Regulatory affairs professionals lead teams through complex, cross-functional challenges involving business, science, and communication. While we excel in understanding regulations and science, our communication is the key to whether our risk-based recommendations and direction for product development are met with resistance, passive compliance, or, ideally, genuine commitment.
Our colleagues are often more senior and possess deeper technical expertise. Without formal authority, we have to rely on authenticity and knowledge, and our credibility. A critical yet often overlooked component of our influence is charisma—a blend of warmth and competence—conveyed through non-verbal and digital body language.
Research indicates that non-verbal signals account for 65-90% of how a message is perceived. By mastering non-verbal and digital cues, we can build trust, enhance credibility, and increase influence without formal authority. Small adjustments, such as leaning into the camera, showing open palms, and using strategic pauses significantly amplify our presence and the impact of our messages.
In today's age of texts, emails, instant messages, and video calls, we must also be mindful of the expectations and instincts surrounding digital communication. Avoiding the 4 most common types of anxiety-provoking digital body language and instead growing trust through emotive language, timing, and other techniques can also strengthen our impact.
This talk draws on insights from "Cues" by Vanessa Edwards and "Digital Body Language" by Erica Dhawan to provide practical, research-backed strategies for improving charisma, credibility, and influence. Attendees will learn how to leverage non-verbal and virtual presence cues to become leaders whose recommendations inspire trust and commitment. By refining communication skills, regulatory professionals can drive greater impact and alignment on the regulatory strategy of complex drug, device, and software development programs.
Learning Objectives:
Recognize what it means to lead without authority and the important role of credibility and charisma for regulatory professionals
Explain how your warmth, competence, charisma (warmth + competence), and digital etiquette affect perceptions of you, and your thereby your credibility as a regulatory leader
List and demonstrate non-verbal cues and digital behaviors that can increase your charisma and credibility as a regulatory professional
