Body Language of Leaders: ABP Maza Analysis of Shinde and Fadnavis
Featured on ABP Maza, Avinash Chate decodes CM Shinde and DCM Fadnavis through body language — revealing what their non-verbal cues say about their dynamics.
Non-verbal communication accounts for over 55% of what we actually convey — that's the Mehrabian principle, and it plays out in every boardroom, press conference, and political joint appearance. When ABP Maza invited me as a Behaviour Coach to decode the joint appearance of Maharashtra's Chief Minister Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, I applied behavioral analysis to one of the most watched political leadership duos in Maharashtra. LinkedIn India's 2026 report ranks communication skills among the top 3 professional capabilities — understanding body language is where that skill becomes truly powerful.
TL;DR- ABP Maza featured Avinash Chate as Behaviour Coach to analyze the body language of CM Shinde and DCM Fadnavis
- Non-verbal cues reveal underlying confidence, relational dynamics, and power alignment between leaders
- Understanding body language is a critical leadership and communication skill for corporate professionals
- Key signals analyzed: posture, eye contact, hand gestures, spatial positioning, and facial expressions
- Every Indian leader can apply these body language reading skills in presentations, negotiations, and meetings
Why ABP Maza Invited a Behaviour Coach to Decode CM Shinde and DCM Fadnavis
When two powerful political leaders share a stage, millions of viewers form opinions not just from what is said, but from how they stand, where they look, how they position themselves relative to each other, and what their hands and face communicate when they're not the one speaking. ABP Maza recognized that behavioral analysis adds a layer of insight that purely political commentary misses. As a Behaviour Coach with two decades of experience training leaders across India — from corporate boardrooms to military settings — I bring a structured framework to reading what the unsaid is actually communicating in high-stakes public appearances.
The Science of Non-Verbal Communication: Why Body Language Dominates First Impressions
Here's what most people don't realize — words account for only 7% of communication impact. Tone carries 38%, and body language carries the remaining 55%, according to Albert Mehrabian's foundational research. This means that when we watch any leader speak, we are processing 93% of the real message through channels other than the actual words. This is why skilled political communicators invest heavily in body language coaching. It's also why corporate leaders who master non-verbal communication consistently outperform peers in presentations, negotiations, client interactions, and team leadership — the invisible layer of every interaction is where trust is built or broken.
| Body Language Signal | What It Communicates | Corporate Application |
|---|---|---|
| Open palm gestures | Honesty, openness, invitation to engage | Use in presentations and team meetings to build trust |
| Direct eye contact (60-70%) | Confidence, engagement, genuine interest | Essential for leadership credibility and negotiation |
| Upright relaxed posture | Earned confidence, authority without aggression | Sets perception of leadership before you speak |
| Genuine smile (eye muscles engaged) | Authentic warmth, psychological safety | Builds rapid rapport in client and team interactions |
| Body orientation toward others | Genuine interest and psychological alliance | Signals respect in group and one-on-one settings |
| Reduced movement while speaking | Command, calm authority, confidence | Slowing down physically increases perceived gravitas |
What a Behaviour Coach Looks for in a Political Joint Appearance
In any joint appearance between two leaders of different authority or history, a behaviour coach watches for several specific signals. Posture alignment — do both leaders face the audience equally, or does one angle subtly toward the other, signaling deference? Eye contact distribution — does each leader make balanced eye contact with the audience, or does one consistently seek visual approval from the other? Handshake or physical greeting quality — is the contact confident and equal, or is there a dominance gesture (the hand-on-top handshake, the elbow grip) that signals hierarchy? Proximity management — who controls the physical space, and who adjusts their body to accommodate the other?
Key Body Language Signals That Reveal Leadership Confidence and Relational Dynamics
The most revealing body language signals in leadership contexts are: micro-expressions (the fleeting emotional expressions that cross the face in under half a second before the social mask reinstates), genuine versus social smiling (genuine smiles engage the Orbicularis oculi — the eye muscles — while performed smiles don't), hand gesture openness (open palms facing upward signal honesty and invitation; clenched or hidden hands signal tension or concealment), and the stillness test — leaders who are genuinely confident tend to move less and speak more slowly, because they've earned the room's attention and don't need to perform for it.
The Dynamics Between Two Leaders: What Spatial Positioning and Gestures Communicate
The relational dynamics between two leaders sharing power are particularly revealing in non-verbal analysis. Who initiates? Who follows? When one leader makes a point, does the other nod in genuine agreement or show a flash of micro-disagreement before composing their expression? Body orientation is the most honest signal of psychological alliance — people who feel genuine rapport naturally orient their torsos toward each other. Leaders who have tension or ambiguity in their alliance often demonstrate this through minimal body orientation, increased physical distance, or asymmetric engagement with the audience. None of these signals are conscious choices — they're the body's honest reporting.
What Indian Corporate Leaders Can Learn From Political Body Language Analysis
The body language lessons from political appearances translate directly into Indian corporate environments. In board presentations, the leader who stands tall with relaxed shoulders and deliberate, open hand gestures is perceived as more credible than an equally knowledgeable peer who speaks with crossed arms and downward eye contact. In negotiations, mirroring your counterpart's posture gradually builds unconscious rapport. In team meetings, the leader who scans the entire room with genuine eye contact during moments of decision creates more psychological safety than one who speaks at the table. I teach these exact principles in my corporate training programs at Infosys, L&T, Tata Tech, and the Indian Army.
How to Read Body Language in Your Next Meeting Negotiation or Presentation
Here's your practical body language reading framework for your next professional interaction. First, watch the feet — feet point where the body wants to go, and they're the least consciously controlled part of the body. Second, time the blink rate — stress increases blink frequency; calm authority decreases it. Third, watch what happens in the listening pauses — how a person holds themselves when they're not speaking is more honest than their curated presentation posture. Fourth, look for congruence — does the facial expression match the words? Incongruence is the most reliable signal of internal conflict or insincerity. Practice these four observations for one week and you'll develop a body language fluency that dramatically improves your leadership and communication effectiveness.
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Avinash Chate TEDx Speaker · Founder, The Future Corporate · 11+ yrs experience Avinash has trained Indian Army, BRO, RBI, BARC, JSW Steel and 1000+ corporate leaders across India. His work focuses on leadership development, communication skills, and behavioural training rooted in Indian values and modern business needs. |
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the ABP Maza body language feature that Avinash Chate appeared in?
ABP Maza, one of Maharashtra's leading Marathi news channels, featured Avinash Chate as a Behaviour Coach in a special segment analyzing the joint public appearance of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. In this feature, Avinash applied non-verbal communication analysis to decode the body language dynamics between the two leaders — examining posture, eye contact, spatial positioning, hand gestures, and facial expressions to reveal the relational and psychological undercurrents of their public alliance. The feature demonstrated how behavioral analysis provides insights that political commentary alone cannot capture.
What specific body language elements does a Behaviour Coach analyze in political appearances?
A Behaviour Coach analyzing a political joint appearance examines: posture alignment (who is asserting space vs. accommodating the other), eye contact distribution (who seeks visual approval from whom), hand gesture quality (open and confident vs. controlled and closed), micro-expressions (involuntary emotional flashes before the social mask reinstates), body orientation (do both leaders angle toward each other genuinely or maintain strategic distance), and physical touch protocols (who initiates contact, who adapts). Together these signals paint a comprehensive picture of the confidence levels, relational dynamics, and psychological alignment — or tension — between the leaders sharing the stage.
How can Indian corporate leaders apply body language analysis skills in their work?
Corporate leaders can apply body language skills across three primary professional contexts: presentations (open posture, deliberate eye contact, and reduced movement all increase perceived credibility and gravitas), negotiations (mirroring the counterpart's posture builds unconscious rapport; watching feet and micro-expressions reveals their actual position), and team leadership (scanning the room during key moments, making genuine eye contact, and managing your own stress signals creates psychological safety and trust). Avinash Chate integrates body language training into his corporate communication programs for organizations like Infosys, TCS, Bajaj Auto, and the Indian Army — because non-verbal skills are leadership skills.
How does Avinash Chate use body language coaching in his corporate training programs?
In Avinash Chate's corporate training programs, body language coaching is embedded in communication skills workshops and leadership development sessions. The training covers reading others (how to identify genuine vs. performed confidence, spot emotional states from micro-expressions, and assess group dynamics from non-verbal signals) and projecting leadership non-verbally (posture, eye contact, gesture, vocal pacing, and the power of stillness). After a half-day body language module, professionals consistently report that they notice far more information in meetings and client interactions — and that they're being received differently when they apply the principles consciously.
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