When someone is taking a picture of you shaking hands, the ideal position for you is on the right side of the person you're shaking hands with. This makes your hand visible in the photograph and is where the term, "getting the upper hand," comes from. Interesting, but who cares?
The people that care about this sort of thing are the same people watching how you enter a door. The last person in a group to go through the door has the position of power. They are the people who watch whether you speak from behind a podium or use the entire floor, whether you nervously play with your hair, slouch in your chair, and what color of tie or other accessory you are wearing.
In your day to day activities, it is doubtful that you are conscious of any of these things. I would submit however, that it is important to be mindful of these perceptions at all times. How many promotions, new business opportunities, new contacts, etc. have passed by without you ever knowing? Was there ever someone in the room paying attention to you without your knowledge? Were you ultimately dismissed because you weren't the type of person they were looking for?
Isn't this shallow and superficial thinking? Yes, but not really. In a perfect, merit-based world, we'd all be judged according to our work and abilities and not on how we are perceived. But the plain truth of the matter is, that's not possible. It ties directly in to our relationships with other people on a personal level.
Before I get to know someone, I have to have a reason to want to get to know them. Before I ever learned about my wife and decided she was a good person, I was attracted to her. Before I ever hung out with my current friends, I decided they were funny and personable. Before I ever do anything, there is a perception that makes me want to do it.
If you are portraying a position of weakness, whether you know it or not and whether it's true or not, you will be judged as a weak person. I encourage everyone to conduct a self-evaluation and decide what it is people perceive about the. And if you just don't know, figure it out and figure it out quick. Like it or not, your success is based on how you are perceived. Make the best impression you can at all times.
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