Trump’s unbridled emotion is a key factor in his
popularity among voters, according to body language expert and author Patti Wood. Wood says that Trump is better
at expressing emotion — and specifically, a broad range of emotion — than any
other candidate in the race.
“Trump has what we call emotional contagion,” Wood
says, “meaning he has very strong, very clearly communicated emotions, and
because of his charisma, those emotions transfer to the voter. So, we can’t
stop watching him. If he’s on the screen, and we’re looking at several other
people too, his loudness, his gestures, and his expressions all draw our
attention straight to him.”
According to Wood, it’s a leader’s ability to show and
communicate a broad range of emotions that translates into perceived power and
charisma. Whether he’s on the national debate stage or at a small-town campaign
appearance, Trump doesn’t shy away from big reactions.
“When we think of him, in our mind we have an image of
him smiling, and then we have an image of him sneering,” Woods says. “It’s that
vast scope of emotion, that broad band between those two extremes and his hold
on it that makes him look powerful.”
Emotional expression is key to public
speaking, Wood says, because it makes a speaker appear more human,
relatable, and trustworthy. And the more expressive the better.
She says Trump’s “electric smile” — corners of the mouth upturned, raised
eyebrows, and wide eyes — provides “instant charisma.”
Because many
people think effective leadership means being cool and
collected, they try to repress their feelings. But experts say it’s
usually better to let your passion shine through.
“We hide emotions in
an attempt to stay in control, look strong, and keep things at arm’s length,
but in reality, doing so diminishes our control and weakens our capacity to
lead,” leadership consultant Doug Sundheim writes in the Harvard Business
Review. “Genuine emotion stands in stark contrast. It’s a real person
sharing a real feeling.”
“When we hear it,
we’re riveted — for one because it’s rare, but also because it’s real,” he
adds. “Sometimes it’s uncomfortable and a little messy. But that’s what makes it
powerful.”
Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional - The Body Language Expert. For more body language insights go to her website at www.PattiWood.net. Check out Patti's website for her new book "SNAP, Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language and Charisma" at www.snapfirstimpressions.com. Also check out Patti's YouTube channel at http://youtube.com/user/bodylanguageexpert.
