How to Sound like a Leader

You want to be one of those people that everyone listens to, but instead people talk right over you, or say they don't understand what you are saying, or worse yet, cut you off. You can stop all this buy learning how to sound like a leader. Here are some tips.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Figure out who you want to be and how you want to be. You can understand this better by reordering or video taping yourself talking about something in general and then talking about what you know and love. Notice the difference in the way you present. Your confident rises when you know what you are talking about. Note your tone and your mannerisms and duplicate them when you are talking about things in general.

2. Watch for other things on the video or tape. Is your voice too low? Are you hard to understand, is your pitch too high. Do you need to add mannerism or smile more often. Ask a family member or friend to watch it also and ask them to tell you when they didn't understand or was losing interest in what you were saying.

3. Whenever you see someone that you like listening to, either on a talk show or in real life. Pick out what it is that is keeping you engaged. Also, close your eyes and just listen to their voice. Pick out if it is their tone or pattern that you are enjoying listening to.

4. When you begin to speak be aware of your voice as well as what you are saying. It is tricky at first but you can train yourself to be aware of your tone and volume and adjust it accordingly. Soon it will become much easier and automatic.

5. Do not ramble when you talk. Being clear and concise is important. Use words that express your thoughts more clearly and expand your vocabulary. Eliminate, uh and ahs. This too, can be practiced and developed.

6. As you talk to people, let others talk and then compliment them on their good ideas. Tell them when they share an idea that inspires you. Pat them on the bat and encourage them. Giving them compliments automatically puts you in a leadership position.

7. Be the calm in the storm. Nothing projects leadership and strength than someone that comes into a chaotic discussion and calms everyone down, gives them directions on how to calm down and helps steer the group into a more productive conversation. Much like being a liaison.

8. Consider lowering your voice a little when speaking in a leadership voice. It not only sends a cue to yourself that you are now taking the leadership role, it will also brings attention to you as generally people find the lower voice more authoritative and calming.

9. Consider slowing down your speech pattern. You maybe talking so quickly that it is hard for people to follow you. If people are asking you to repeat what you said, it is usually you are saying it to fast or you are speaking so low your words are jumbled. When someone asks your name, tell them slowly. Even though you have said it a thousands times before. You only need to listen to James Bond introducing himself to get your inspiration.

[Alrady]

on 7/7/2009 AWESOME tips.. I have to continually slow down and lower pitch as I am screechy. LOL

[joanhaines]

on 6/25/2009 These principles of sounding like a leader are extremely important for classroom teachers! Thank you.