10 Body Language Mistakes Women Leaders Make

There are two sets of body language cues that followers look for in women leaders: warmth (empathy, likeability, caring) and authority (power, credibility, status). And, although the goal is a balance of both warmth and authority, there are circumstances when one set of signals is the most effective (for example, encouraging collaboration requires more warmth signals from leaders). Although I know several leaders of both sexes who do not fit the stereotypes, I’ve also observed that gender differences in body language most often align with these two groupings. Women are seen as champions in the warmth and empathy arena, but often lose out with power and authority cues.

If a female wants to be perceived as powerful, credible, and confident, she has to be aware of the nonverbal signals she’s sending. There are a number of behaviors I’ve seen women unknowingly employ that reduce their authority by denoting vulnerability or submission. Based on information from "The Silent Language of Leaders: How Body Language Can Help -- or Hurt -- How You Lead," here are ten body language mistakes that women leaders commonly make.

The luxury industry is hitting a wall.  Recent studies from the global leaders in predicting the prospects for luxury market growth testify to it.

Deloitte, which studies only the top 100 largest luxury brands, the industry’s best and brightest, sees these companies’ growth slowing over the next five years, as compared with the last five.  Euromonitor reports that while the luxury goods market will grow in 2017, it will do so slowly, with particular weakness in Western Europe and North America markets.

Bain & Company, in association with Fondazione Altagamma, forecasts growth in experiential luxury, while the personal luxury goods segment contracted 1% due to a shift in exchange rates, and was flat at current exchange rates.  More troubling, Bain reports the Americas declined 3% from 2015-2016 and Europe by 1%.

Bain’s report said: “This is the third consecutive year of modest growth at constant exchange rates, and it represents a new normal in which luxury companies no longer benefit from a favorable market and free-spending consumers.”
Why?