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This article was originally written and published by Speak First

In a professional business, a handshake tends to be the only time we touch another person. This makes a handshake a crucial element in making a positive impression. Here are 10 practical tips for the perfect handshake.

1. Initiate – don’t react

Sometimes there can be a moment of awkwardness when meeting someone for the first time. Be the first to put your hand out. You’ll come across as confident and energetic.

2. Get the pressure right

If your handshake is weak, others will think you’re weak – the ‘Dead Fish’. But you don’t want to be a ‘Bone Crusher’, or others will find you aggressive. Ask friends and colleagues for some feedback on your handshake, and aim for it to be firm but not too strong.

3. Avoid sweaty palms

No-one likes a clammy handshake. But sometimes we get nervous and sweating is an involuntary response. Have a tissue or handkerchief you can use to keep your palms fresh.

4. Get the distance right

Don’t get too close to the other person – or stand too far away. Go too close and you invade their personal space. Too far away and you can seem distant and aloof.

5. Go web to web

Make sure you really connect when shaking hands. That means going ‘web-to-web’ – the ‘web’ being the area between the thumb and index finger. Ensure your hand and there’s really lock together.

6. Shake don’t squeeze

It’s a hand ‘shake’ not a hand ‘squeeze’ , so your movement should be up and down, not an increase in pressure.

7. Pump it real good

How many pumps up and down? Ideally two to three. Just one can seem transactional. Too many can seem excessive.

8. Hold it

Don’t pull away too soon. Holding the contact a fraction of a second longer than you normally would gives a greater sense of connection. Once again, though, don’t hold it for too long or you will create an uncomfortable or negative impression.

9. Go straight for it

The perfect handshake comes from the side of the body to the front of the body via the shortest distance – aiming for a point just about the other person’s belly button. Don’t be a ‘gunslinger’ and take it round in an arc.

10. Don’t do ‘the politician’

Some people touch the other person’s elbow with their other hand. This ‘politician’s’ handshake is something you should avoid when meeting someone for the first time, because many people react badly to it.

At Lepaya, we help organizations retain top talent by creating a culture of continuous learning. We build stronger teams and inspire future leaders by offering innovative learning experiences through our Power Skills training.

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Lepaya is a provider of Power Skills training that combines online and offline learning. Founded by René Janssen and Peter Kuperus in 2018 with the perspective that the right training, at the right time, focused on the right skill, makes organizations more productive. Lepaya has trained thousands of employees.

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Leadership Style Quiz

You’re in a Zoom meeting with new team members. How do you present yourself?

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Leadership Style Quiz
 You must confront a team member because they missed an important deadline. How do you approach that person?

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You’re planning the business strategy for the new year. Will you:

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You’re asked to organize the next team event. What’s on the program?

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How do you tackle a problem at work?

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Leadership Style Quiz
What type of company or industry do you feel most at home?

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Leadership Style Quiz
 What describes your leadership style best?

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Leadership Style Quiz
What quote relates to you the most?

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Leadership Style Quiz
What makes you a great leader?

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Leadership Style Quiz
What is your weak spot?

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Leadership Style Quiz
Which personality traits do you think are the most effective for a leader?

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Monkey
A MONKEY

Your leadership style is: Democratic

DESCRIPTION: Monkeys have fascinating, complex social structures and hierarchies that involve decision-making, communication, and conflict resolution. Macaques, for instance, are known for their ‘majority first’ approach when deciding where to forage for food. They come up with different suggestions, reach a consensus, and then follow the monkey with the most followers: regardless of its age or status. This is exemplary of a democratic leadership style. Democratic leaders allow everybody’s voice to be heard. They consider the ideas and insights of their team members, giving them the chance to show their strengths and share their knowledge. This leadership style drives participation, teamwork, and personal accountability, leading to higher levels of employee engagement, retention, and workplace satisfaction, as people feel empowered and valued.

STRENGHTS: You are Creative, Stimulating, Innovative, Empowering, Collaborative, and Energetic.

CHALLENGES: When you’re a democratic leader, you might be faced with a risk of inefficiency as it takes longer to come to a mutual consensus. Also, this popular leadership style slightly suffers from the new, hybrid workplace because of the lack of spontaneous encounters at the office.

WORKS WELL IN: Startups, Scale-ups, the Creative Industry & Knowledge-based Industries

RECOMMENDATION: Lepaya training to develop your leadership skills: Collaboration & Influence, Storytelling, Analytical Thinking

Do you want to upskill your team? Request a FREE TEAM SCAN!

Horse
A HORSE

Your leadership style is: Coaching

DESCRIPTION: When you look at horses in the wild, you’ll see that the lead mare will guide the others in a certain direction and sets the pace. If a younger horse compromises the safety of the herd or wanders off, it will be gently and patiently corrected by the mature horses, and taught what type of behavior is preferable. Providing guidance, sharing constructive feedback, helping others learn from their mistakes and improve their skills: these are all typical traits of a coaching leader. Coaching leaders believe in identifying and nurturing the individual strengths of employees, so they can develop and achieve their true potential and contribute to the success and unity of the team. These leaders are all about mutual respect, long-term individual growth, compassion, and two-way communication.

STRENGHTS: You are Supportive, Patient, Loyal, Authentic, Compassionate, Reliable, Inclusive.

CHALLENGES: Coaching leaders aim for long-term success instead of quick wins. That requires a lot of commitment and energy, and it can take a long time to see results. Another challenge for you as a coaching leader is that you might focus on individual development rather than team goals, and you tend to become too involved in day-to-day tasks and micro-management.

WORKS WELL IN: Consulting, Sales & Marketing, Education 

RECOMMENDATION:Lepaya training to develop your leadership style: Resilience, Analytical Thinking and Taking Ownership 

Do you want to upskill your team? Request a FREE TEAM SCAN!

Eagle
AN EAGLE

Your leadership style is: Transformational

DESCRIPTION: The eagle is known for its ability to soar high above the landscape, its sharp vision, and clear focus that allows it to spot prey from great distances. This powerful bird nurtures its young carefully, teaching them the skills they need before they spread their wings and leave their nest. This imagery is often used to represent the transformational leader's ability to see the big picture and inspire others to work toward the organization's goals. One of the other key aspects of transformational leadership is that it emphasizes the importance of empowering others to be successful in their own right, allowing their teams to perform beyond expectations. They usually create an inspiring and motivational atmosphere, providing individual support and challenging their team to always reach for the sky.

STRENGHTS: You are Confident, Bold, Fearless, Analytical, Inspiring, Visionary.

CHALLENGES: You can be dominant and tend to concentrate on the bigger picture which can lead to a lack of focus on details. Being a high-flier, you set your own standards high. However, you can also be demanding for your team. Be careful not to create a high-pressure work environment, because that can lead to employees feeling like they can't keep up.

WORKS WELL IN: Agile companies that require thinking outside the box and a shared vision, like start-ups, the tech industry, design & media

RECOMMENDATION: Lepaya training to develop your leadership style: Empowering Leadership, Collaboration & Influence, Diversity & Inclusion

Do you want to upskill your team? Request a FREE TEAM SCAN!

Elephant
AN ELEPHANT

Your leadership style is: Servant

DESCRIPTION: Elephants are highly intelligent and social creatures. They live in tight-knit family groups that rely on communication and cooperation. The image of the matriarch leading the herd to find water and food is a great metaphor for managers who like to lead by example without putting their personal ambitions first. This is common to the servant leadership style. Here, your primary role as a leader is to serve your team members by empowering them, supporting their growth and development, and creating a healthy and safe work environment. A servant leader emphasizes collaboration and inclusiveness and seeks to create a culture of trust, empathy, and respect. With their calm and steady demeanor, they focus on building solid relationships with their team, listening to their needs and concerns, and working together in an emotionally intelligent way to achieve shared goals.

STRENGHTS: You are Understanding, Calm, Determined, Responsible, Committed, and like to lead by example.

CHALLENGES: As a servant leader, you’re sometimes so focused on the well-being of others that you tend to lose sight of your own needs and responsibilities. This can ultimately lead to stress and can slow down decision-making processes. Also, you might find it difficult to confront others and hold them accountable for their actions.

WORKS WELL IN: Service industry & non-profit organizations

RECOMMENDATION:  Lepaya training to develop your leadership style: Resilience, Storytelling, Taking Ownership

Do you want to upskill your team? Request a FREE TEAM SCAN!

Dog
A DOG

Your leadership style is: Affiliative

DESCRIPTION: Dogs are known for their loyalty, honesty, and their ability to provide emotional support. They are usually outgoing and full of energy. You’ll find that these characteristics are similar to those of an affiliative leader. The main goal of these types of leaders is to create a company culture that is positive and dynamic. It’s a people-first approach that especially younger generations relate to, as it highly values happiness, purpose, and the sense of belonging to a tribe at work. These leaders celebrate success with their teams and encourage creative thinking. As an affiliative leader, you like to foster a culture of teamwork and inclusiveness. You are open in your communication and aim to create an environment in which everyone feels valued, respected, and supported. You also value personal growth and development, and encourage your team to take ownership of their own career paths.

STRENGHTS: You are Flexible, Calm, Positive, Dynamic, Empathic, Inclusive and Trustworthy.

CHALLENGES: As you highly value a positive and harmonious atmosphere within your team, tackling complex situations can become a problem if you focus too much on avoiding conflicts and negative feedback. This might reduce productivity, lead to underperformance, and losing sight of the organizational goals and objectives. 

WORKS WELL IN: Service-oriented industries like hospitality, healthcare, retail, banks & insurance companies 

RECOMMENDATION:   Lepaya training to develop your leadership style: Taking Ownership, Collaboration & Influence, Resilience 

Do you want to upskill your team? Request a FREE TEAM SCAN!

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