Keep Leading!® Podcast 135 | Allison Shapira | Lead With Your Voice

Hello, everyone. Welcome, to Keep Leading® LIVE. I’m Eddie Turner, The Leadership Excelerator®. I work with leaders to accelerate performance and drive impact through the power of executive coaching, masterful facilitation, and professional speaking. The Keep Leading® LIVE program is dedicated to leadership development and insights.One of President Ronald Reagan’s famous speech writers wrote “Anytime you speak, you are auditioning for leadership.” I think that says so much for us as leaders because we are judged not just by what we do but by what we say and how we say it. To that end, it is important that we learn how to lead with your voice.

I’ve invited a true expert to the program today to help us learn how we can lead with our voice. The expert that I have invited is the amazing Allison Shapira. Allison Shapira is a former opera singer who used her voice in one way and now has become a very successful entrepreneur using her voice to lead in another way through running her own incredible business that’s doing work around the globe to being a certified speaking professional in the National Speakers Association, a certified virtual presenter, and Allison has been an adjunct lecturer at the Harvard Kennedy School for the last 10 years.

Allison, welcome to Keep Leading® LIVE.

Eddie, thank you so much. It is such a treat to be with you.

I am excited to have you. It is so good to see you again. And as we begin our discussion, I want to remind folks who are tuned in across platforms, we’re streaming live on LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube, if you would like to be part of the discussion, please let us know you have a question for Allison but you don’t have to wait. Hit that like button to let us know you enjoy what you’re hearing, drop a note in the comments, and tell us where you’re joining us from. We would love to hear from you.Now, Allison, it’s been a little while since I’ve seen you but the first time I saw you is when I was at my very first, probably your 10th, but my very first Adaptive Leadership Conference there at the Harvard Kennedy School. And I was in this session and I’m listening, I’m just enamored with all the things that we’re learning and then all of a sudden, this person to my left starts talking and she’s making this connection to our voice and our words to adaptive leadership. And I had never made that connection. I turned around and it was you. And I went up and met you afterwards. And I was so excited, I shared this out as a social media post way back there in 2017.

I remember that. That’s right.

Oh man! So, Allison, tell us more about you and what I may have left out about your incredible background.

Eddie, it’s such a treat to be with you. You are someone I have always admired throughout the years. And so, it’s such a treat to be able to talk with you live right now and to rekindle that connection and continue our conversations because I really respect you so much. And so, what did you say did you leave out in terms of my introduction? I think you did a great job of talking about how we met and what I do. It really is a focus on … it started as public speaking but now it’s become how do you lead with your voice, recognizing that every time we speak up, we have an opportunity to influence people’s behavior to change the way they think they act, they feel. And that’s an incredible responsibility or opportunity that we have that we have to use for good. And so, the focus of my work is not so much what do I do with my hands or how do I use PowerPoint. It’s really who am I, how do I want to show up in the world and now, how am I going to speak in order to positively influence other people. And I do that through delivering keynotes and my team does that through leading workshops and coaching and training sessions that work with groups of leaders to develop these skills because, you’re right, they are auditioning for leadership all the time even if they don’t know it.

Absolutely. In fact, I named this episode Leading with Your Voice or Lead with Your Voice because that is the type of one of your keynotes and it’s something I’m passionate about. So, tell us about that keynote.

Thank you. It really developed over the course of 20 years because when I started out my career, I was teaching public speaking – what do you do with your hands, how do you convey a concise message? And certainly, those are important concepts but what I learned is that it’s so much more than that every time we speak. And what I want to focus on is the more strategic use of communication as a leadership tool. So, if every time I speak, I have an opportunity to influence others, then what kind of frameworks can I share that help people use their voice both strategically and intentionally. And it starts with self-leadership. Who am I? How can I lead myself effectively so that then I can develop a concise persuasive message and then show up as my best self on demand? Even with all the obligations of leadership weighing on my head, how can I set them aside to be focused and present in order to speak with power in order to have a positive effect on others. And that’s what the Lead with Your Voice keynote is about.

Excellent. So, if people want to book you for that Lead with Your Voice keynote, how do they do that?

They can reach out on LinkedIn or they can go to AllisonShapira.com and inquire. And I still have a couple of spots open for 2024 but they’re filling up soon.

Excellent. If you’re interested in understanding how to spell Allison Shapira, you can see it’s spelled there in her profile here. If you’re going to be listening to the audio version, It’s AllisonShapira.com. So, good.Now, you wrote a fantastic book that became not just a bestseller on Amazon but a Washington Post bestseller. And it’s entitled what?

Speak with Impact – How to Command the Room and Influence Others.

Absolutely. And thank you for giving me a copy. I am proudly displaying the copy. And you also went on to help folks out during the pandemic by releasing the follow-up.

That’s right. That’s right. Speak with Impact Virtually, which takes all of the core strategies from the original book and applies them to a virtual or hybrid setting. Thank you for mentioning that.

Absolutely. So, you folks have the option to get one or both. And you have an audio version available on Audible as well. Excellent.One of the things that make your book so good is not only are you giving people really solid content to take to use but you move into the how. You give them, as a Harvard Professor would do, exercises to utilize the techniques real time. If I am a listener to this program right now, what is one technique you can share to help me lead with my voice?

I appreciate you sharing that because I wrote the book with a focus on a handbook for the busy professional moving into leadership. So, the idea was you find out you’ve been promoted and someone comes to you and says “Congratulations. You’ve moved into leadership. Read this book.” That’s what the focus of the book is as a usable practical handguide. And one of the most powerful tools I appreciate from the book is this concept of pause and breathe before you’re about to answer a difficult question, before you’re about to speak up in a meeting, before you go out on stage to inspire an audience, pause and breathe. And there are actually three benefits I like to point to when you do that. The first is you protect your energy. So, as a leader we have so much in our heads, so much Weighing on us that every time we speak, all of those other obligations are sitting on our heads. And so, pause and breathe helps you protect your energy to be intentional about what you’re going to say, which makes you more effective. The second Use is that it helps you not just protect your energy but project your energy in order to speak with power and confidence. And when you take in that nice deep breath, you give yourself fuel to project your voice across a room or across a camera lens. And then the third use of pause and breathe is to exercise leadership. And by that, I mean very often as Leaders we feel like we need to jump in with the answers, with the solutions. And so often, and we learned this from Prof. Heifetz, the answers are in the room, not in our heads. They come from people who have interesting Insight, unique perspective that we can’t see by virtue of our role or title. So, when we pause and breathe before answering, we actually give other people an opportunity to speak up, to offer their thoughts, to push back, to voice a question that’s on their mind and if we don’t answer it, then it’s going to hold them back from engaging with us. And so, it gives us a way to become better leaders because we’re becoming better listeners. So, all of those are takeaways from the simple tool of pause and breathe.

Beautiful. We become better leaders when we’re better listeners. That is so important to remember. And I like how you said that we want to pause because we want to project but also protect. Beautiful. So, just some good tips coming from your book.You highlighted a man who we both love, Dr. Ron Heifetz. So, you and I know who he is but help our listeners appreciate exactly who he is.

He is a fantastic professor of leadership and he and his colleagues created this term ‘Adaptive Leadership’ which is leadership for which there’s no prescribed existing solution, leadership challenges for which there is no easy solution. He calls those technical challenge when you can simply apply a framework and solve the challenge, but an Adaptive Leadership challenge is one for which we need to adapt our behavior, our workflow, our relationships in order to overcome those challenges. And those are definitive leadership moments. And I like how he describes leadership as giving people bad news at a rate that they can absorb, which sounds very realistic. And what I’ve always felt taking his classes and now being a colleague of his, which is such an honor, is the way in which our voice becomes a vehicle by which we exercise leadership, just like that quote that you shared about auditioning for leadership. Every time you speak, you have an opportunity to create this environment where people can come together each with their own piece of the puzzle that you’re attempting to put together. And then that’s how you can create those adaptive solutions to those leadership challenges. The way in which you communicate has a meaningful effect on your ability to bring people together to address those challenges.

Absolutely. And anyone who’s ever studied under Dr. Heifetz, it’s an experience, it’s transformational. I just want to thank you for bringing him up. And anytime we can talk about Dr. Heifetz, it makes me smile.

Me too.

Phenomenal.So, just a reminder for those who joined us across platforms, I don’t necessarily always see everyone. Sometimes people tell me afterwards I’ve missed their comment. So, if I’ve missed your comment, let me know. Drop your comment in. Hit the share button to share this with those in your network. And if you have a question for Allison about how to use your voice or about the importance of speaking for influence, how to influence without authority and lead without power, certainly feel free to drop it in the comments for us.

We have one person who says they’re listening from Texas. They’re listening on LinkedIn. And I see we have a couple people tuned in on Facebook.

Allison, the ability to have earned your graduate degree from the Harvard Kennedy School and now be an adjunct professor there and, as you said, a colleague of Dr. Heifetz, what’s that like? And you’ve been doing it for 10 years.

It’s hard to answer that question because the answer is difficult to put into words but let me describe one takeaway from being a student at Harvard Kennedy School and then a takeaway from being an instructor and on the faculty at the Kennedy School. One counterintuitive takeaway that I had from my Master’s in Public Administration was feeling comfortable asking questions when I don’t know something. And that feels counterintuitive because you think you graduate from Harvard, you have more answers, right? Well, certainly, everyone expects you to have the answers. And then when you don’t, then it’s an opportunity for them to say “Well, wait. Didn’t you go to Harvard?” So, what I learned as a graduate student is if I don’t understand something, I recognize that I’m a reasonably intelligent individual, and if I don’t understand it, then at least one other person doesn’t understand it in this room, whatever room we’re in. So, if I don’t understand, I’m going to raise my hand, I’m going to ask the question and risk looking foolish but knowing that I’m doing that on behalf of the other people who don’t have the answers. So, that was a great powerful takeaway from graduate school, being comfortable not knowing and not letting it affect my sense of self or confidence or competence.Now, being an adjunct lecturer at the Kennedy School now going on 10 years, my class starts next month, has been incredibly humbling and incredibly challenging and enriching because the students who come to the Kennedy School, as you know, are students who are grappling with the most challenging issues in the world. When you say “Why are you here at the Kennedy School?”, they don’t say “Oh, so I can grow in my career and make more money.” I mean, there’s nothing wrong with that, but their responses are “I want to eradicate poverty in my country,” “I want to run for office and push back on the culture that exists in our country right now that’s moving us in the wrong direction,” “to mitigate the effects of climate change.” Their sense of purpose is so deep and so strong that when I’m teaching them, I realize it’s my responsibility to give them the tool and frameworks to go out there and lead and make a positive impact. And I am honored by that, I love it, and I take it very seriously.

And it’s obvious that you do. And your students have benefited and talk about how fascinating you are as a leader and as a professor. So, kudos to you.Yeah, truly, at the Kennedy School, it’s about being more mission based than perhaps more financial based. And, as you said, nothing wrong with either or it’s just a personal preference. And that’s why we have that big banner hanging when you walk into the Kennedy School “You are here.” And those famous words from John F. Kennedy reminding us about the purpose of why that particular branch of the university was formed.

Now, when we think about your connection about public speaking and its relationship to adaptive leadership, can you highlight that for us?

It’s really using communication in the act of leadership. So, again, anytime you sit down to craft a message, even if you’re asking a question at an event and you’re not even on the panel but they open it up to the audience, you raise your hand, you ask a question, you have the opportunity to change the direction of that panel by virtue of your question. Something so simple and yet so profound in our ability to influence others. So, when I think about adaptive leadership, bringing people together, then it’s using your voice in the exercise of that leadership. It could be, again, asking a question at a conference. It could be, and I’ve done this before in my work coaching executives, they come to me for help preparing a speech to a new team or during a difficult time in the company’s history and they say “Okay, I need a speech that comes in and creates the solution and solves this issue for my team.” And what I’ve suggested is not writing a speech but writing a conversation starter by saying “Here’s why we’re here. Here’s what we need to achieve. I believe we can do it and I believe that for me to do that for you would be flawed. We need everyone’s voice in this or we need the voices of key stakeholders. And that’s why we’re going to have a discussion.” And you, Eddie, as a master facilitator, understand that more than anyone here because you recognize when people come up with the solutions themselves, it’s so much more sustainable, they have so much more buy-in because they were consulted and brought into the decision-making process. So, as someone who speaks for a living and teaches other people to speak for a living, I also want to teach people to know when to stop talking and listen.

Yes. And as you said earlier, when we listen, we’re a better leader. Listening to lead. Now, that’s fascinating. I love the example that you used about being just a person sitting in the audience and your act of speaking up is leadership and has the power to even influence the panel. I watched you do that masterfully. Again, that’s how you and I first met. I know you because you spoke up. I didn’t go up and engage in a conversation or engage people but I don’t think I would’ve sought people out like I sought you out afterwards to learn more about you and then we discovered we were both members of the National Speakers Association.

That’s right. And so, what’s interesting is I also share that technique when I teach business networking.

Yes.

Because by speaking up, and I introduced myself very briefly before I did, what I was doing was broadcasting to the audience who I am and what’s important to me, which means in that event where we had a few hundred people, I don’t need to meet 200 people. The right people like you came up to find me because of what I said. So, just like publishing a book is putting your thought leadership out there for other people to pick up on, asking a question helped me attract the right people to me who are now part of my trusted Inner circle.

Yes. Now, what about those who are listening who say “I’m more bashful. I’m shy. I could never speak up in a group like that” or like one leader told me in a session we were talking that something was happening on just a company phone call. You have all the team members on and one of the senior leaders came on and they weren’t necessarily confident with some of the things that were said because they felt they should go a particular direction but everything was going in another direction. And my question was “Is there a reason you didn’t speak up?” And the leader felt like “I’m not high enough” or “I don’t know this person well enough and I don’t know what the ramifications of me speaking up could be.” What would you say to a leader like that?

It’s a very nuanced discussion. And nuance is an important factor to consider when we do speak up. So, you could look at that in two ways. First, you could say “This person had a very real sensitivity to the politics of the room and the pace of the conversation and felt it would be better to address that one-on-one.” That is a valid concern, it’s a valid sensitivity and it might be the right answer in some situations. The other way to look at that is to recognize that we’re at an inflection point in the decision-making process and something has to be said before we make a decision we can’t go back on. And in that case, what I would say to that person is to ask themselves who they’re speaking up for because if the answer is “I’m speaking up just to show off and let it be known that I spoke up in the meeting,” that’s not going to be an effective intervention, but if you’re speaking up on behalf of someone else who doesn’t have a voice in that meeting, someone else who’ll be affected by the outcomes of those decisions, then you realize it’s not about you. It’s about the people or issues that you represent or care about. And the wonderful analogy that someone taught me that I share on stage is you realize you’re not in the spotlight. You become a search light that you shine on others. And then, it would be selfish not to speak up.

Beautiful. Not always being the spotlight but being the search light to put the light on others. Excellent illustration, Allison. Thank you for that.Well, I have absolutely enjoyed talking with you, Allison. What would you say is the main message you want to leave our listeners with?

What do I want to leave you with? I’d like every single person here listening, watching to recognize every time you speak, even if it’s one sentence, you have an opportunity to make a positive influence impact on others. And so, before a meeting, before a presentation, whether or not you’re on the agenda, be intentional about what you want to achieve and how you want to show up and then come prepared with something that you’d like to contribute. And even if somebody else says it, then all you need to do is say “I’d like to Echo what Eddie said earlier because it’s so important. Thank you, Eddie, for sharing that.” You’ve spoken up. You’ve even highlighted somebody else and given the benefit to them to speak up and you’ve used your voice at the same time. So, recognize you always have an opportunity to change an outcome for the better every time you speak.

Excellent. And on The Keep Leading!® Podcast, the Keep Leading® LIVE program, I always ask leaders what is your favorite leadership quote or a piece of leadership advice you’ve received that helps you to keep leading.

We’re going to go back to Prof. Heifetz for this one. He has a great quote. I heard him say it. I can’t remember which platform but I know he said it in class. He says “People who die in positions of leadership die with their mouths open.” And what he meant was they’re not listening to the people they lead. Again, this comes back to talking at people and prescribing behavior or solutions to them when really what we need to do is close our mouth and listen to them.

Excellent, excellent, excellent. Thank you for sharing that, Allison. Please remind everyone where they can learn more about you and your amazing work.

Please, first and foremost, connect with me on LinkedIn. I post all the time. I post newsletters. I write posts with my thought leadership with my thoughts on the industry and on communication and leadership. So, I would love for you to connect with me there. And then AllisonShapira.com is how you can reach out as well. And I would love to hear your thoughts and questions.

Excellent. Well, Allison, thank you again for being a guest with me on the Keep Leading® LIVE program.

My pleasure, Eddie. Thank you so much for everything you do.

Thank you, Allison.And, yes, ladies and gentlemen, please follow Allison on her social network LinkedIn there. Check out her website and get your copy of her book. You won’t be disappointed. It will help you to lead with your voice.

That concludes this episode. I’m Eddie Turner reminding you that leadership is not a garment that we put on and take off. Leadership is action. Leadership is activity. It’s not the case of once a leader always a leader. We must learn to lead from our core, let it emanate in all that we do. So, whatever you’re doing, always keep leading.