Book Summary: Cues by Vanessa Van Edwards

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“You might be the most competent, warmest person in the world, but if you don’t show it, people won’t believe you.”

Happy Built Different Tuesday!

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Today we look how understanding Cues that will help you quickly establish trust with your team.

“We use nonverbal cues to assess everything—capability, social skills, and hireability.”

Here are three action items from Cues you can immediately implement to become a better leader:

Lean in like a leader

“When we lean in, we literally feel more motivation. When we lean back, we lose motivation. Humans lean toward people, things, and ideas they like. When we lean, we’re able to activate our five senses easier. We lean in to see something more clearly. We lean in when we need to hear something better. We lean in when we’re about to touch something. We can lean in to smell something better. We lean in when we want to pick up something and taste it.”

Leaning in shows people we are interested in them. It also shows acknowledgement, appreciation, and acceptance.

Time Your Tilts

“Most people, when trying to hear something more clearly, tilt their head to the side to expose their ear. Because of this instinct, a head tilt cue shows interest and curiosity. People who tilt their head during conversations immediately increase their likability.”
Use head tilts to show you are listening and supportive.

Show Your Palms

“The single best way to showcase your palms is to flash them instead of pointing. An open palm is an invitation, while a ginger point is an accusation. If you want someone to look at your slides, refer to their handout, view a graph, or look at something, use an open palm.”

Be strategic, showing your palms will be most impactful when used to emphasize what you are saying.