One’s leadership ability is conveyed, not only through the words, but through the sound of the voice, according to research published in the ‘Journal of Psychological Science’. 

This has added credence to a subliminal understanding that acoustic cues—like changing and controlling one's pitch, volume, and variations—can change a person's perception of authority.

In this research, 161 college students were randomly instructed to role-play either a person with high or low power in a negotiation exercise. As with their research, the negotiation exercise wasn't the test, the test was a comparison of readings of the “Rainbow Passage”, a standard text used to measure speaking skills. The students read it before and after they were instructed how to play their position. The questions the research sought to answer were: Would imagining that one had power change the voice and, would listeners respond to this change?

The scientists used software to measure significant vocal pattern changes in test groups. The “high-status” research subjects had a steadier pitch, their voices were more controlled and they could vary their volume, etc. In other words, they had more dimension in the actual sound of their voices and had more ability to convey the information effectively. The lesser-ranked subjects were less stable. They sounded a bit strained, their pitch typically was higher—as one professor observed, "Stress leaks out." When listeners heard the recordings they correctly matched the high status voice 72% of the time.

One of the suppositions to draw from this study is that, as I say in Vocal Awareness, it is not just what we say, but how we say it. In daily discourse it is never merely the message, but the messenger that matters. In my latest book, Vocal Leadership: 7 Minutes-a-Day to Communication Mastery, these types of understandings are fundamental to what I call ‘The Work.’

Years ago, I was speaking at a voice conference in London, and one of my fellow speakers was a voice scientist who had spent several years studying two singers. Unfortunately, some of the conclusions were faulty because the singers were merely adequate. He, himself, was not a trained singer, and so was not aware of what the voice could do if the singer had used better technique or had greater artistic ability. The suppositions that he drew from this study, and which cast a wide net, were inaccurate and not helpful. If the singer had made certain technical adjustments, it would have changed the outcome of his study.

I cite these examples to illustrate that when we read research results in professional journals or hear authorities speak, we want to believe them even when their results may be questionable. However, in Vocal Awareness, we have choices that provide us with the tools to overcome these vocal limitations, and now, I want all of us to know that embodying the leader you are, in every conversation, as authentically as possible, can be achieved by all of us. It is not complicated, however, it is complex.

Begin with these five simple techniques and watch what happens:

1. Create your Persona Statement: How do you want to be known by your friends, colleagues, and family? Write a simple positive statement of how you want to be known like: “I want to be known as secure, successful, and confident—a strong leader.” To make it your persona statement change “I want to be known as..” to “I am..” The root of the word persona means through the sound. Read it out loud and start embodying who you want to be.
   
   
2. Warm up and release tongue and jaw tension through the yawn-sigh exercise: To do the Jaw Release form a “V” with one hand by spreading your thumb away from your forefinger. Rest your hand against the ledge of your chin, just below your mouth, with your thumb on one side of your jaw and your fingers against the other. Your chin will be in the exact center of the “V.” Let your jaw relax downward until your mouth is open and as comfortable as possible. Do not force the jaw extension or tighten your neck or shoulders! The tip of your tongue should be resting, lying forward. Place two fingers of the other hand in your mouth under your tongue up to the first joint to encourage your tongue to lie forward and release any residual tension. Now while relaxed, do a Yawn-Sigh out loud using the sound of “Haaa” as in “haaaat.” Encourage your pitch to descend slightly as you crescendo through the Edge and Arc of Sound. You will be stunned by how fundamentally different you sound when you release a little tongue and jaw tension, or don’t rush your breathing. I can assure you this will change ‘the test results’.
   
   
3. Never rush: In communication, it is never how fast but rather how effective.
   
   
4. Don’t simply convey data—rather, tell a story: In your communication be strategic in how you lay out your narrative but, then, personalize what you are saying with anecdotes, a metaphor—something that creates a deeper understanding and reveals a bit more of who you are to help you better connect with your listener/audience.
   
   
5. Practice all prepared remarks on a video camera or an audio recorder, and review afterward: I am privileged that the National Football League is one of my corporate clients, and in that relationship, I have the honor of working with everyone, including the Commissioner of the League, Roger Goodell, and other senior leaders. They held an annual meeting that required three dress rehearsals as well as multiple one-on-one sessions with me beforehand—just for a business meeting. A consistent theme in voice work with leaders is that A Champion Does It Differently. That's not simply an athletic or a career concept. It is a life concept. A champion always strives not to simply 'do' his best, but to be his best. It is a misnomer to 'present' so that our audience approves. A champion never goes out and tries to beat the opponent. All they strive to do is be their best.

Context does not determine outcome. Do not try to impress, do not try to win over—simply do whatever it takes to be your best in every encounter, every meeting public or private, whether it’s one-on-one in your organization or your annual meeting. Do everything it takes to claim your and your organization's greatness. Your persona should embody your leadership. It's not about trying to role-play or imagine who you are- simply be and the outcome will take care of itself.

Now that you know these five Vocal Awareness techniques, don’t just set them aside—incorporate them into your daily routine. You’ll find that each day brings you closer to sounding like your true Self and ultimately achieving the Voice of a Leader.