3 ways to perhaps be the calmest person in the room

A few small actions, grounded in the biology of behavior, can shift not only how you feel in stressful situations, but how others respond to you.

Excerpt: "In high-stakes meetings or chaotic team moments, the person who stays grounded often becomes the one others follow. And this outcome isn’t about status or rank—it’s biological.

Human groups are wired to seek cues of stability. In uncertain situations, people scan for behavioral signals of calm, control, and composure. Those who project these signals can influence group dynamics in powerful ways, whether or not they hold formal authority.

In my work on Leadership Biodynamics, a biology-based approach to executive presence, I train leaders to tune their behavioral signals intentionally. The goal is not to fake confidence, but to engage practices that create real calm in the body and broadcast it to others. This is rooted in the biology of behavior. When your nervous system signals stability, others’ systems start to regulate in response.

Here are three tiny behaviors that can make you the calmest person in the room.