The leadership ladder is imagery often used in business to articulate upward movement. It’s the path one takes from being recognized and tapped as a high potential candidate all the way through the C-suite of corporations. It’s a similar path for figure skating coaches as we move from being a class teacher to coach athletes in private and semi-private cohorts and all the way up to becoming world and Olympic coaches. 

It was during my rather meteoric and yet tumultuous rise in skating that a fellow coach approached me over lunch and suggested that I not rely on figure skating for my life’s path and instead, do something with my voice. Little did I realize how that lunch date would change my life.

This came as a bit of a surprise given my goal to become an Olympic coach. It was during the early 1990s when I lived in Boston that I was encouraged to apply to Emerson College in the Back Bay. Where the likes of Jennifer Coolidge, Denis Leary, Henry Winkler and Jay Leno are notable alumni. I am not one of them. I dropped out after my first year to move on with my original goal to become an Olympic coach. Yet, the experience of going to Emerson College set me up for success in ways I never thought possible.

Hi I’m Byron Darden, bringing you another edition of Leading with Purpose on Purpose. In this installment we are focusing on what I learned at Emerson College, how to develop my voice. As a performance and oratory school, I learned that a leader’s voice is a fundamental and highly influential tool; a must have for a leader to influence the hearts and minds of others. So the next time you attend a lecture, a keynote address or even a TedTalk, notice what it is about the presenter’s voice that gets your attention and engages you to remain captivated by their message. In the meantime, enjoy.

Continue to Command the Room: Oratory as a Leadership Tool