The Way You Move is a Signal

I was driving through the University of Washington campus yesterday morning on my way to an appointment, and I happened to notice something bizarre.

All of the college kids looked like fucking zombies.

It wasn't even that early; it was like 10am. Sure, it was a Monday, but still, everyone who appeared to look like a student was lunking through the streets without any sense of urgency, no care in the world, just the future of society there walking as if they hadn't slept in weeks.

I get it, I sound like an elder millennial at this point. In fact, can someone turn that music down!

It reminded me of a guy I hired years ago who used to fucking drive me nuts. He was a pretty good salesman, too, shockingly enough, but this guy would walk through the office with a gait that could be beaten by a humpback on crutches. We'll call this guy Tommy just to protect the innocent, but it used to drive me nuts.

I would be sitting in my office and see Tommy from across the sales floor stand up and push in his chair, and then turn his body directly towards my office. At this point, the countdown was on, and I would essentially start a clock in my head.

One, two, three, four, five....and by the time I started to get to ten, my blood pressure was up to elevated levels. I don't know why it bothered me so much to see Tommy slunk across the floor, but I guess it was the principle that a sales guy should walk with purpose, with speed, with energy, and with a desire to go make some shit happen. When Tommy would walk as though he was intentionally trying to get hit by an arrow from an archer on the other side of the office, it would make me insane.

It's true that the way you dress, speak, and show up to a room will speak volumes about you. It's also true that how you get there matters, too. If you were interviewing with an Executive of a Fortune 500 organization, and you started that Tommy walk, I guarantee you that the interview is done. If you show up with purpose, walk with intention, and give off the energy of a jackrabbit that is ready to win, then I guarantee you you're getting more opportunities.

And this doesn't even have to be about Fortune 500 companies. This holds true if you're a business owner and your customers see you, this holds true if you're an entrepreneur, if you're just getting started in your career or if you're a veteran with experience. It doesn't matter. How you show up with pace and with energy to win makes a huge difference.

Imagine if when Steve Jobs went on stage to announce the latest iPhone he would have strolled out there casually without any confidence? Would you have wanted to buy one?

Imagine if any founder today walked in to pitch some VC's on their business idea without their shoulders back and their head held high. No VC has ever funded a zombie's business idea!

The way you move is a signal. Whether you realize it or not, people are constantly reading you before you ever say a word, and that first impression isn't built on your resume or your title, it's built on your presence.

Energy travels fast. So does apathy. If you walk into a room like you've already lost, people feel that immediately, and they respond to it accordingly.

Now this isn't about turning into some over-the-top, chest-pounding caricature of confidence. It's about being intentional with how you show up. It's about understanding that pace, posture, and presence are all part of the message you're sending to the world. You don't need to say you're driven if everything about how you move already shows it.

So the next time you catch yourself drifting through the day, dragging your feet from one thing to the next, pay attention to it. Because whether it's fair or not, that energy compounds over time, and it either opens doors for you or quietly closes them. You don't need to sprint everywhere like your life depends on it, but you sure as hell shouldn't look like you're hoping it doesn't.