11 Subtle Mannerisms That Make You Seem Powerful Without Saying A Word
Everyone has the power to be more charismatic, commanding, and confident.
Alina Rosanova | Shutterstock With a combination of knowledge and self-esteem forming someone's confidence, the end result is a persuasive individual, according to a study from the Journal of Experimental Psychology, who's capable of commanding a room, making connections, and succeeding in professional atmospheres. However, it's also possible to adopt subtle body language hacks and behaviors that simulate this confidence, giving people the tools they need to be effective leaders, friends, and peers, even when their internal self-esteem is lacking.
Many of the subtle mannerisms that make you seem powerful without saying a word are easily learned with practice. By committing to adopting a few of these practices and testing out which ones feel most comfortable, whether you're in a professional workplace, networking, or making new friends, you can adopt an aura of power and confidence overnight.
Here are 11 subtle mannerisms that make you seem powerful without saying a word
1. Being still
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In day-to-day interactions, maintaining a calm composure and avoiding anxious fidgeting can be one of the subtle mannerisms that make you seem powerful without saying a word. Even if you are battling internal emotional turmoil or nervousness, practicing mindfulness exercises that aim to calm your body's nervous ticks can self-soothe from the outside inward.
Even in rigid and chaotic workplace environments, prioritizing calm, mindful, and confident behaviors can exude confidence to the people around you, according to a study from the Journal of Evidence-Based Integrative Medicine, helping you to seem powerful without saying a word.
2. Maintaining eye contact
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Maintaining eye contact, especially as a shy or introverted person, can feel uncomfortable at first, but once you master the balance of using it to your advantage, it becomes much easier to leverage. It not only helps to facilitate better social interactions and communication, it builds self-esteem internally while simultaneously urging people to perceive you as more confident and engaging.
Even if you're already in a position of power or leadership, using your gaze and intentional eye contact can help to promote positive psychological feelings and connection in your community or on your team, according to a study from Harvard Business School.
It's an element of active listening and great social skills — to be intentional with body language and eye contact — so it's not necessarily surprising that it's one of the subtle mannerisms that make you seem powerful without saying a word.
3. Great posture
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Having a great posture isn't just mentally and physically healthy for the average person, it's also a common marker of confidence and one of the subtle mannerisms that make you seem powerful without saying a word.
Especially if you're going a step further and using "power poses," in addition to maintaining a great posture — putting your hands on your hips and your feet shoulder width apart — this body language can greatly impact your confidence. However, like psychologist Amy Cuddy suggests, this pose isn't just exemplifying confidence for other people to perceive, it's communicating it internally as well.
So, having a great posture and occasionally utilizing these intentional poses isn't just helping you to seem powerful, it's bolstering your confidence and self-esteem in a way that allows you to truly embody it, as well.
4. A confident walk
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When you're walking with a slouched posture, avoiding eye contact, and moving too fast or too slow, you could be conveying sadness and insecurity, even when you don't realize it. However, it's easy to change this behavior if you're intentional about moving in a way that both suits your body and opens it up to be perceived in a more confident way.
According to psychotherapist Amy Morin, having a confident walk — with a great posture, a confident and easygoing stride, and rhythm — encourages other people to view you as confident, commanding, and powerful. It's one of the subtle mannerisms that make you seem powerful without saying a word.
So, even if you're just wandering around the grocery store or walking into work, be intentional with making eye contact with people, smiling, and putting purpose behind your steps.
5. Intentional smiling
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While smiling can trick our brains into being more positive and confident, according to a study from the Journal of Experimental Psychology, they can also make other people perceive you in a more optimistic and thoughtful way. However, the trick to seeming more powerful and confident, without saying a single word, is to be intentional with when you're smiling and who you're smiling to.
If you're calm and confident, only smiling when it makes sense and will foster positive energy in a room, people feel more special and important when you smirk or laugh in their presence. It makes them feel powerful and encouraged, but also helps to support a more commanding presence for you, as well.
6. Pausing before speaking
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Thinking before you speak and using an intentional pause can help to convey a strong aura of confidence, according to public speaking coach Maryna Shkvorets, whether you're working in a professional setting, giving a presentation, or simply speaking to peers.
It not only helps people to digest what you're actually saying, it helps to place emphasis on certain phrases, convey a sense of security and knowledge, and gives everyone a break to think, form questions, and voice their own thoughts.
7. Softness
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Subtle and intentional movements can be incredibly powerful in commanding a conversation or interaction, even if it's only playing with a piece of jewelry or holding a glass in your hand. Of course, fidgeting and moving too much takes away from the calm and powerful demeanor experts suggest truly conveys confidence, but slight movements and soft glances can encourage people to be engaged with what you're saying.
According to human behavior expert Joe Navarro, keeping your hands visible and moving slightly can also help people to perceive you as more trustworthy, which is why soft movements can be one of the subtle mannerisms that make you seem powerful without saying a word.
8. Leaning in
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Leaning in and being engaged in a conversation with your body language is one of the more powerful ways to truly connect with someone and assert your confidence in a social interaction. Many people underestimate the power of making people feel heard, believing a misguided truth that gaining power and prestige comes from competition and cutting people off, when truly it's about connection.
When you use your body language to help people feel valued, understood, and heard — whether that means leaning in, opening yourself up, fixing your posture, or simply making eye contact — they can double as subtle mannerisms that make you seem powerful without saying a word.
9. Having a consistent facial expression
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Regardless of the environment you're in, the stress and chaos you're navigating, or the emotions spiraling around a room, maintaining a calm demeanor and consistent facial expressions can be one of the subtle mannerisms that make you seem powerful without saying a word.
It may seem simple, but you can be a more powerful and engaged leader, communicator, and peer when you're intentional about your reactions. Don't feed into the anxiety of a high-pressure situation, interrupt people to get your word in, or even be over-expressive to the point of confusing others. Be consistent and someone other people can look to for grounding guidance and support.
10. Sitting in silence
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Many people who rush to fill silence and pauses in conversation come across as less confident and secure than those who embrace it. Even if it's a work meeting or presentation, sitting in silence for a few moments, letting everyone think and process, and using pauses in conversation to your advantage can be one of the subtle mannerisms that make you seem powerful without saying a word.
While silence may trigger anxiety in some individuals, like psychologist Michele Leno suggests, being the person those people can look to for support, guidance, and calming energy can encourage them to perceive you in a more powerful and positive light.
11. Dressing authentically
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While in most environments, like the workplace, there's some kind of expectation for what to wear or a dress code to follow, dressing authentically to the best of your ability can encourage people to perceive you as more confident and charismatic.
People are not only drawn toward genuine self-expression and authenticity, they're attracted to confidence, and wearing what you want and what makes you comfortable feeds internal self-esteem.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a staff writer with a bachelor's degree in social relations & policy and gender studies who focuses on psychology, relationships, self-help, and human interest stories.
