Nonverbal Behaviors Sabotaging Your Credibility

What is your body posture, gestures, and place at the table, say about you? In this episode, we sit down with Tatiana Teppoeva, founder of One Nonverbal Ecosystems, to explore the often-overlooked leadership skill that silently shapes credibility, trust, and influence: nonverbal communication. Tatiana breaks down how body language, tone, posture, space, and presence account for the majority of how leaders are perceived—often outweighing the words they carefully prepare.  Drawing on her background in tech, data science, and human behavior, she explains why leaders unintentionally sabotage their authority and how small, intentional shifts can dramatically elevate executive presence.  Key Talking Points • Why 50–70% of communication is nonverbal—and why most leaders ignore it • The nine core elements of nonverbal communication (beyond body language) • Common nonverbal mistakes that quietly undermine credibility and trust • Why copying other leaders’ body language often backfires • How misalignment between words and body language erodes trust • A simple self-assessment exercise to immediately improve presence Episode Timestamps 00:00 – Introduction & why nonverbal behavior matters in leadership 05:10 – Why nonverbal communication makes up the majority of influence 07:30 – What “Nonverbal Ecosystems” really means 10:40 – The nine elements of nonverbal communication leaders overlook 19:30 – Nonverbal behaviors that damage credibility fast 24:00 – Why women often undermine their own presence without realizing it 26:00 – Trust breakdown: when words and nonverbal cues don’t align 28:45 – Why people believe nonverbal signals over spoken words 33:00 – Tatiana’s “Five High-Stakes Signals to Master” guide 35:00 – One powerful exercise every leader should try immediately 36:30 – Final insights on awareness, feedback, and leadership growth Key Takeaway - Leadership presence isn’t about saying more—it’s about aligning what you say with what your body, voice, and behavior are already communicating. When leaders master nonverbal intelligence, they earn trust faster, communicate more clearly, and lead with greater impact. Download Tatiana’s guide: Five High-Stakes Signals to Master at www.tatianateppoeva.com/decode  Learn more about Tatiana Teppoeva and her work at www.tatianateppoeva.com  If you lead teams, present regularly, or want to strengthen your executive presence, subscribe, download, and share this episode with a colleague. 🔔 Subscribe & Follow: https://www.balloffirecoaching.com/podcast Support the show