Leadership voice is one of the most overlooked elements of executive presence — yet it can determine whether your message builds trust or quietly erodes it. Long before people evaluate your strategy, slides, or word choice, they are responding to the tone, energy, and intention behind your voice. It signals confidence or hesitation, clarity or uncertainty. And in high-stakes moments, your leadership voice can either strengthen your credibility — or undermine it.
“If you had to choose one element of leadership communication to focus on, what would it be?”
That was the question an investment banker asked me recently, as we were talking about working together.
There is no magic bullet for communication. It’s a holistic combination of both a mindset and a skillset required for peak performance. You need: confidence, authenticity, executive presence, clarity, strategic messaging, storytelling, and vocal strength.
If I had to choose one aspect, it would be the part of your leadership communication that no one talks about, but can make or break your leadership.
Your voice.
Not the words themselves, but the sound of the words.
Your voice can project confidence or nervousness, presence or anxiety. Your voice determines whether or not people trust your message.
Training to be an opera singer, I learned how breathing and voice could captivate an audience, command their attention, and bring them to tears. I also learned how it could alienate an audience and make them tune out (pun intended).
Unless you’re a professional speaker, actor, or singer, you never learn how to harness the power of your voice.
And yet, think about a difficult phone conversation you had recently. The moment you jumped on the phone, you knew how the conversation was going to go from the tone of the other person’s voice.
If you’re presenting from a pitch deck or slides, then your voice needs to lift the words off the page and into the hearts and minds of your audience.
Excellence doesn’t happen spontaneously. It happens with preparation and practice. That’s why, when you prepare to open a meeting or deliver a presentation, ask yourself how you want your audience to feel when listening to you. Then, practice speaking your message out loud and listen to your tone of voice. Speak with 100% intention. This is a technique I teach in my keynotes and to private clients, which ensures your energy animates your words in the most powerful way possible.
As a leader, the energy in your voice affects the energy of the room. You can use your voice to de-escalate a situation and help everyone find calm and clarity. You can use your voice to convey conviction around a strategic direction. You can use your voice to invite participation and build trust.
This makes you a better communicator and a better leader. Put them both together, and you lead with your voice.
Until next week,
~Allison
In Action: How Vocal Tone Shapes Credibility
One core element of executive presence: vocal delivery. In this clip, I show two common patterns that reduce credibility—and the simple breath technique that changes everything.