How to Show Up, Speak Up, And Inspire Action in Business and Life
Have you ever been in a meeting and not spoken up because you thought your idea wasn't good enough? In this blog, we will talk about the insights I learned from my chat with Heather Hansen, a global communication consultant, TEDx speaker trainer, and author. Heather specialises in empowering top global leaders to embrace unmuted communication, creating cultures where every voice is valued. Let’s explore Heather’s strategies to help you speak up and confidently navigate the complexities of communication and inspire those around you to take meaningful action.
Facing Cross Cultural Challenges
Heather believes that the skills we learn in cross-cultural settings—like empathy and active listening—are essential for effective communication in our everyday relationships, even with those from the same background. She’s lived in the US, Denmark, then Singapore and have faced a lot of cross cultural challenges herself.
In Denmark, she struggled with "Janteloven," where standing out was discouraged, clashing with her American background of celebrating success. Meanwhile, in Singapore, she benefited from a lingering colonial mindset that favored Westerners, which gave her career opportunities that locals might not have had.
Additionally, Heather noticed the cultural contrast in how trades are respected—highly regarded in Denmark but looked down upon in the U.S. Her husband's work was highly esteemed, supported by a rigorous education system for tradespeople.
What Inspired Unmuted?
Unmuted: How to Show Up, Speak Up, and Inspire Action was inspired by Heather’s deep commitment to improving communication in all aspects of life. Heather saw firsthand how the pandemic pushed many people to a troubling trend of self-silencing. She recognised that this issue extended far beyond corporate settings; it affected how we connect with our communities and families as well.
The goal with Unmuted is to encourage others to break free from self-muting and engage fully, emphasising that everyone has valuable contributions to make.
The Conscious, Connected, and Confident Model
This model focuses on three key elements that are essential for effective communication and strong relationships:
Conscious: Involves self-awareness, knowing your values, and understanding cross-cultural dynamics.
Confident: Includes both having the necessary skills and believing in the value of your ideas.
Connected: Focuses on building relationships and ensuring psychological safety in the environment.
These three elements work together to create unmuted and impactful communication. But it’s interesting to note what also goes on where only two elements overlap.
Confident and Connected but Not Conscious
Individuals who are confident and connected may dominate conversations, unaware of the impact their behavior has on others due to a lack of consciousness.
Confident and Conscious but Not Connected
People who are confident and conscious but feel disconnected in toxic environments tend to go silent, holding back their ideas because they don’t feel safe or valued.
Conscious and Connected but Not Confident
Those who are conscious and connected but lack confidence often speak too softly or hesitate to share their thoughts, even when their contributions are valuable. Check out the Venn diagram to understand this model better.
Confidence is The Most Important Element
For Heather, the most crucial part of building a thriving team is creating a space where people feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and ideas. When employees don’t feel safe to speak up, it limits their ability to grow and contribute meaningfully. Heather often references Amy Edmondson’s work shows that teams perform best when they feel safe to express themselves openly.
One interesting piece of evidence that highlights the importance of confidence in an organisation is the role of influencers. A survey from Innovisor invites employees to name four individuals they trust most, the people they go to when they have a problem, and those who inspire them.
The data collected helps identify true influencers—3% of the most trusted employees influence 90% of other employees, despite not being in formal leadership positions. This underscores that confidence, shown through strong relationships and trust, is crucial in shaping a positive organisational culture. For instance, one CEO shared that if you want to spread a new concept within the organisation, simply ask these influencers to share it. Their enthusiasm can ignite excitement and momentum throughout the entire company.
We just need strong leadership more than ever before and we need inspiring leadership and people who have really something to say, not just people who are loud and sound eloquent, which plays into our biases and makes us think that they're great leaders.
- Heather Hansen
Male Confidence VS Female Confidence
Heather also mentions the differences observed between male and female confidence and how that might affect communication dynamics in the workplace. Particularly in the Western context, these differences often manifest in meetings, where men tend to interrupt more frequently than women, leading to a dominance in discussions. On the other hand, women might hesitate to speak up in meetings, often feeling they lack a voice. While she acknowledges that this is a generalisation, the statistics do support this trend, making it a topic worth exploring.
Reflecting on childhood socialisation, Heather shares insights into how boys and girls engage differently from an early age. In playgroups, boys are often seen competing, chasing, and asserting themselves, which helps them build confidence. Conversely, girls are frequently encouraged to nurture and care for dolls, potentially limiting their assertiveness and self-expression.
Speak Up & Let Your Voice Be Heard
As you start to show up more authentically and let your voice be heard, you'll naturally step into the role of a leader that others look up to and respect. People will see you as inspiring when you embrace vulnerability and share not just your successes but also your failures. However, the focus on perfection can make this difficult. Our personal struggles and stories profoundly influence how we present ourselves in the world, and embracing them can lead to more impactful leadership.
Getting comfortable with this openness is key. We’re witnessing a significant shift toward more authentic and personal communication, and people crave these genuine stories; they find inspiration in the real-life experiences of leaders.
Key Takeaways
Have you ever held back from sharing your thoughts in a meeting, thinking your ideas weren’t good enough? Or maybe you’ve wanted to open up to a loved one but just couldn’t find the words?
Imagine how much richer our world could be if we all decided to unmute ourselves. Here are my three key takeaways from this blog:
Leaders are Conscious Communicators: Being a conscious communicator starts with knowing how you show up in the world. As Heather beautifully said, "You live your values through your big choices." Think about the values you held during your key decisions—this reflection is vital for becoming a conscious leader.
Leaders are Confident Communicators: Confidence in communication is about believing in yourself and the value of your ideas. We all struggle with negative self-talk at times, but the key is to recognise it and reframe your thoughts.
Leaders are Connected Communicators: Connected communicators know the importance of developing interpersonal skills and understanding the social dynamics within their organisations. They recognise that true influence often comes those that focus on fostering connections that support everyone’s success.
Share your thoughts about this topic—feel free leave a comment on YouTube or below. You can also tune in to the full podcast episode here: How to Show Up, Speak Up, And Inspire Action in Business and Life
