5 strategies for designing and amplifying your Leader's Voice

Since my first exposure to storytelling in organisations as a professional in banking doing my MBA in 2004, I have been enamored by this 'soft skill' and fascinated at how it is at the heart of capturing the imagination of why we want things done and the essence of enrolling subscribers onto how we get things done.

My 20 years work experience as an OD practitioner has gifted me the benefit of clients in executive education, working as a sessional lecturer with subjects like strategic storytelling, effective communication and presentation, networking and understanding diversity equity and inclusion for belonging. 

As an executive coach I'm privy to individual and group communication enablers and stumbling blocks, while working as a leadership development process facilitator I am skilled at navigating the interplays of self, team and organisation narratives. 

Because my lens has always been storytelling by Africans in organisations, the result is that I have consciously built an empirically backed reference point of African leadership narratives from junior management to executive leadership across genders, industries and sectors, business schools and organisations built over years with a few thousand data points. 

It is against this backdrop that I position five areas of work where African leaders need to pay attention, invest and develop competencies in as they design and amplify their 'Leader's Voice'. 

It's heartening that this discussion is getting attention and building traction and I for one am excited that through OYA SOLUTIONS we get to work with individuals and organisations committed to getting it right and amplifying authentic African leadership voices and experiences.

A synopsis of the strategies includes

1. Mastering self and distinguishing your authentic voice

2. Understanding the ABCs of professional speaking

3. Curating memorable artefacts as IP

4. Mastering performance as a communication competency

5. Developing and amplifying your brand.

Each of these require intentional work and a commitment to show up better, communicate eloquently, memorably and masterfully.