Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2616: John Kennedy and Richard Nixon Handshake at Kennedy Inaugural Address, One Body Language Maneuver to Counter a Dominance Display (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

Today marks the fiftieth anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Just as notably, it has been almost 53 years since his inauguration. The video above shows his inaugural address as well as his swearing-in by then Chief Justice Earl Warren (later of the Warren Commission).

At the beginning of the video, just after Kennedy takes his Oath of Office, he shakes Chief Warren's hand, then Lyndon Johnson's - and then Richard Nixon's. What follows is a short-lived but significant alpha display by Nixon with Kennedy re-asserting his dominance. JFK examples here (0:45 - 0:49) one method by which the "double-hander" can be countered.

Initially, Kennedy should have first turned his body more completely before reaching for Nixon's hand.

Nixon immediately uses both hands to rapidly configure in the "Politician's Double-Hander". Unfortunately this variety of handshake is ingrained in most politicians' body language repertoire. It sends signals of dominance - (or attempts at dominance) and is very negatively received by most people.

Kennedy begins to turn in order to fully face Nixon.

Kennedy continues to turn

Kennedy is now nearly fully "squared" to Nixon, with his face, torso, hips (and feet - very important though not visible here) towards Nixon.

Kennedy's left hand begins to reach up to grasp Nixon's right arm.

Nixon continues his double-hander.

Kennedy is now asserting counter-dominance over the man he had just defeated in the 1960 election by gripping the former V.P.'s right arm.

Nixon pulls away his left hand - far away (over-compensating much as an over-steering event while driving) leaving him with significantly less alpha. Kennedy now has the dominance advantage while continuing to grasp Nixon's right arm.

Both men now disengage their handshake, however Kennedy continues to assert his Presidential dominance by still holding Nixon's right elbow - and in effect "getting the last word".

See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2134:  A Watershed Body Language Moment:  Nixon - Kennedy Debates 1960

Nonverbal Communication Negotiation Secret # 323:  I am Not a Crook!

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2104:  Mitt Romney's Convention Speech - Part II

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2609: John Kennedy in 1959 on "Face The Nation", "Are You Running for President?" - What His Body Language says

Negotiation Nonverbal Communication Secret # 1085:  Low Confidence vs. High Confidence  Kennedy and Eisenhower

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2577: Bill Clinton and Terry McAuliffe - Alpha and Beta Body Language

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2595: Barack Obama's Emotional Dissonance, Low Confidence and the "Turtle Retreat" - He Does Not Want To Be There

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Negotiation Body Language Secret # 562: The Politician's Double-Hander

Here we see Mitt Romney in the midst of a "Politician's Double-Hander" handshake while campaigning a day before the South Carolina Primary. The former Massachusetts Governor is exampling well a particular nonverbal signal perpetuated within the political world. However, along with the vast majority of politicians, he doesn't realize that the Double-Hander is virtually always negatively received (Pease). It sends signals of false intimacy and feigned familiarity. Be warned. When anyone who doesn't know you well gives you this kind of handshake - they will always have an agenda - sometimes it is obvious, but often it's clandestine. Of course, Romney's and every other candidate's motive is to win your vote. In a nutshell, the Double-Hander sends strong nonverbal signals of insincerity. This one the last emotions any leader should ever project. What's your Sincerity Quotient?

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Leadership Secret # 17: The Only Time for the Politicians' Double Hander

Politicians are well known for their "Double-Hander" handshakes, in which they will sandwich your right hand with both of their's.  The Double-hander is universally received as negative - interpreted as "inappropriately friendly" at best - and patronizing and condescending by most - yet many people, especially politicians continue to use it.  However there is one occasion to use the double-hander - it's one of two ways to counter an overly-dominant handshake.

Here, United States President, Barack Obama was briefly in the dominant handshake position in two ways - a moment before this photo was taken.  First, he is on the left side of the photo. This is considered dominant because his hand will be closer to the crowd (and cameras), much more visible and thus perceived to be "on top" even if it's in the neutral/vertical position.  Additionally, Mr. Obama has maneuvered his hand to be even more dominant by rotating his arm inwards (clockwise from Obama's point-of-view) & thus his hand is on top of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's hand. This is easy for a taller man to do - for his height affords greater leverage.  Mr. Singh is left with two ways to counter this double-dominant handshake - he has chosen the simplest - by "sandwiching" Mr. Obama's right hand between both of his.

Like a game on the playground though, Mr. Obama further counters Mr. Singh's sandwiching using the last counter-move remaining - to put his left hand on Prime Minister Singh's upper back/right shoulder region - which he does here. Although it would have been a bit more dominant if Obama's hand was on the top/front of Singh's shoulder - so that the audience could visualize his fingers/hands (and Singh would feel more patronized) - Obama nuances the narrow grey zone of not being "overly-alpha" and thus builds rapport.

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