What does your leadership voice communicate—before you even get to the content of your message? In this episode, Nathan, Brian, and Linda talk with Dr. Laura Sicola, cognitive linguist, executive communication coach, and author of Speaking to Influence: Mastering Your Leadership Voice.
Laura has spent over two decades helping leaders transform technical brilliance into real leadership impact. Together, we explore three big themes:
This conversation is full of practical tips, mindset shifts, and language tools that help leaders show up with presence, confidence, and intentional influence.
1. Your Brand Is a Promise
A personal brand isn’t a slogan—it’s the experience of you. If you don’t intentionally create it, it will create itself.
2. Authenticity Requires Flexibility
Genuine authenticity isn’t rigidity. It’s being able to flex different facets of yourself depending on context—your “prismatic voice.”
3. Avoiding Leadership Binaries
“Strong or kind,” “direct or approachable”—these false binaries limit leaders. Laura shows how to break free from either/or thinking.
4. Language Patterns That Undermine You
Words like “always,” “never,” and “everyone” trigger defensiveness and derail conversations—often without leaders realizing it.
5. Leading in a Virtual World
Engagement doesn’t happen by accident. Expectations, vocal presence, audio quality, and meeting structure all shape the room.
6. Fear of Judgment, Not Fear of Speaking
Most communication fear isn’t fear of speaking—but fear of scrutiny. Leadership requires the courage to take calculated risks.
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