4. Use nonverbal gestures to emphasize your confidence. Body language is a powerful mode of communication. People are affected by body language without being conscious of it. This is why it’s important to make sure your body language supports your spoken words — because when the two are in conflict, it’s often the body language that wins.

For example, "steepling" — palms together like a steeple in front of the chest — is a common gesture signaling confidence. If you’re saying, "I know that these steps will help us weather the market," steepling makes your listener feel that you truly believe what you’re saying. Touching your hands to your chest conveys a similar message. But if you’re leaning against the door jamb, hands in pockets, looking down at the floor, saying, "We’re going to come out of this okay," chances are your listener will go away with the uneasy feeling that you’re hiding something.

The most important thing to remember is that you need to be congruent in words and action. If one part of you is saying "we can do this" and another part – the non-verbal – is saying "there’s not a chance in the world we can get this done, then the non-verbal wins every time. What’s worse, is that people will react to the incongruence they see and soon learn to not believe in what you say.

5. Lead by example. You’ve heard the old saying, "What you do speaks so loudly I can’t hear what you say." This is particularly true in an economic downturn. If you ask people to be frugal, then you should be frugal yourself. If you ask people to put in extra time or effort to keep things flowing smoothly, be sure to put in your own extra share of time and effort.

Look at your own behavior. It’s another situation that calls for congruence.

6. Build a team spirit. Uncertainty breeds insecurity, and in insecure times, people tend to band together for mutual support. As a leader, you can build team spirit by capitalizing on this need for security through collective action. You can encourage people to work together by reinforcing good teamwork wherever you see it. When people learn the value of working together well, their good teamwork habits will carry over and continue to enhance both individual and departmental productivity when better times return.

To address particular problems, many companies form temporary task forces consisting of representatives from different departments and different levels. Because problems tend to increase in a downturn, creating new opportunities for teamwork not only addresses the employees’ need for affiliation, it also keeps the company running smoothly.

About the Author

When looking for a keynote speaker, Tom probably belongs on your short list of possibilities. Tom Connellan is a business keynote speaker regularly used by leading firms such as GE, Neiman Marcus, Dell, FedEx and Marriott to strengthen customer loyalty and leadership practices.