In every workplace, there are those who shape the conversation, and those who stay silent, even when they have something valuable to say. What makes the difference isn’t just confidence or title, it’s the courage to show up authentically and have the emotional intelligence to know when your unique voice will add value.
In my work coaching leadership teams and emerging talent across industries, I’ve seen time and again that the most valuable contributions often come from those who stop waiting for permission and start showing up, honestly and unapologetically.
Speaking up isn’t a luxury, it’s a competitive advantage. Diverse perspectives fuel innovation, strengthen decisions, and protect against blind spots. Yet too often, leaders hold back. They second-guess themselves. They wait to be invited. They try to fit in, rather than stand out. So how can you find your voice — and ensure it gets heard? Let’s break it down into two key domains: showing up for yourself andshowing up for the team.
Show up for yourself: listen to your voice
To show up for yourself, you need to tap into your emotions. You need to connect to your unique voice. Many leaders are taught to suppress emotion in favour of logic. But the truth is, emotions are not distractions from good judgment, they are essential inputs. They hold data. They offer context. They point us toward what matters. A powerful case study comes from Phineas Gage, a 19th-century railway worker who survived a traumatic brain injury when a metal rod pierced his prefrontal cortex. Remarkably, he walked away from the hospital after recovery. Though he retained the ability to reason and plan, the connection to his emotional brain was severed. As a result, he became incapable of making decisions. Even simple choices became a laborious process of rationally weighing pros and cons. His relationships collapsed. His life unravelled. Poor Phineas was a test case in neuroscience that has since been observed and validated through fMRI imaging in similar injuries.
The message is clear, emotions are not just useful data, they are essential components in critical thinking and reasoning;
To speak up effectively, practice this three-question emotional check-in:
- What do I think?
- Why is it significant?
- What emotion do I attach to it?
This mini-reflection builds self-awareness and helps you understand why your perspective matters, and how to express it with authenticity, not apology.
Show up for your team: share your voice
Once you’ve tuned into your perspective, the next step is to share your voice. This is where leadership is tested. Showing up for your team means taking accountability for the part you play in the culture you’re creating. And that includes how willing you are to share your unique insight, especially when it challenges the status quo.
Being authentic isn’t about oversharing or pushing your point. It’s about being real. It’s about naming the bias, calling out the assumption, offering a fresh lens, or presenting an alternative idea. This is the kind of contribution that sparks better thinking and leads to better decisions. Yes, it’s easier to go along with the dominant view. Yes, it feels safer to align with what you think people want to hear. But that’s not what you were hired to do. You were hired to add value. To lead change. To expand how people think and make a real impact.
In my work with a fast-growing Australian travel company, I run a program designed to do exactly that — help emerging leaders develop their voice and presence. As part of the program, participants deliver a ‘shark tank’ style pitch to executives, presenting bold new ideas to improve the business. The best ideas receive support and funding to implement. The results? Over 50% of program participants are promoted within a year. Not because they played it safe, but because they had the courage to speak up and challenge the norm. Sharing your voice is not only essential to leading teams and creating change it’s an essential component to accelerating your own career.
It’s not about being perfect, it’s about being real
Speaking up doesn’t isn’t about being right. It is about being real. It means being willing to offer your perspective, even when it feels risky. It means taking responsibility for your contribution and staying open to learning along the way.
The more you do it, the more comfortable it becomes. You’ll start noticing when others hold back, and you’ll be able to create space for their voices too. Because when we lead by example, we build cultures where people feel safe to bring their whole selves to work.
So if you’re sitting in the meeting, waiting for the perfect moment to speak, just start. Tune into what you think and feel. Say what needs to be said. Share your experience. Offer your idea. Don’t be afraid of what others may think – in fact – welcome their perspectives into the room – even (or especially) if they might be different yours. Because the workplace doesn’t need more echoes. It needs more you.
