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Showing up in a Powerful Way.

I would agree that on-line setting might be stealing some thunder from our real-life charm, yet this said, I would disagree that it completely disarms us on the way to look and feel more powerful.

Examples of what you can do here and now to leverage it:

• Create a presence - dress up to become more confident.

Yes, it is easy to get used to attending your professional meetings in sweatpants, with no make-up and hair barely touched by the comb. This said, your appearance leaves a lasting imprint (possibly even more firm than the face-to- face sessions) on the surrounding world. Through meeting recording, screen-captions etc. you might end up feeling sorry for not attending more to the grooming before dialing in to your video call, for weeks or even months to come. Choose your wardrobe carefully, do not skip your hair and face care routine and make sure that the light that you are using is helping your professional persona to shine through. How? Through facing a window (or another natural light source) and/or investing in videoconference lighting. Make sure that strange sounds and "accidental" sights will not distort your "live entry".

• Take care of your expansive posture and powerful gestures.

The importance of the right posture and approach to your personal space in terms of building your personal confidence and power is much more important that we tend to notice - as per excellent TED talk by Professor Deborah Gruenfeld. That is an easy fix. Instead of relaxed slumping on the chair, how about relaxed yet straight posture further supported by well-timed gestures? Not only we then tend to appear more powerful, yet we also fuel our own subconscious mojo.

• Use short, declarative phrases. Speak clearly and loud enough. Repeat the points that are key.

The somewhat unrecognized blessing of the move to the on-line dimension is the fact, that we can more closely control not only our appearance and our surroundings, yet also reach all meeting participants equally effectively. So what - you say? Try to recall this massive sales meeting you attended in your company. How involved and attentive the last rows of attendees were - especially if they could barely hear what the presenter on stage was talking? Another blessing? Recordings of the meetings can give you a chance to relook your own presentations and sessions and reflect on what works and does not work for you. We seldom have this luxury with face-to-face environment.

TO BE CONTINUED...