Why is non-verbal communication so important?
Paul Ekman: Our face and voice are the emotional signal systems. If you want to understand my intent, it’s the emotion statements you need, not simply my words. We tend to trust the face and voice more when there is conflict. KH: Why is it so difficult to fake it? PE: We can try, but most of us aren’t very good at it. We’re better at faking words than body language. Micro expressions, very quick flashes of emotion on our faces, can’t even be faked by trained actors. KH: Why is it important for leaders to understand their true emotions when they communicate with others? PE: Your emotions may be all over your face. And you may not know how you are feeling until afterward. Many people recognize when someone says, ‘What are you upset about?’ and it’s the first time you knew you were upset. I believe it’s because our emotions have evolved as predators, and we don’t notice them in the moment. This has its uses. If you’re in a near-miss car accident, you don’t realize how you responded until
