Leadership Tip: Which way is your belly button facing?

Which way is your belly button facing?

If you are hiking in the mountains or bouldering on the side of a river and trying to move faster without losing your balance, think of your belly button. It seems that not only does your belly button help you maintain your balance when hiking and finding zen, it also helps you gain rapport with those you interact with, according to the author of, You Say More Than You Think: Use the New Body Language to Get What You Want!, The 7-Day Plan.

As a leader, it is important gain rapport with your co-workers, clients, vendors, and other stakeholders. It turns out your belly button is a good place to begin. When you walk up to someone and want to show interest in them, turn your belly button towards them. If you want to see if you have gained interest from others, see which way their belly button is facing. It is a good indicator to build rapport and engage people more quickly, according to Janine Driver, author of You Say More Than You Think: Use the New Body Language to Get What You Want!, The 7-Day Plan. .

Janine Driver – Expert on reading body language

Janine Driver compares Bill and Hillary Clinton’s body language in her book. Bill, when engaging people, always points his belly button towards them and holds their gaze a second longer when they turn away. Hillary, on the other hand, almost never turns her belly button towards the person she engages. Next time you see them in a magazine, on the news, or in person at a Millennium Network dinner, check out their belly buttons, but don’t stare too long or their security team may hold you for inappropriate behavior.

Open yourself to building rapport with others and give them line of sight to your belly button!