Three Voices of a Leader

The inspiration came on a walk this morning in my neighborhood: Three Voices of a Leader.

I believe there is a connection between three voices of a leader and his/her effectiveness. One voice, the public voice, is how a leader speaks to a large group, such as a pastor to a congregation. A second voice, the private voice, is how a leader speaks to an individual or a couple of people in a small, intimate setting. A third voice, the silent voice, is how a leader speaks with his/her life: his/her way of being in the world. These three voices comprise most of what is "spoken" by the leader.

Further, I believe that a leader's effectiveness is directly related to the consistency of these three voices. Ok, that may seem obvious, but how many times do we hear leaders say one thing and then do something else? Or say one thing publicly and then something else in private? Saying different things publicly, privately, and in actions undermines the effectiveness of the leader. On the other side, how refreshing it is to see a genuine, authentic leader speaking consistently regardless of circumstance, location or audience. That's someone I can follow. How about you?