The Definitive Book of Body Language

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Ownership, Territory and Height Signals

In our seminars, we constantly observe how top-level man-
agers are significantly taller than everyone else. Through the
Institutes of Management, we recorded the height and salaries
of 2566 managers at company director level and found that
every inch of height above the company norm added almost
$1,000 to that person's salary package, regardless of whether the
person was a man or a woman. Research in the USA showed
that height is also linked to financial success: on Wall Street
every inch of height added $600 to each person's bottom line.
The same correlation has even been found in government
departments and universities, who supposedly promote people
based on their competence level and equality, not their height.
One American study showed that tall people not only got the
best jobs in American firms, they received higher starting
salaries. Those over 6 feet 2 inches (1.9m) got 12% more than
those under 6 feet (1.85m).


Why Some People Seem Taller on TV

People who are 'perceived' as tall also do better in politics on
television: on-screen people are only six inches tall (15cm) so
we are left subconsciously to decide how tall the person really
is. The height we decide they are and the amount of power we
give them is directly related to the power and authority of their
presentation. This is why so many short actors, politicians and
personalities do so well on television - they simply act tall. For
example, Australian Prime Minister John Howard became
stuck with the nickname 'Little Johnny' because, on television,
his approach was softer and quiet. Our surveys found that the
voting electorate perceived him as 5 feet 6 inches (1.67m) - rea-
sonably short for a man - whereas in fact he was 5 feet 9 inches
(1.75m). One of his adversaries, former Prime Minister Bob
Hawke, was constantly seen as over 6 feet (1.85m) tall as he
always gave a 'big' performance. In fact, he was 5 feet 7 inches
(1.7m) tall.
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