William McQuiston, retiring this month as CIO at Truman Medical Centers, remembers pointing out the importance of body language to one of his managers, whom he describes as "a stereotypical IT person who was introverted and kept a lot of stuff inside."

At meetings, this manager would strive to maintain a controlled voice, but his body language was "screaming like crazy, and he didn't even realize it," McQuiston says. His posture would stiffen, his face would redden, he'd cross his arms, clench his fists and roll his eyes. "I told him, 'The next time you're in a meeting, just be conscious of what's going on with your hands,' " McQuiston says. Eventually, the manager got to the point where he could express his ideas with some passion and even show some anger without it becoming destructive.

"You should always be managing your boss up or out," McQuiston says. "If you can make your boss successful, your own opportunities are a lot greater."