What Losing My Voice Taught Me About Being a Good Leader
Sometimes we can say a lot more with fewer words
As I’m writing this, I can hardly speak thanks to an infection that’s left my larynx inflamed. You know that old cliche, “You only miss something when it’s gone?” Man, do I miss my voice now that it has escaped me.
Beyond being an inconvenience for just getting through the day, losing my voice is also making it hard for me to do my job: I need it to help run my family business and record training videos for my online classes. At the same time, though, I’m realizing that there are some leadership lessons I can learn from my involuntary silence. Since I can’t talk, let me write them out for you.
Everyone could use less judgment
Like all of us, I sometimes struggle with the urge to comment on what other people do, even when it’s none of my business. I know it’s not a good habit — I certainly don’t like it when people give me unsolicited advice, so I don’t know why I would expect them to appreciate it when I blurt out things like “I wouldn’t do it that way.”
A good leader isn’t someone who forces their ideas, strategies, or values down other people’s throats — instead, they guide others by example. It’s powerful to realize you don’t need to inject…
