In Part 1, we uncovered a surprising insight rooted in neuroscience: the brain is programmed to suppress our desire to use or amplify our voice, particularly when speaking against the popular narrative in an unsupportive environment. This is not an insidious flaw but default neurological pathways that follow the #1 duty of our brain – keep us safe. The brain, through its threat-detection systems, aims to shield us from the potential risks, even if the issue at hand is deeply important to us. So if you or your team member is feeling a bit hesitant, or ‘stuck’ to express views or amplify voice, it IS natural.
It is vital to acknowledge that having a strong leadership voice isn’t simply a matter of belief or courage. While these traits contribute, cultivating one’s voice is fundamentally a skill—one that requires the brain to overcome its natural resistance and allow us to cultivate our leadership voice. Those who develop this skill will find it easier to communicate and engage customers, team members, peers, stakeholders, and communities.
Good news is that like any skill, cultivating your leadership voice can be learned, and mastered with the a few well-placed strategies and practice. In this second part, we will offer five neuroscience-based solutions to help leaders master this skill. These are designed to work with the brain’s natural processes rather than against them.
Five Neuroscience-Based Solutions for Cultivating Your Voice
1. Get It Right
Before we can cultivate our voice, we must first identify it. One of the fundamental levers for using the power of the brain is clarity. Neuroscience tells us that our prefrontal cortex (PFC), the area responsible for higher-order thinking and self-reflection, is crucial in this process. Yet, many people operate on autopilot (driven from their subconscious), allowing their views to be shaped by the popular narrative or external influences. Our Discovery framework and PFC training helps leaders clarify their personal voice by asking key questions to get it right.
2. Be Prepared
The brain is wired for a constant action-reaction loop, particularly when it comes to social interactions. If a message feels threatening to your sense of safety, your limbic system—the brain’s emotional centre—triggers a fight-flight-freeze response shutting access to your PFC. This response can derail a productive conversation at any time by all parties engaged – including you.By anticipating reactions and preparing yourself mentally in advance, allows you to minimise derailment. Some good questions to ask yourself in advance is ‘how will I react if others react negatively to my message?’ or, How will I proceed to positive or negative responses?’
3. Be Strategic
In your preparation dig deeper. Getting a negative response can be stressful and limbic inducing for the person delivering the message. Consider what you know about the other person and their values—whether honesty, winning, or integrity—and align your message accordingly. Refer to David Rock’s SCARF model, which focuses on Status, Certainty, Autonomy, Relatedness, and Fairness. It provides a neuroscience-based framework to tailor your message in a way that resonates with the listener’s brain, increasing the chances of a positive response. The key to ‘drawing’ people to your voice.
4. Be Inspiring
Set aside story telling skills, be clear of the narrative. A key ingredient of the narrative is the‘why’? Skilled leaders will message clearly why it is important to them personally and, why it is important in general. There is always a nuanced difference. It is also significant to attach outcome to emotions—how will success feel for you?…others? Without the emotional resonance, people will ignore actions aligned to your message. When your message addresses these elements, no matter your tone, fluency, verbiage, you inspire hearts, minds and actions of people.
5. Leverage neuroplasticity
The brain’s neuroplasticity allows for growth and adaptation, meaning that as you take small steps to act on new thoughts, your brain becomes more skilled at navigating more complex situations. If you find yourself hesitating, ask yourself : am I overthinking? Is this my inner critic? What’s my ‘why’? Questions stimulate the PFC associated with problem-solving and creativity, enabling you to gain clarity and build confidence to take action and keep the momentum to next levels of mastery.
Conclusion: The Power of Your Voice in Leadership
Your voice is one of your most powerful assets. Neuroscience shows us that our brains are wired not only to communicate but to influence change through narrative and connection.
I am inspired by the words of Rumi, the Persian poet: “Raise your words, not your voice. It is rain that grows flowers, not thunder.”
And I nod my head when Malala Yousafzai, the youngest Nobel Prize winner at 17, reminds us: “I raise up my voice—not so that I can shout, but so that those without a voice can be heard. We cannot all succeed when half of us are held back.”And finally, former U.S. President Barack Obama caution, “If you give up on the idea that your voice can make a difference, then other voices will fill the void,” propels me to pose the question – what do you want to have a voice on?
______________
Reena Dayal, a certified ICF coach from Gallup, IPEC-USA and an alumni of XLRi India and MIT Sloan Executive Education is the founder of The Collaborators UK. She blends 22 years of corporate HR and leadership experience with cutting-edge neuroscience to revolutionise leadership development for founders, CEOs, C-Suite and CXOs. Specialising in growth acceleration for individuals, teams and businesses her work is hailed as fresh, rooted in science, innovative, empowering, and transformative.
