The Definitive Book of Body Language

The Definitive Book of Body Language

Contradictory signals: his right arm

shows pointed aggression while his left

hand attempts to protect his front

The Legs-Spread

This is almost entirely a male gesture and is also seen among

apes who are trying to establish authority over other apes.

Rather than risk injury fighting, they spread their legs and the

one with the biggest display is seen as the most dominant. And

so it is with male humans; even though it's usually done

unconsciously, it sends a powerful message. If one man does

the Legs-Spread the others usually mirror to maintain status

but it has very negative effects when a man uses it in front of

women, especially in a business context, because she can't

mirror it.

A woman will feel intimidated by a man

who uses the Legs-Spread in business situations.

Our videotaped meetings reveal that many women respond by
crossing their legs and arms, which immediately puts them on
the defensive. The advice for men here is clear — keep your legs
together in business meetings. If you're a woman who is con-
stantly confronted by a crotch-displaying male, don't react
when he does it. It can work against you only if you respond