You’ve seen them….and I’ve seen a lot of strong women in leadership. How do strong women leaders communicate? And which ones are most effective? Using “Leader A” for effective and “Leader B” for less effective, I’ll describe two different situational and hypothetical women leaders as they communicate. Then give me your input. :)
1. Voice and Volume
I’ve noticed that the most effective communicators are those that don’t need to raise their vocal volume. Voice is important and can carry weight and gravitas…but doesn’t always need to be amplified to be heard “loud and clear.” Being an effective communicator can be a unique experience for women leaders as the perception of women in leadership has evolved and depends on the audience and topics.
- In general, Leader A will actually lower her voice, pause, and wait until her audience or team settles before beginning (or continuing) while speaking about a topic… creating solid room presence without actually demanding it. Her calm…commands.
- Leader B raises her voice when she perceives herself unheard or less respected. This could be due to some underlying need for regaining room position, respect, or control. (Too often, women compete with men for talk-time and this can lead to women feeling the need to constantly increase their volume just to be heard.) Too much volume or variation in volume can send the message that the speaker is feeling a lack of control and that they demand audience attention.
2. Humor for trust and engagement
While comedy is not the goal in most leadership situations, creating pockets of light humor go a long way particularly in establishing trust in work relationships. Moments of humor create a feeling of safety that put others at ease and more receptive to a leader’s message.
- Leader A may use a more anecdotal approach introducing a humorous moment before jumping into a training or more complex dry topic that needs to be addressed. Light humor may build connection right before diving into a matter that needs a serious tone. Additionally, the fluctuation can keep the audience engaged.
- Leader B keeps her delivery matter-of-fact without attempting to lighten the mood, and her audience easily drifts away from her message. When diving into the more relevant and serious topic, her initial cooler approach may push listeners away if they don’t feel connected to her.
3. Authenticity builds Relatability
Everyone has moments where they feel weak, unsure, afraid, or lack confidence. Sharing those moments or feelings with an audience can help the audience relate to the leader presenting. Sharing a relevant story that ties into the topic can build relatability and even credibility.
- Leader A shares a personal pitfall or shortcoming and describes the struggle and triumph of overcoming it. Her team can relate as they have all had failures to overcome. Her relatability makes her more likable as a leader because she doesn’t demand perfection, even from herself.
- Leader B is unsure if she should divulge any shortcomings or flaws and feels she should be the anchor of strength for her organization or group. Because she feels the need to exemplify unquestionable excellence, she can come off as distant or possibly arrogant even though she is just trying to “set the example”. This undue pressure on herself can hurt her and her team as they will feel she expects them to meet an unattainable perfection.
Letting go of the need for stellar excellence in every moment and displaying vulnerability shows that a leader has a stable grasp on their mental state and is willing to be more “honest” about their feelings and experiences.
Effective Communicators make better leaders….and women leaders often reflect on their leadership within the scope of their gender and how it is perceived by their team or audience. Using their unique voice, story, and experiences, they can craft their communication delivery to be calm, authoritative, engaging, and relatable.
What else would you add? How else do strong and effective women leaders communicate?
