This One Body Language Hack Will Change Your Life

What do Angela Merkel and Mr Burns have in common?

A few years ago, one of my mentors asked me if I had tried ‘steepling.’ I politely told him I wasn’t that way inclined and if he pressed the matter I would call the police.

He went on to explain that ‘steepling’ isn’t what I thought it was. It’s actually a body language hack that all the great business leaders use.

Now, this mentor is someone I deeply respected. He had a certain gravitas and aura. Whenever he spoke, I felt compelled to listen.

Then he told me to look at his hands. They looked like this:

‘This is The Steeple,’ my mentor explained. ‘It’s the reason you’ve been so riveted by everything I’ve been saying.’

I was stunned. Could coming across like a powerful leader really be that simple?

Well it turns out that The Steeple isn’t so simple.

First, you have to get the tips of your fingers to press against each other. That takes some practise. Elon Musk’s autobiographer, Walter Isaacson, says it took Elon six years to figure out how to get his fingers to touch without looking.

Secondly, you need to be able to hold The Steeple. This is critical. I was once in a business meeting with someone whose name rhymes with ‘Even Tartlett.’ I knew I had to impress him. So I launched The Steeple, well before he entered. By the time we got down to business, I had been steepling for well over eight minutes.

My hands ached. A tear ran down my cheek. It was only a matter of time before I broke.

Thankfully, Even had to step out to deal with a family emergency. I was able to un-steeple and put my hands in my pockets where they could rest. When he returned, I re-steepled and managed to get him to verbally commit to having me on his podcast (once his laptop gets fixed).

The biggest challenge you’ll face with steepling is when you meet someone else who steeples. This happened to me when I was in a Zoom meeting with Callum Best. As soon as he turned his camera on, he was in full steeple. I lost control of the interaction and he ended up going to a competitor. Now he spends twice as much on his broadband than he needs to.

This is why I strongly recommend you never stop steepling.

Children won’t go to bed?

Steeple your hands and tell them it’s their fault the ice caps are melting.

Partner threatening to leave you?

Steeple your hands and say that her sister came onto you.

Therapist diagnoses you with ‘Narcissistic Personality Disorder?’

Steeple your hands and explain how disorders are for uggos.

As ever, I would love to hear how this success tip goes for you. If you’d like to send me pics of yourself steepling, please don’t.