On Cue with Kafui Dey: Stand tall

One of the earliest communication lessons I ever received came not from a public speaking coach, a broadcaster or a communication textbook. It came from my father. Whenever we walked together, he would occasionally issue a correction.

“Stand up straight.”

“Lift your head.”

“Walk properly.”

As a child, I found this mildly annoying. I wasn’t joining the military. I wasn’t leading a parade. I was simply trying to get from one place to another. Yet he persisted. Looking back, I suspect part of it came from his own background. He had been a cadet in secondary school and, by all accounts, enjoyed it. Had his mother not insisted on further education, he might well have pursued a military career.

But there was another lesson hidden beneath the posture lectures. My father understood something many communicators discover only much later: People hear your body language before they listen to your words. Long before you say, “Good morning, ladies and gentlemen,” your audience has already formed an impression. They have seen how you walked to the front. They have noticed how you are standing. They have observed whether you look confident, nervous, energetic or defeated. Your body starts speaking before your mouth does.

As the FIFA World Cup continues, watch the players carefully before kickoff. Notice how they walk onto the pitch. Notice the captains. Notice the players standing for the national anthems. The best players rarely look as though they are apologizing for being there. They stand tall. They occupy space. They look ready.

Now imagine a striker walking onto the field with rounded shoulders, head down, eyes fixed on his boots and the posture of someone who has misplaced his passport. Would confidence be the first thing that comes to mind? Probably not.

Public speaking works the same way. One of the most common mistakes beginners make is poor posture. They slouch. They collapse into themselves. Their shoulders roll forward. Their heads drift downward. They look as though gravity has developed a personal grudge against them.

The problem is not merely aesthetic. Poor posture affects communication. A slouched posture often signals uncertainty, nervousness or low confidence, even when none of those things are actually true. You may be the most knowledgeable person in the room. Your posture may be telling a completely different story. The audience sees the story first.

Another problem is that poor posture affects the speaker as well. Try this experiment. Stand tall with your shoulders relaxed, chest open and head up. Now speak. Next, hunch your shoulders forward, look down and collapse slightly. Then speak again. The difference is remarkable. Your breathing changes. Your energy changes. Even your voice changes. Good posture supports good speaking. Poor posture works against it. Fortunately, posture can be improved.

One of the simplest exercises is the Wall Posture Drill. Stand with your back against a wall. Your heels, shoulders and head should gently touch the surface. Hold the position for a minute or two. This helps you become aware of what proper alignment feels like.

Many people are surprised to discover that what they thought was standing straight was actually somewhere between leaning and folding. The wall provides honest feedback. Walls are excellent coaches. They are also refreshingly direct.

Another useful exercise is the Head-Up Walking Drill. Choose a short route and deliberately walk with your head up and eyes forward. Not toward the sky. You are practicing posture, not bird watching. Simply keep your gaze ahead. Notice how differently you move.

Notice how differently you feel. Many people report feeling more confident almost immediately. That is because posture influences psychology. Your body sends messages to your brain. Stand confidently and your mind often follows.

The third exercise is video analysis. This is the exercise most people avoid and arguably the one they need most. Record yourself giving a short presentation. Then watch it. Carefully. Without self-pity. Without emotional damage. Without announcing your retirement from public speaking. Observe objectively. Are your shoulders slumped? Are you leaning? Are you looking down unnecessarily? Do you appear engaged and energetic?

Video reveals habits that mirrors often miss. The camera is brutally honest. Fortunately, honesty is useful. The goal is not military perfection. You do not need to resemble a ceremonial guard standing outside a presidential palace. The goal is natural confidence. Relaxed shoulders. Balanced posture. Head up. Presence. And presence matters.

Because every presentation begins before the first word. Before the microphone. Before the introduction. Before the slides. Your audience is already watching. They are already forming impressions. They are already deciding whether you look like someone worth listening to.

Which is why my father’s advice remains surprisingly relevant all these years later. Stand up straight. Lift your head. Walk properly. Because people hear your body language long before they hear your speech. And in communication, first impressions are often delivered silently.

Stay on cue.

Kafui Dey is a media and communications trainer. Email him at [email protected]

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