Voice and Leadership Charisma
Voice and leadership charisma – Did you know it?
When it comes to leadership charisma, there is no doubt that the voice sound accompanied by an adequate speech pace and melody, plays an important role. The voice pitch is a parameter that can give different important pieces of information about how we feel. The interesting part of it is that people many times judge us because of it.
A higher pitch can indicate fear, anger and in general can be a sign of high tension.
People tend to interpret submission and insecurity. At the other side a slight higher pitch can be a good introduction to a telephone call or to a client conversation, as it is friendlier to hear. As the higher pitch is interpreted as submissive (opposite of dominant) it sounds friendlier as to say “I am not harming you”. But I repeat, I am talking about a slight higher pitch.
A very high pitch, far away from the physiologic middle speech voice (adequate middle tone) should be avoided.
At the other side is a low pitch is an indicator of dominance and aggressiveness. A high level of testosterone is often the cause of a lower tone (for example in men) and of aggressiveness (men tend to be more aggressive than women). It is important to say that I am talking of a very low pitch.
A slight lower pitch can be seen though as an indicator for self-confidence and competence as it reveals a relaxed person. Some studies show even that it can be seen as an indicator of intelligence and seriousness.
A charismatic person knows how to use the pitch, how to modulate the voice and the melody according to the target and situation.
In leadership it is important to know whom I am talking to and what I need to do in order to influence others and so forth the situation. Tools like voice and language should be used in an unconscious way so that leader can remain authentic and true.
Authenticity comes from the middle, through exercise and reflection. The use of speech techniques in training and coaching can give the impulse to think and reflect over how I see myself, how other see me and how I would like them to see me in the future. According to many studies though it is important how I am heard, as voice and language is part of my own identity, of the peak of the iceberg that shows my behavior over my values and unconscious mind.
Voice is a phenomenon that is fascinating because of its unconsciousness, because it is and creates my identity, it is like a finger print.
A voice sound can sometimes express more than thousand words.