Harris’ body language needs Obama’s gravitas to beat Trump

From the moment US President Joe Biden announced he was stepping aside from the presidential race and endorsed Kamala Harris as his successor, there has been constant conversation about the vice president’s suitability to be president.

We have heard of her gaffes, that “cackling” laugh, her “word salad” delivery style, with a senior editor of Newsweek, Josh Hammer, taking it to a new low by stating that Harris was “less popular than venereal disease”.

It is that laugh that creates so much of the negative commentary? Marija Ercegovac

This inherent bias has not only been set into play by conservative media outlets, with liberal media joining in on the pile-on of Harris through her term as vice president with The Daily Show and Saturday Night Live happily painting the picture that Harris is not that bright.

This has created a negative public perception of Harris, a perception that she must overcome quickly if she is to have any chance of defeating Donald Trump in November.

By accepting Biden’s endorsement for president, Harris has placed herself into the brightest light one can find on the political stage and she brings with her three things that can affect the thinking of the voting public.

She looks different to the men around her; she sounds different to the men around her; she is a woman of colour trying to stake a claim in what has ostensibly been a white man’s world.

To overcome these barriers to perception, you need to be highly aware of your presence to near perfection. Barack Obama managed it and remains the gold standard for dignity, respect and gravitas – this is the high bar that Harris must aim for.

What’s the problem?

For Harris, so much is right. She is clever, qualified, experienced, looks fabulous, has rich well-manicured hair and dresses beautifully. So where does all this criticism emanate from?

From a body language and communication perspective, her energy is too high in her body, this shows through her high gestures, her speaking tones which are at a higher pitch than her throat is comfortable with and an unusual, barking laugh.

It is that laugh that creates so much of the negative commentary – a laugh that often shows itself at inopportune moments.

The solution seems simple enough: all Harris needs to do is to stop laughing, but this is dichotomous thinking – black-and-white options that will find no solution.

In fact, bringing back the laugh fulfils one of the definitions of gravitas as defined by the ancients, who equally weighted humour and wit with seriousness. The laugh is back and bravo Harris for taking the opportunity to lead the way.

Can a woman have gravitas? The answer to that it is, yes, she can. Does Harris have gravitas right now? No, she does not.

It is not that she laughs that is the issue, it is how and when she laughs that is the problem.

In a recent interview, Harris described how she had her mother’s laugh, recognising that this is a habitual pattern adopted through imitation of a parent, traits most of us carry through life.

The good news is that it can be changed, not through stopping laughing altogether, but controlling when she laughs.

Next are her gestures which are often ineffectually above her waist.

Harris is often seen karate chopping downwards from quite high above her head in an incongruous way, which then contributes to confusion in the listener and can add to an interpretation of “word salad”.

This kind of incongruence can be managed, and her best guide here would be to turn to Obama, whose arm movements are magic personified.

Next is her voice. Now, we are not falling here for the age-old adage of the “low voice of leadership”, but instead recognising that a woman’s voice can be an octave higher than a man’s and we need to stay within the range that we have.

Recent research shows we no longer fall for the male voice as the only leadership voice, so the pitch of her voice in itself is not the problem.

However, it is important to know where the voice sits most comfortably in the middle of the given range for each person and for me, with a lifetime of studying vocal production, I hear a tension in Harris’ voice which sets the voice above her norm.

Something that can be easily recognised and resolved with help.

In my work in helping leaders around the world to maximise their impact I am often asked: Can a woman have gravitas? The answer to that it is, yes, she can.

Does Harris have gravitas right now? No, she does not.

Can she find her gravitas by correcting the issues she faces with her voice and gestures quickly enough to challenge Trump in November?

It will take work, and it will need to be done quickly, but the answer is yes, she can and if she does then the US presidential election will be far from over.