Author: Byron Darden

Defining Your Voice

Posted on by Byron Darden

The Executive VOICE is a framework that contains essential elements of a personal brand in content, body, and utterance. In addition, there are brand elements that encompass what it means to be a success. These have been developed over years of trial and error, formal and informal education, experts in numerous fields, and a lifetime of experience breathing years into my life.

VOICE stands for:

  • Values, which speak to a leader’s sound character
  • Openness, or the ability to embrace possibility
  • Intentionality, which means being deliberate in words, thoughts, and actions
  • Consistency, demonstrated by knowing what to expect and reliance on follow-through
  • Energy involves the ability to move work forward and get things done
USE YOUR VOICE

Share Your Voice with the World

Posted on by Byron Darden

Let’s dive into each component of VOICE and what makes it so critical to an executive’s success.

What I’ve discovered about effective leadership is this.

  • Values: Character is considered an essential trait of a leader. When we know and understand one’s character, we have a greater sense of what they stand for, what moves them, and why they do what they do. It is intoxicating to be in the presence of a leader who is clear about who they are and what is necessary to accomplish goals and then gets it done! Demonstrating character makes it easier to gain the trust and respect of those they lead.
  • Openness: Leaders embrace possibility. Debbie Downer and the Devil’s Advocate are not welcome characteristics of someone who can inspire hope and assurance of getting through challenging issues that arise routinely. A leader breathes life into ideas, resulting in them taking action to move an initiative forward.
  • Intentionality: Being deliberate regarding your actions, words, and thoughts, informing those actions and words, so they have an intended impact. This level of consciousness in leadership allows you to hit the mark time after time.
  • Consistency is the name of the game in business. Consistency breeds its own. A Royal Family of consistency will set the stage for long-term impact and resiliency. Think of it as a powerful legacy-building tool.
  • Energy: You are measured by what you get done well! Otherwise, you are simply performative and lacking transformative leadership ability. Having a higher consciousness and heightening the consciousness of others to recognize and act for necessary change is the platinum rule; Find out what makes people tick and lead from there!
SHARE YOUR VOICE

Interpreting Your Voice

Posted on by Byron Darden

As with any character trait, there will be those with a different perception that misinterpret intentions. It is no different with the Executive VOICE.


Let me explain:

  • A leader’s character defines who they are and what they stand for. The other side is that they can be held to these values by a strict code. This makes it difficult for them to change and adapt. They can also be judged by their values. Feeling strongly about something, they risk alienating others.
  • A leader’s openness to embrace possibility may lead others to accuse them of being an idealist. Employees might think their ideas or deadlines are unrealistic when they are challenged.
  • Leaders may be deliberate in their thinking and actions and be accused of being inauthentic. A natural mistrust in leaders can undermine their ability to act.
  • In developing a personal brand, a leader runs the risk of dehumanizing themselves. Great leaders keep their sense of empathy while staying authentic to their values.
  • A leader’s “get-it-done” attitude can be misinterpreted as setting relentless and unrealistic team expectations.
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Clear Communication is Key

Posted on by Byron Darden

I recently worked with a manager in a large global firm in developing their equity partnership skills. Early in our coaching relationship, I noticed a lack of partnership when setting up each professional development session. I found myself routinely exchanging numerous emails to get a session scheduled. Sometimes weeks would pass before we could settle on a firm date.

I discovered that the manager seemed to drag out the time between sessions by offering little detail or simply incomplete details. This required me to send numerous emails asking clarifying questions that rarely seemed to be answered the first time. It got to the point where I felt I was more responsible for their leadership development than they were willing to commit to for themselves. It was only a feeling, mind you.

The next time I received a cryptic email lacking the necessary information to book the next session, I drew from past behaviors instead of sending a response with numerous questions. I brought them to the manager’s attention as they applied the same challenges and goals we set to grow their leadership acumen. The manager acknowledged my point and provided the most detailed and complete correspondence, bringing back-and-forth emails to an abrupt end.

Lesson Learned: When developing your leadership capability, look at how your challenges and successes align with the growing edge goals you set for yourself to develop. We lead as we are and how we behave.

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Effective Leadership Styles

Posted on by Byron Darden

There are two main branches of leadership – transactional and transformational. Transactional leaders use a system of rewards and punishments to ensure they achieve a goal. As long as the followers’ basic needs are met, they are compliant.

Transformational leaders inspire growth, promote loyalty, and instill confidence in their teams. Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, and Martin Luther King, Jr. were well-known examples of transformational leaders. They stood out from the crowd and led companies and movements.

Those that work for transformational leaders show a 78.1% performance increase, and over half say their skills have improved under transformational leadership. Statistics also show that the number of true transformational leaders hovers at less than 10%. No wonder we gravitate towards those who even show some of their character traits.

A transformational leader models the ideal traits of the Executive VOICE.

  • Model the Way – a transformational leader acts in the same way they want their group to act. They can explain where they want to take the organization and how the success relies on each individual. Through inspiration and enthusiasm, a transformational leader can influence motivation in others.
  • Encourage the Heart – a transformational leader encourages and supports followers by keeping lines of communication open. They are engaged with their followers creating a sense of connection. They understand how personal life interacts with professional work, and teams are encouraged to use their life experiences to enhance their work.
  • Inspire Shared Vision – while a leader may be responsible for the overall vision, their strength lies in engaging their followers by helping them experience the same motivation and passion for achieving those goals. Transformational leaders bring meaning to work, inspiring a vested interest while challenging enough to keep their interest.
  • Enable Others to Act – when focused on long-term success, a transformational leader allows flexibility in how the teams get there. They empower their followers and trust them to rise to the occasion. Not everyone approaches a task the same way. Some offer a sense of urgency and thrive in completing the task. Others take a little longer and focus on the process. The result is often the same.
  • Challenge the Process – a transformational leader will not only think outside the box, they may also ignore the box altogether, pushing out the walls to make the box bigger and roomier. They challenge business as usual and encourage creativity. Other character traits include comfort with ambiguity and complexity.
CHALLENGE YOUR THINKING

Let Your Voice Be Heard

Posted on by Byron Darden

“Management is about persuading people to do things they do not want to do, while leadership is about inspiring people to do things they never thought they could.”    Steve Jobs

A transformational leader applies the Platinum Rule, which states to treat others as they want to be treated rather than how you want to be treated. This involves an awareness of each follower’s fundamental need for self-actualization. This is the top tier of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Once you get a person on board with their heart and soul, they will do great things for your vision.

“A leader who fails to use their full voice will often share information that will go unheard and unseen for its significance.”  Byron Darden

With persistence, you can develop the traits of a transformational leader. Creativity can be learned. Empathy and a desire to make a difference can be strengthened. Do you want to know how? Book a call, and I’ll show you how to take the next step toward becoming a transformational leader and letting the world hear your voice.

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The Power of the Pause

Posted on by Byron Darden

During the course of our day, we are pulled in many different directions. Many thoughts and action items are clamoring for our attention. When we slow down and concentrate on one project at a time, it’s incredible how much more we absorb and how much quicker we accomplish the task.

Carry that same perspective into a presentation. Unseasoned speakers tend to rush through their talks, pausing only to take a breath…sometimes not even then! They worry about losing the audience’s attention or their own train of thought. They do a disservice to their audience, who is there to listen and learn. A listener requires time to comprehend and reflect on the information provided. Great speakers slow down and use the power of pause to capture attention, create anticipation, and nurture connections.

A leader can use the same technique (And So Can You) when presenting information to their team, a boardroom, or a client presentation. The pause is a powerful way to build up to a crescendo, let the audience ponder the problem, and then wow them with your solution. As we continue, you’ll see the various ways the power of pause can be used in other communications – for emphasis, anticipation, providing a chance for their words to have an impact, or to allow the audience to interject their own thoughts – whether out loud or in their head.

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What is a Pause?

Posted on by Byron Darden

There are many ways to define a pause. We can Explore Pause together.

  1. You can pause a project due to a lack of funds, a change of focus, to provide space to gain perspective, or in lieu of a more urgent task.
  2. You can pause your thoughts using breathwork, yoga, or meditation.
  3. You can pause while in the midst of an activity.

In all of these situations, the pause can be brief or lengthy.

From a leadership perspective, a pause is defined as a brief interruption of action or speech. Learning to use the pause will elevate your message and create confidence. One significant aspect of an effective leader is the use of pauses when listening, thinking, taking action, responding, and during overall speaking moments.

A simple pause is a powerful tool that you can learn to use.

PAUSE TO EXPLORE

Incorporating Pause In Your Speech

Posted on by Byron Darden

I’m going out on a limb to do the very thing I often encourage leaders to avoid. That is to assume you’ve experienced the pause in any number of ways, such as when a subordinate takes a beat, a term often used in the world of acting before a character continues the flow of crossing the stage. We often experience dramatic moments when a character on television or in a film allows silence to fill the moment before responding to a fellow actor. You may have experienced it when a senior leader goes silent just prior to asking a follow-up question during your presentation.

Quite different from pausing to think of the ideal or appropriate word, the leader uses the power of pause to emphasize a point or let their words sink in. Allow me to show you how Pausing For Emphasis can be your super power!

Here are some ways to build in natural pauses:

  1. Slow down. Less seasoned speakers are often nervous and tend to rush through their presentations. When starting to speak, take a deep breath, gather your thoughts, and calm your nerves. Connect with your audience with a look of confidence. Remember that they are there to hear you speak; your message is essential. Practice in front of a mirror; practice where you will insert the pauses.
  2. Breathe. Natural breathing inserts pauses and forces you to slow down. Think of your audience. Is everyone on the same level? Are their members for which English is not their first language? As you connect with your audience, notice puzzling looks that might mean they are not present. Clarify your point and add pauses to allow them to process information.
  3. Use pauses in place of “um’s” or “uh’s”. You will sound infinitely more polished, and the audience will have more confidence in your message.
  4. Pauses are punctuation. Use a pause where you typically see a comma or period in your writing. As you practice your speech, exaggerate these pauses with a deeper breath. Where there would be a comma, insert a short pause. Use a longer pause when you reach the end of a sentence.
  5. Pause when changing thoughts. Use an even longer pause when shifting gears in your presentation. At the end of a central point, let the audience catch up and let yourself recharge. This pause creates a natural transition separating two points. Similarly, a pause can be used when citing an example or telling a story to indicate the change of pace.
  6. Pause when using visuals. When using slides or props, pause to let the audience read what is on the slide. Unless you are reading the slide word for word, the audience cannot read and listen to your point simultaneously. Pausing before diving into the material or moving on to the next point is an effective tool.
  7. Build in a Pause to Get a Drink or Check Your Notes. These pauses can be deliberate, allowing the material to sink in without appearing awkward. You can also use this type of pause to recover your own thoughts. Insert this pause to let your audience study a visual or after asking a rhetorical question.
STRATEGY SESSION