The Voice Of A Leader...

Voice. Wait. What are we talking about here?

For this issue, we would be dealing with the vocal cords, the voice,
particularly of the Leader.

How important is having a "well-modulated" voice in a Leader?
We hear various opinions specially at LinkedIn where I posted this
question.

As most would believe, a great voice mean confidence. As they put it,
with a good voice, people tends to listen more to what you have to say.
Oh, it's then like being hypnotized, huh?

Well then, if that is the case, a "good" voice is really not that good to
have. Of course, it is for the voice owner but not necessarily for the
entity he represents.

Why?

What if you are just being blindly led to your doom? Do I hear some
say, "Of course not, we know what we are doing and whom we are
following"? Oh yeah? How about those who followed Hitler, Mussolini
and alike? Did they really know what they were doing then?

History tells us that a great voice is not enough even if he "walks the
talk" and has the ability to lead. Good intentions are key. In business
leadership, it's all about the ability to take the company where it wants
to go.

We do not need to sound like Luciano Pavarotti or James Earl Jones...
so long as we do not sound like a frog. We have to accept the fact
that we can not totally change our voices but we could practice and
enhance it to add some impact. Honing your presentation skills would
help in many ways, see Peter Watts' The Presenter's Blog.

And so the underlying question to one's voice would be-
How far do you think could a "soft-spoken" Leader go in terms of
respect and trust?

This query was answered well by our LinkedIn colleague
Frank Feather as follows:

Lincoln's contemporaries described his voice as a "high, reedy tenor".
Of course, he had the advantage of physique, but a non-modulated
voice did not impair his leadership stature.

As for being soft-spoken, how about the quiet and simple Gandhi,
or the soft-spoken Jimmy Carter who not only became president
but won the Nobel Peace Prize.

A credible leader can be soft-spoken yet successful, respected and
trusted. Their calm voice of reason garners great respect and
attention.

In the end, it comes down to what you have to say and how clearly
and well you articulate it. Voice modulation is a big help, but it is not
essential.

The sine qua non is that when it comes to speaking... content, clarity,
firmness and timing are crucial.

Have faith. Just be the Leader that you know you should be and your
voice will be heard well.

Remember…
“Speak softly, tread gently but carry a big stick." - Teddy Roosevelt