How does your VOICE resonate with the people you lead?

Let’s dig in…

V - Vision

Clarify the unique purpose and guiding vision behind your message.

O - Organic Expression

This is your unique message expressed from lived experience and personal truth.

I - Impact

Focus on creating connection and transformation, not just communication.

C - Clarity

Speak and write with clarity so others understand and feel moved by what you say.

E - Engagement

Communicate with others in the way that feels most natural and effortless for you, creating connections and inspiring others to follow your lead.

Your VOICE is the unique, natural way you communicate your vision, values, and wisdom.

When all the elements of your voice work in harmony, your Vision is clear, your Organic Expression flows with ease and authenticity, and you create lasting Impact because your message is attuned with who you are and what you stand for.

Lastly, with Clarity, your ideas and message resonate with others, increasing Engagement that invites others to connect with your heartfelt purpose and be moved by your leadership.

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The VOICE principle helps you craft not only how you speak or write, but also how you strategically share your message through the right mediums, with confidence and resonance—so that people truly listen, understand, and are inspired to act.

Your VOICE is more than your words.

Your true voice is your creative expression—your most natural and resonant way of communicating who you are and what you stand for.

Each of us tends to have a dominant or preferred mode of expression—one that allows our message to be clearly understood and invites meaningful, authentic engagement. When you speak or express what you truly mean in the way that feels most alive and accurate to you, you’ve tapped into your most organic and impactful voice.

For a visual artist, that might be painting or sculpting. For a writer, it could be prose or poetry.

For many leaders, it’s speaking or writing. But how we express ourselves is always shaped by context. Are you speaking one-on-one, in a quiet office, on a stage, or in a Zoom meeting? Are you writing memos, social posts, strategic plans, or essays?

All these environments influence how your voice is received—and how comfortable you feel in using it.

What about for queer people?

For many LGBTQ+ people, the way we naturally express ourselves—through voice, tone, language, or mannerisms—often doesn’t align with dominant social norms. Family, workplace, and societal expectations can pressure us to conform, suppress, or modify how we show up.

If you’ve ever felt the need to mute or edit your voice to be accepted or stay safe, that’s not a personal failing. It’s survival. But over time, this survival strategy can fracture your integrity—not in a moral sense, but in the literal sense of the word: integrity as wholeness or intactness.

When you hide or silence part of yourself, you may begin to feel disconnected from your full self—not because you’re doing something wrong, but because you’re not fully with yourself. You’re fitting in but not belonging.

This principle of VOICE is about realigning with your most natural, intact, and impactful expression—the one that reflects your truth, honours your queerness, and resonates with those who most need to hear and understand you.

EXPRESSION—Define your visibility and self-articulation.

* What is your most creative and freely expressive form of communication?

* What is your least favourite environment for expressing your voice—and why?

* Where or how are you most easily understood? What makes that expression feel natural or effortless?

* Where or how are you often misunderstood? What factors contribute to that disconnect?

* How can you align more consistently with your most natural voice to create greater impact and connection?

* Is there a practice or habit that supports this alignment?

* Is it influenced by your location or environment?

* Does it depend on the format—e.g., video, writing, or live speaking?

* Does it relate to any aspect of your queerness?

A Final Question from the Margins

After completing this exercise, review your responses. Then consider:

What part of your queerness do you want to acknowledge or celebrate that reflects your true voice—the unique expression that makes your leadership feel whole, powerful, and true?

Allow yourself time for some silent reflection after completing today’s questions because tomorrow, you’ll never think of dreaming the same way again—when you discover the fifth principle, ‘What’s Your DREAM.’

Want to explore these principles with more clarity, depth, and guidance? Learn more about working with me one-on-one and request a conversation here: https://www.darrenstehle.com/coaching

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