Speaking Like a Leader
by Lindsey Ehrlich, Reporter and Web Designer
Business, Culture
“How to Become a Great Leader,” “21 Ways to Be a Better Leader,” “How Do You Become a Leader?”
Google returns 1.35 billion results for the search term “how to be a leader.” There are endless articles discussing cliché leadership tips: speak clearly and concisely, connect with your teammates, have a positive attitude, teach others how to catch a fish rather than catching it for them. Such qualities do make a good leader, but they are not the only factors in determining the strength of leadership.
Some of the world’s most successful leaders never even got a college degree. For example, Mark Zuckerburg, the founder of Facebook and Harvard dropout, has a net worth of 101 billion dollars. Steve Jobs and Bill Gates both dropped out of college, too. Despite never receiving a degree, all three of these CEOs are billionaires after a lifetime of running successful companies.
So what are the other factors in becoming a successful leader? Scientific studies show the key to success in leadership could lie in our voices.
Deeper voices are favored over higher pitched voices. Countless studies have been conducted on what qualities great leaders have in common. One of them is the frequency of their voice (measured in Hz). A study from Duke University and the University of California examined almost 800 public companies. They found that the frequency of voices was directly correlated to the salary of the CEOs in study. Put in numbers, a decrease of 25% in voice pitch is associated with an increase of $187,000 in salary. There is some science to explain this phenomenon. Deeper voices are more distinguishable from the rest. Socially, the general public may be playing into implicit biases that men are more fit as leaders. Furthermore, people with deeper voices do not have to be yelling to demand attention and seem more confident.
It is also possible for a speaker to fluctuate the frequency in their voice to a certain degree. Vocal training can help control voice frequency. It is difficult to adjust the frequency of a voice drastically, but minor changes in pitch are possible. For example, Margaret Thatcher, a well-known British politician, underwent extensive vocal training before becoming the prime minister of the United Kingdom. Her skill in modulating her voice was definitely a factor in starting her successful political career, and it’s evident from her choice to train that she recognized the power in her voice’s impact as well.
Many social experiments ask people to pick between higher and lower voices. These studies have shown that males with deeper voices are perceived as more attractive and “dominant” to the selector. Females with higher pitched voices are viewed as more attractive and females with deeper voices are viewed as more “dominant.” This could have something to do with evolution. Research on voice pitch has shown that hormonal changes cause a woman’s voice to rise when she is most likely to conceive. In men, lower voices are associated with more testosterone and aggressive behavior.
Leadership is commonly associated with politics. Therefore, The Great Courses Daily reviewed past election winners to examine their voice pitch in order to find patterns. After reviewing all 435 U.S. House elections in 2012, they found that candidates with lower voices than their opponents were 13% more likely to win. Interestingly, this particular study by Casey A. Klofstad found that in a male vs. male contest, having the deeper voice increased his likelihood of winning. However, when it became a male vs. female contest, having a deeper voice decreased the male’s likelihood of winning. This double-edged effect has yet to be explained, but is certainly a discrepancy to investigate in the future.
Though the phenomenon of pitch in voices has a lot of supportive evidence, it is not the only factor in gaining leadership positions. The content of what the candidate presents is also vital. If someone is opposed to the content of a candidate’s speech and their personal character, a deeper voice will certainly not change their mind.
Leadership skills encompass more than the cliché tips articles tell you over and over again, but also how you portray yourself. The pitch of your voice can influence how others perceive you (dominant, shy, attractive, etc.), but the content that you bring to your audience is of the utmost importance.
Leadership is somewhat of a balancing act. You need to sound confident without sounding egotistical. You need to sound determined and demanding without sounding uncompassionate. You need to sound knowledgeable without sounding like a braggart. Leadership skills can be cultivated, and with enough practice and fine-tuning, you can master them yourself.
DISCLAIMER: The opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints expressed by the various authors in this paper do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints of Kamiak High School or The Gauntlet.
Sources
“Deep Voices 'Show Leadership'.” The Telegraph, Telegraph Media Group, 14 Nov. 2011, www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/8888727/Deep-voices-show-leadership.html.
Evje, Brian. “6 Ways To Talk Like a Leader.” Inc.com, Inc., 25 June 2013, www.inc.com/brian-evje/six-ways-to-talk-like-a-leader.html.
Klofstad, Casey A, et al. “How Vocal Characteristic Influence Our Choice of Leaders.” The Great Courses Daily, 7 Jan. 2017, www.thegreatcoursesdaily.com/vocal-characteristics-influences-choice-leaders/.
Morales, Anabel. “10 Successful CEOs That Did Not Get A College Degree.” StartUp Mindset, 7 Dec. 2020, startupmindset.com/10-successful-ceos-that-did-not-get-a-college-degree/.
Schooley, Skye. “How to Be a Good Leader.” Business News Daily, 26 Aug. 2019, www.businessnewsdaily.com/4991-effective-leadership-skills.html.
Stromberg, Joseph. “Why Women Like Deep Voices and Men Prefer High Ones.” Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian Institution, 24 Apr. 2013, www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/why-women-like-deep-voices-and-men-prefer-high-ones-41492244/.
Van Vugt, Mark. “The Sound of a Leader: CEOs With Deep Voices Do Better.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, 28 June 2013, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/naturally-selected/201306/the-sound-leader-ceos-deep-voices-do-better.