Which two nonverbal communication cues influence leadership messages, and what do they convey?

• A. Verbal tone and pace; they communicate authority and calmness.
• B. Eye contact and body language; they convey confidence and openness or distrust.
• C. Written emails; they influence perception through precision.
• D. Dress and grooming; they affect credibility.

Answer: (B)

Nonverbal signals in leadership messaging carry immediate meaning, shaping how others perceive your presence and credibility. Eye contact anchors conversations and shows you’re paying attention, confident, and trustworthy. Steady, appropriate eye contact helps team members feel seen and respected, while avoiding eye contact can unintentionally signal doubt or evasiveness. Body language—your posture, stance, and gestures—reinforces what you mean and reveals your openness or defensiveness. An upright, relaxed posture and purposeful, controlled gestures convey conviction and approachability, inviting engagement. In contrast, defensive or closed signals like crossed arms or slouched shoulders can undermine a verbal message and sow doubt, even if your words are strong. Together, these cues color how your leadership message lands, often more powerfully than the words themselves.

Other options touch on important aspects of communication, but they don’t capture two immediate, observable nonverbal signals in the moment as effectively. Verbal tone and pace are voiced aspects of how something is said rather than pure physical cues, and dress or grooming, while influencing first impressions, don’t convey the same direct, in-the-moment leadership signals that eye contact and body language do.