In one, researchers gave a mock job interview in which the interviewer created a situation of stress by presenting a completely neutral, nonreactive face to the interviewee. To explain how “present” people are able to access this personal power, Cuddy cited a number of social psychology experiments. Social power is power over others, she said, but “personal power is power over the self and the ability to bring those things forth.

The key to presence - the ability to act as one’s authentic self as events unfold without worrying about the past, considering the impression one is making on others, or extrapolating into the future - is unlocking the personal power you already possess, said Cuddy. “I want people to be able to approach these situations with composure, to execute them with a sense of calm confidence, and leave them with a sense of satisfaction, maybe even joy,” said Cuddy. Cuddy also relayed these ideas in the 2012 TED talk “Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are,” which at 30 million views is now the second most-viewed TED talk of all time.Īt the breakfast, Cuddy asked booksellers to think of what their biggest challenge is - a situation they tend to approach with a sense of fear, execute with anxiety and distraction, and leave with a sense of regret. In Presence, Cuddy uses social psychology research to empirically show how strong posture and “power” poses can positively affect one’s feelings and behavior. Amy Cuddy with ABA Board Vice President Robert Sindelar of Third Place Books.Ĭuddy’s talk on the second morning of the Winter Institute in Denver expanded on ideas from her new book, Presence: Bringing Your Boldest Self to Your Biggest Challenges (Little, Brown).

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