Imposter to Influencer – Confidence isn’t something you build. It’s something you’re blocking.

Confident and clear communication isn’t a nice to have; it’s a strategic leadership tool.

You may have big ideas, ambitious plans and a strategy of how to get to where you want to be, but strategy only works if you can communicate it.

Most leaders are better thinkers than they are communicators they know what they want to achieve but they struggle to inspire others to follow.

That’s what we’re going to look at here – how you can use you voice as a leadership tool and speak so people will follow.

I worked with a former CFO at a major retail company – one of the people responsible for helping them reach Unicorn status! We sat having coffee and waiting for the rest of the team to arrive. He explained to me with great passion and energy what he and the team had achieved, quoting numbers and data that would normally send me to sleep but his enthusiasm was infectious. However, once the meeting got started and he began a run through of a presentation he was due to give to some VIP’s over Zoom his energy dropped through the floor. All the pride and excitement he’d had in his voice when he was talking to me lost all its colour and turned monotone! He gave a very dull presentation that would leave any recipient comatose.

“Who was THAT guy?” I asked him. “What happened to the guy visibly excited to share his achievements earlier?”

He had imposter syndrome!

He told me there was a little voice inside his head telling him he was a fraud. He couldn’t understand why he’d been hired. The dull delivery on camera was because he was waiting to be caught out; waiting to be judged or laughed at. His confidence disappeared when confronted with his perceived intimidating audience.

How do we combat that nasty little voice? How do we go from imposter to influencer?

With confidence – obviously!

Easier said than done? No, not really. Confidence is a skill that can be learned.

The definition of confidence is…

“The feeling or belief that one can have faith in or rely on someone or something.”

The word confidence is made up of two Latin words – ‘con’ meaning ‘with’, and ‘fidere’ meaning ‘trust’.

Basically, confidence is an inside job. As the Roman philosopher Cicero said – “Confidence is a trust in oneself’

And his counterpart Socrates stated – ‘Know thyself.’

In other words, take the time to look inward.

• Who are you and what makes you, you? What are your values? What is your truth?
• Take ownership of your story and experiences. They make you unique. Own them, but don’t hoard them! Get those stories out of your head and examine them – even the painful ones, they’re the ones that will give you wisdom.
• Be aware of your strengths and weaknesses. If you’re brave enough, do what I did and ask what people think of you. You’ll be surprised at what comes back. I was and it was incredibly helpful.
• See yourself as others do, listen to them not the little voice inside your head. If they complement you, take it and own it. Being confident is not being arrogant.
• Acknowledge what you know and accept that there is more left to learn. After all, every day’s a school day. Show humility and openness to learning. When you share your experience and stories this way you inspire trust and respect and exude competence without being overbearing.

According to psychologist researcher and author, Tasha Eurich, “Research suggests that when we see ourselves clearly, we are more confident and more creative.”

Plus, when you see yourself clearly you believe what you’re saying and you can show up authentically. You build trust with your audience because they believe you too.

Also, with self-awareness comes clarity and when you’re clear on your message because it comes from a place of authenticity and honesty you are free from uncertainty – you’re not afraid of being caught out. A lack of clarity is unsettling.

The definition of clarity is – “A clearness or lucidity as to perception or understanding; freedom from indistinctness or ambiguity.”

Clarity means you can communicate effectively with your intended audience, and your message is focused, concise and succinct and when you have a clear vision of what you want to say and your message is easy to understand. Steer clear of jargon and acronyms and avoid ambiguity. Say what you mean and ask for what you want. Clarity avoids misconceived communication. Keep it simple – simplicity improves clarity

Clarity in your physical speech means using your organs of articulation – your teeth, lips tip of the tongue and hard and soft palate. You can warm these up by practicing different tongue twisters. Clarity is not about elocution or speaking posh, it’s about making the words you choose understood whatever your accent or dialect.

Take your time when speaking. Speech is breath. Control your breath.

Your voice is an instrument! It has pitch and tone. Use both to adapt your message for the audience in the room. What do you want them to feel? Passion or authority, inspiration or warmth. Use every note at your disposal.  Make sure your voice is congruent with your physicality and that your tone matches your intention.

Your voice isn’t just how you communicate; it’s how you lead, influence and build your business.