Linking Body Language And Correction

So much about leadership is communicated non verbally. Body language, or helping others correct their body language, is one of the most critical traits strong leaders can posses to communicate correction effectively. #DailyMight

“Stand tall, give a firm handshake, and always say thank you!” Those were the words my dad spoke to me many years ago after lecturing me on leaving my bike laying in the middle of the driveway (causing him to run over it). Unbeknownst to me at the time, my dad was using a relatively insignificant situation (I didn’t particularly like the bike anyhow and it was rather old) to model an extremely vital trait found in most successful adults: The ability to possess positive body language in correction.

There is no such thing as subtle body language. No matter what it is, tells me everything I need to know about what the likely success of the correction that is being communicated will have. Body language is a very powerful communicator – so much so that people will often pick up more from our body language than from our voices alone. Study after study supports, and trust me I know – I’ve read hundreds of articles, navigated through thousands of situations, and lived to write about it. Positive Body language during corrective communication, is vital for growth – and successful correction.

Body language and Growth.

Growth in sports (specifically skill development), comes easiest when you extend your comfort zone. Delivering feedback to an athlete can make or break their confidence to try something new – or harder yet – to retry something that they have already failed at. Expressing correction while exhibiting positive body language during delivery builds up confidence from the athlete by proving you support them by helping them get better. An added bonus, when coaches model positive body language during correction, the athlete (if trust is present) is more likely to exhibit the same. That’s a valuable environment for growth.

Body language and Correction.

Sports come with a certain requirements for direction and correction on the athlete’s behalf for proper skill growth. Because athletes must entertain and accept feedback aimed at improvement, the importance of positive body language specifically on delivery (the coach) and receipt (the player) for correction is vital. Coaches must put care and intentness into the correction (direct eye contact, unfolded arms, appropriate tone, leaned it body positioning) to create the best possible chance of feedback absorption. The athlete’s responsibility in the correction equation leans more toward receiving of the correction and controlling their positive body language to increases effectiveness.

So much about leadership is communicated non-verbally. As leaders of teams, and young men and women, we must put emphasis on exhibiting strong positive body language to put our athletes in a safe environment to learn. Besides increasing both the corrector and the correctee’s comfort, it also increases likeability and helps us be open and approachable to others – helping them feel at ease during interactions or exchanges of correction.

Give everything your everything. And then some.

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