Leadership Presence: Why Does "Voice" Matter?

Dear Uncommon Leaders, 

As we continue diving into the topic of “Leadership Presence.” remember it's important how you are experienced by others as a leader. This week we will focus on your "voice."

Have a great week ahead and make November an uncommon month!

Your Sunday Nugget

This Week's Question:

How effective, helpful and professional is my “voice?”

This Week's Challenge: 

Our “voice” as leaders is critically important. Much goes into our “voice” (i.e. things like tone, inflection, volume and frequency).

Recently my wife and I were in a fast-food restaurant (not a Chick-fil-A) and we observed the front-line manager berating her employees in the kitchen. It was brutal and terribly unprofessional. It was like she didn’t care or know that customers were standing 10 feet away from her and were watching this whole scene. She had a loud, abrasive voice and it was not a good look for the brand. If I was one of the employees working under her, I would have quickly began looking for another job.

In contrast, I’ve worked with other leaders who have struggled to speak up or use their voice at all. I used to tell them, “You can’t run a silent shift.”  

People need to hear from us. Your challenge this week is to evaluate your voice. Is it professional? Is it too loud? Is it too soft? Do you rarely speak up? Do you mumble or ramble too much? Do you forget at times that there are customers within earshot of what you are saying? The goal is to be clear and professional. Ask some people you work with what they think about your voice.

This Week's Quote to Ponder:

“The right words, said at the right time, in the right way, move people."

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Until next week,

LET'S GO BE UNCOMMON!

W. Kevin Harrison

Founder and Executive Coach

Uncommon Influence

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