What's in a handshake?

The recent furor over the ‘casual’ handshake extended by Microsoft founder Bill Gates to South Korea President Park Geun-hye raised several questions – Was it a case of cultural differences or plain bad manners? Also, was Bill Gates trying to show superiority by tucking one hand in his trouser pocket while extending the other to the Korean President? Handshakes in politics grab attention. President Obama’s greeting style came under fire when he extended a combination of a handshake and an awkward 90 degrees bow to the Japanese Emperor. Bill Clinton smiling face as Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat shake hands was a high point of his presidency. Closer home, Rahul Gandhi’s unique demonstration of China’s strong ‘push-you-down’ tactics by extending a bone-crusher to the host at a high-powered industry meet was much talked about.

In the world of business, handshakes send a silent yet powerful message. We are judged by how we shake hands; a firm handshake inspires trust and displays motivation, positively impacting business interactions