Nonverbal Communication in Leadership and Its Influence

By Linda C. Ashar, J.D.  |  10/15/2025

When they envision leaders, people often picture powerful speeches or impactful written communication. However, the visible signals that leaders convey are equally significant. 

Nonverbal communication frequently carries more weight than spoken language. This silent form of communication permeates everyday interactions, shaping the dynamics of leadership and influence.

What Is Nonverbal Communication?

Nonverbal communication is complex and encompasses more than simple body language. It includes:

• Facial expressions – A smile or frown can set the tone for an entire meeting.
• Posture and gestures – Crossing arms may indicate defensiveness toward an audience, while leaning forward and maintaining open arms suggests interest.
• Eye contact – Avoiding eye contact can signal disengagement, whereas consistent eye contact may come off as intimidating. Lead America recommends eye contact during 50% of speaking time and 70% of listening time.
• Appearance and space – Clothing, office arrangements, and seating positions influence how leaders are perceived.
• Silence – Strategic pauses can convey authority, prompt reflection, or signal discomfort.

These elements of nonverbal communication work together to supplement and enhance verbal messages, providing context and meaning to a speaker’s actual words. When they are combined with vocal elements like volume, pitch, and rhythm, these nonverbal messages reinforce the expression of emotions such as:

• Anger
• Joy
• Fear
• Boredom
• Interest

Why Nonverbal Communication Is Powerful

Researchers Cheryl L. Carmichael and Moran Mizrahi highlight the human ability to quickly interpret nonverbal messages, which facilitates efficient social judgments and profoundly influences interpersonal experiences. For instance, a “thank you” accompanied by a pleasant facial expression like a smile is perceived as more sincere than one delivered with a frown.

Nonverbal Communication in Digital Environments

In today’s digital age, emoticons have become a way to translate nonverbal cues into electronic communication. They illustrate the enduring significance of nonverbal signals in communication, even in virtual interactions.

Also, today’s leaders are frequently engaged with subordinates on virtual platforms such as Zoom® or Microsoft Teams®. In these settings, some nonverbal cues are amplified, while others are diminished.

For instance, a furrowed brow or a distracted glance is more noticeable on a video screen, but other nonverbal cues like a handshake or doodling are lost. Effective leaders adapt by focusing on:

• Maintaining eye contact by looking directly at the camera lens to maintain an audience's attention
• Using intentional hand gestures and an open posture within the camera frame, useful for building trust
• Infusing vocal warmth and clarity into their speech, since body language is less visible
• Ensuring appropriate lighting and background to communicate professionalism and create a pleasant environment

By making deliberate choices about their nonverbal communication online, leaders can continue to project credibility and foster personal connections, even from a distance.

Establishing an Effective Leadership Presence 

Nonverbal communication plays a crucial role in establishing a leader’s presence, often before any words are spoken. Leadership training programs emphasize the importance of owning the room – whether physically or virtually – through a person's:

• Demeanor
• Eye contact
• Facial expressions
• Posture

Leaders can cultivate their presence by practicing these elements and developing their unique style of communication.

The Importance of Congruence in Building Trust

Trust is initiated by a leader’s projected presence. However, this trust must be sustained through congruence – the alignment between nonverbal behaviors, spoken words, and stated values.

This congruence is especially vital during organizational crises. Employees will scrutinize every facial expression, voice tone, and verbal messages from a leader for:

• Reassurance
• Direction
• Subtle cues to what a leader is really thinking

A lack of alignment between verbal communication and nonverbal cues quickly erodes a leader’s credibility and interferes with building trust. For example, a manager claiming openness to feedback while displaying dismissive body language, no open gestures, and a general lack of interest sends mixed messages that undermines employee trust.

Such nonverbal cues can be inadvertent. Dori Meinert, the Managing Editor of HR Quarterly for the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM), cautions leaders to prepare in advance for this reason.

Meinert notes that “Leaders may unintentionally send mixed messages. They may be concentrating to remember their talking points, but their audience might see their furrowed brow or clenched hands and worry that the company’s situation is far worse than it is.”

By contrast, a leader can convey confidence when verbal communication matches what the body is communicating. Pursuing self-awareness and tailoring verbal messages to use the right words also strongly influences that person’s personal brand.

When Nonverbal Communication Fails

Leaders have undercut themselves through poor nonverbal communication. An example is an executive who scowls and refuses questions during a public announcement about the company while professing optimism over the corporate outlook at the same time.

Whatever the motive for the behavior, the mixed signals conveyed by a person’s body language and facial expressions can have unfortunate results:

• The public becomes confused.
• The workforce grows nervous.
• The leader’s credibility is questioned.

Inside organizations, subtle missteps in body language – like failing to make eye contact during presentations or appearing disengaged during meetings – can discourage employee participation. It can also have a negative effect on the workplace culture and workplace relationships.

According to Jesse Stanchak, writing for SHRM Business, nonverbal communication in the form of body language is essential to remedy and prevent such problems. Stanchak observes, “Cultivating awareness and intentionality in nonverbal communication underscores an organization’s commitment to respect, inclusivity, and professional integrity.”

Improving Nonverbal Communication Skills

Nonverbal communication skills can be honed with practice and awareness. Leaders can improve by:

• Recording presentations to identify bad habits in regard to their body language, such as overly expansive gestures or a lack of eye contact
• Seeking feedback from peers or mentors about how their nonverbal signals are perceived
• Practicing congruence between tone, body language, and intended verbal communication
• Utilizing silence strategically instead of filling every pause with words in real-world scenarios
• Making small adjustments to signal engagement, such as steady eye contact, a relaxed posture, or leaning forward toward an audience 

Effective Communication Varies Between Cultures

It's also important to develop a better understanding of both verbal and nonverbal communication differences around the world. Nonverbal communication – such as colloquial hand gestures, type of eye contact, and hand contact – varies widely among different cultures and regions around the world.

In Japan, for example, a body movement such as bowing is typically considered a polite form of body language, since it conveys respect to the recipient prior to a conversation. However, there are different degrees for bowing, depending upon the situation and the relationship between two persons.

Similarly, smiles are a form of positive nonverbal language that is common in close relationships in the Middle East, according to Berlitz. Berlitz also notes that in a Middle Eastern culture, smiling is less likely with strangers.

Appropriate hand gestures are important to learn. In Korea, for instance, it is important to beckon someone with the palm facing downward to avoid giving offense.

Personal space also varies according to culture. For example, some cultures prefer to maintain personal boundaries with an appropriate distance of one arm length between two speakers, while others are more accepting of a bigger physical distance.

To avoid offending business colleagues and leaders from other countries, leaders in global organizations should convey the right body language, facial expressions, and other forms of nonverbal communication.

For effective communication and strong relationships, they should also learn how business is conducted in those countries. During business conversations and other interactions, leaders should focus on:

• Building rapport
• Fostering trust
• Remaining on a good standing with everyone from another culture
• Behaving according to local customs

Why Nonverbal Communication Matters for Aspiring Leaders

For people preparing to step into leadership roles, mastering nonverbal communication is essential. It is not merely a soft skill but a core competency that can affect business outcomes as much as the substance of ideas.

In today’s multicultural, hybrid, and high-stake business environment, a heightened awareness of nonverbal cues empowers emerging leaders to:

• Build trust
• Establish a presence
• Foster productive relationships during conversations
• Signal authority
• Show attentiveness
• Convey sincerity

Effective leadership requires mastery of both verbal communication and nonverbal communication. The silent language of gestures, voice tones, expressions, and actions profoundly influences perceptions, trust, and relationships. As a result, nonverbal communication skills are a particularly indispensable tool for significant interactions with:

• Colleagues
• Subordinates
• Customers
• Vendors

The B.A. in Communication at APU

For students interested in studying communication topics such as public speaking, intercultural communication, and mass communication, American Public University (APU) offers an online Bachelor of Arts in Communication. This degree includes courses such as ethics in communication, communication research skills, interpersonal communications, and digital tools and media in communication.

This bachelor’s degree also includes two concentrations to allow students to shape their education to suit their professional interests:

• Digital Communication and Media Design
• Strategic Communication

For more information, visit APU’s arts and humanities degree program page.

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