“Use your voice more.”
If you have ever received this feedback or something like it, you are not alone.
Most leaders hear it and still have no idea what to do with it.
Last month, I shared a LinkedIn post about writing to three political party leaders.
It was a small act of voice in a public space.
Not loud.
Not dramatic.
Intentional.
That moment prompted several conversations about what it means to use your voice with clarity and courage. It also connects to a pattern I see often in leadership development work.
“Speak Up.” “Need to hear your voice more.”
It is one of the most common pieces of feedback I see in 360-degree reports for leaders.
It is also too vague.
I review many 360s each year as part of my leadership coaching and training work.
This feedback appears more often for women, though it shows up across genders. That raises an important question.
Is this useful developmental feedback?
Or is bias shaping what is being said to women?
Often, it is a mix of both.
What stands out is not the feedback itself.
It is the lack of clarity behind it.
Rarely does the comment explain what “use your voice” actually means.
It could refer to:
- Speaking with more volume
- Varying tone and inflection
- Building confidence to speak
- Knowing how to interject in fast, loud meetings
- Using fewer words, or more
- Framing points with greater authority
- Being heard by senior leaders
These are different skills.
Without specificity, leaders are left to guess what to change.
The Bias Layer We Need to Acknowledge
Research highlights that women face a double bind around voice and presence. Research shows:
- Women are interrupted more often than men in meetings.
- Women who speak assertively are more likely to be labelled abrasive, while men are more likely to be seen as confident or assertive.
- In mixed-gender groups, men tend to speak more and are perceived as more influential, even when women contribute equally.
So, when women receive feedback to “use your voice more,” the context matters.
Are they actually quiet?
Or are they being overlooked?
Each requires a different response.
Leadership Voice Is Not About Volume
Leadership voice is not about speaking louder.
It is about presence under pressure.
I was reminded of this in a very different context when I appeared on The 1% Club quiz show.
The lights were bright.
The sound felt louder in person.
The technology was unfamiliar.
The pressure was real.
What helped was grounding myself.
Regulating my breath.
Focusing my attention.
Choosing when and how to respond.
Leadership voice shows up in moments like these.
It is composure.
It is clarity.
It is intentional presence when the environment becomes noisy.
From Vague Feedback to Useful Development
If leaders receive feedback about voice, the next step matters.
Instead of “use your voice more,” consider:
- In which situations is this leader not being heard?
- What would effective voice look like in those moments?
- What behaviours would we notice if this improved?
- What is the environment doing to enable or crowd out contribution?
- Are we rewarding volume, or impact?
Voice is not a personality trait.
It is a skill set.
Skill sets can be developed when they are named clearly and practised intentionally.
What Leaders Can Practise
Leaders who want to strengthen their voice can experiment with:
- Preparing one clear point before key meetings
- Saying their contribution early in discussions
- Pausing before speaking to regulate pace and tone
- Watching where energy rises or drops in the room
- Ask open questions
- Asking for specific feedback on what lands and what does not
Small changes create noticeable shifts in presence.
If feedback about your leadership voice has felt unclear or unhelpful, I can help you translate it into practical actions.
Contact me here and quote ‘VOICE’ and I will share a simple exercise to strengthen your presence in high-pressure moments.
