How to Build Gravitas to Showcase your Wisdom

Ten ways to make a real contact with your ideas.

Wisdom is in the eyes and ears of the people around you, so to make the right impression with your insights, you need to be able to generate the gravitas that says " my insights are worth noting ". Here are ten ways to do that.

1. Space

The aura of gravitas will generate a space around you. You can do a lot to create that. When you are with people think your image of personal space expanding to twice, three times, ten times the niche of your normal space. As you visualise this it will start to change the subtle cues of your body language and people will respect a greater distance. Then, when you choose to allure people in, they will feel a sense of point.

2. Slow

Gravitas means not rushing, whether it is in your movement or your speech. A steady, deliberate rapidity conveys total confidence and, when speaking, it increases your check of your speech and the relaxation of your verbal cords, allowing your voice to stay at the bottom point of its tonal register. Farther tones pack authority. Keep the city down too, to make people strain to arrest your important ideas and to avoid over - stretching your voice. This will all help people value the wisdom of what you say.

3. Small

Big movements tote charisma, big words traject intellect, big speeches channel rank.

Small movements carry economy, small words tote understanding, small speeches channel abyssal perspicacity.

Wise people do and say little, but what they do and what they say conveys much.

4. Still

Stillness is a special quality in our frenetic world. Cultivate the ability to be still to make a real variation with the busy - busy judgment, and create a powerful impression of weight ( the Latin word gravitas means just that ).

5. Summarise

Smart people dive in with their ideas to confirm that they are heard. Wiser souls wait, discern, then assess and summarise what they have heard, adding their evaluation and wavelength.

6. Silence

The ultimate in slowing your speech, the linguistic equivalent of still, silence is something few can master. Used at the right time, it can be a devastating philanthropy to your argument. How much smaller can your remittance be?

If you don’ t have an observation or charity to make, conjure up that smart people will always find something smart to say. But the greatest wisdom is that of Ludwig Wittgenstein, who vocal: “ Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be stilled. ” Don’ t be spooked to not have an inclination or an announce: no sapience is better than unmindful wisdom.

7. Timing

Choicest the timing of your bestowal with care. Don ' t occupation, jump in, or articulation someone off. Instead, wait for heaven before you speak, so there is only one thing for your audience to listen to.

8. Attention

When you speak to most people you quickly become aware that they have other things on their mind. With some people though, you feel as if there is naught augmented in the world for them but you. These people have both charisma and gravitas. Practice lucrative 100 % attention to the person who is speaking. The greater benefit is in more than just the impression you give, but the another understanding you gain, of their concerns.

9. Process

You won ' t always know the answers or have the comprehension to transform a where. But what you can always do is put forward a clear process that will help to unite facts, clarify issues, turn to a compromise. Wisdom is judicious when you don ' t know enough and having a way to variation onward regardless.

10. Tone

Who sets the tone? Whose demeanour matters? If it ' s you, then you really do have gravitas.

Smart to Wise is the latest book by Dr Mike Clayton. Learn more about the journey from Smart to Wise at www. smarttowise. co. uk and sign up for daily wisdom tweets @smart2wise.