The story of power in a room is written in space and height.  It’s not very different from what pack dogs do, in fact. Look for the alpha dog. He or she will be the highest person in the room if at all possible. It’s why kings and queens have had thrones on daises since they began ruling others.

I used to ask CEOs I worked with to test this out by convening a meeting at a large conference table with the CEO highly visible in the middle. CEOs typically take the middle of the table, and sometimes the head, to express their power anyway.  Next, I instructed the CEO to sit tall in her seat at the start, but then to gradually sink down in the chair by sliding forward,very, very slowly.  Imperceptibly, in fact, to the conscious mind.  The result? Those in the room who wanted to express their subservience to the CEO unconsciously sank lower and lower in order not to upstage the boss. CEOs have reported to me that they’ve barely been able to contain their laughter as they’ve watched everyone at the table slide slowly toward the floor.

A truly hilarious instance of this took place when Richard Branson, the Virgin companies tycoon, was giving a speech at a conference at Radio City Music Hall in Manhattan.  Branson is not a comfortable public speaker, so his clever staff had arranged for first a video, then a brief speech by Branson, and finally a question-and-answer session with a local TV personality in order to fill up the time as painlessly as possible for Branson.

When it came to the question-and-answer session, Branson, an unassuming man, sat in a relaxed way in his chair.  The interviewer, not wishing to be higher than Branson, leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. Branson mirrored this behavior, but put his head a little lower than the interviewer’s.  Soon the two hapless public figures were crouched with their heads nearly between their knees, trying to carry on a serious conversation.  It was like watching a game of CEO limbo. 

Finally, the interviewer could stand it no longer and stood up, saying to the audience, “Let’s take some questions from you now.” There was an audible groan of relief from the audience, who had been made uncomfortable by this ridiculous display of humility without consciously understanding what was going on. Neither did Branson or the interviewer.

Powerful people also take up more space: they splay their legs out, or their arms, or hog more space in the room. It’s why important people get bigger hotel rooms than lesser folk, and it’s why tall people are statistically more likely to rise higher in their professions than shorter people. The alpha dog strikes again.

Powerful people employ a host of subtler signals of their dominance, from interrupting lesser mortals to talking more, to indulging in longer pauses. They make more eye contact, or less, depending on their choice. In fact, they dominate the eye contact and the physical touch — all the ballet of the second conversation. It’s why it takes training to meet Queen Elizabeth, and when you leave, you apparently have to back out of the room. All of that is simply to express her authority over the rest of us.

Powerful people may withdraw physically from a conversation, controlling its tempo and showing their power with this ability. I’ve seen people in a meeting lean back and put their hands behind their head in order to express their superiority over the rest of the room. It’s arrogant but effective.

Power in nonverbal display is all about controlling your own behavior and that of others. Once again, this is something that your unconscious is exquisitely attuned to. You will immediately know when you are in the presence of someone who believes she is powerful because of all the signals I’ve described, all of which you are unconsciously aware.