High-Status Behaviors That Make Others Want To Follow Your Lead

Being a leader may come more naturally to some than others, but leaders are made, not born. Everything from communication style to body language has an impact on how others perceive you in terms of your ability to command a room and command attention.

Certain behaviors have more of an impact on your leadership abilities than others. The people around you might subconsciously start trying to emulate those behaviors without even realizing it. 

These are 7 high-status behaviors that subconsciously make others want to follow your lead:

1. Making engaged eye contact while speaking

Research has shown eye contact helps to create a sense of togetherness, and helps dialogue feel “smooth” and “easy to maintain.”

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Think about it — are you more likely to engage with someone who can’t even look at you or someone who makes direct eye contact when speaking? Probably the latter.

Keep in mind that prolonged eye contact without a break can have the opposite effect and actually give people the creeps! A 2016 study pinpointed three seconds as the sweet spot for eye contact, but nothing longer than nine seconds.

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2. Speaking in complete sentences

This may seem obvious, but in an age of Slack and text communications, the art of speaking in complete sentences can fall by the wayside of convenience. 

Complete sentences not only give off an aura of high status, but using complete thoughts to convey a message improves communication, which is integral to effective leadership. 

Fragmented language or too much slang can increase the probability of wires getting crossed, contributing to mistakes and confusion.

3.  Having an understanding of where your body is in the space around you and maximizing that space

Don’t be afraid to take up space, and please take that literally. Timid body language that closes off communication or makes you appear small and insecure does not command attention and authority. Plus, it’s uncomfortable. 

Sit comfortably with your arms open and in good posture.

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The type of body language you exhibit does impact how others will interact with you, especially your posture.

“Good posture can improve communication skills and make your everyday exchanges go more smoothly,” physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist Laura Deon explained to National Geographic.

RELATED: If You Want To Improve Your Posture, Do These 2 Little Things

4. Speaking authoritatively

To speak authoritatively is to speak with confidence. You’re not asking people to listen to you, you’re making them. Speaking with such presence may seem difficult, especially if you struggle with speaking in front of others in general, but once you get the hang of it’s not so bad.

According to Lindsey Williams, a communication coach, there are several ways to improve your authoritative speaking, including projecting your voice, slowing down when speaking, and avoiding smiling too much.

5. Sharing your experienced perspective

Of course, it’s good to agree with people during conversations and meetings, but providing your own insight is much better.

Don’t just smile and nod when someone suggests an idea; share your own perspective. 

Whether you agree or disagree, you’re much more likely to make an impact on the discussion and draw more attention to yourself.

6. Making direct statements

Leaders communicate their thoughts and directives clearly and concisely, using direct statements when talking to others. Speaking and writing concisely is harder to learn than you might think, but it’s integral to success as a leader.

You need to spend time thinking about what you are going to say and how you are going to get that message across. Your directives cannot be wishy-washy. You need to get from point A to point B so that every person you are speaking with understands the instructions or message.

7. Opening meetings with a short list of clear goals

Start a meeting with an agenda. People will be more engaged if there is structure to what will be discussed and how things will proceed. Also, people like to gauge how long they will be occupied. 

Think of it like a playbill for a performance or a syllabus for a college class. As MIT noted, implementing an agenda that you stick to is about efficiency. Efficient meetings mean happier and more productive team members.

By implementing these behaviors in your personal and professional life, you will become a much more effective leader.

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Sahlah Syeda is a writer for YourTango who covers entertainment, news, and human interest topics.