Cultivating Strength and Warmth
Voters want to see strength and warmth in their leaders because those two qualities seem to best guarantee a voter's well-being.
Psychologist Dr. Amy Cuddy, a Harvard researcher and popular TED speaker, found that people's first impressions primarily look to answer two questions:
Can I trust this person? [Warmth]
Can I respect this person? [Strength]
Cuddy found that people looked for answers to these questions, in that order—once again, because of primal survival instincts. A gifted leader is no good to you if you perceive him as a threat. Therefore, in forming any relationship, we look to establish trust first.#1030•