Dissecting Influence: How Leaders Lead with Their Voice - Dr. Laura Sicola
If your title says leader but your voice still sounds like a stressed out project manager, this episode will feel uncomfortably honest in the best way. Maartje van Krieken talks with leadership communication expert Dr. Laura Sicola about executive influence as a long game that builds trust instead of quick compliance. They discuss what it means to speak to lead so your team can hear hard messages, understand your intent and still see you as someone worth following. Where does authenticity become self indulgence, and how do you share your truth without tossing what Laura calls a verbal grenade into the room? What signals do you send when your words say open door yet your reactions shut people down?
From there, the conversation moves into the messy reality of leading in high pressure environments with shifting org charts and teams that do not share the same background or assumptions. Laura offers simple phrases like “Help me understand what you were aiming for” or “It sounds like you are prioritizing…” to keep difficult conversations focused on learning instead of blame. She shows how psychological safety, clear intent and a willingness to apologize after you misstep turn speaking to lead into a daily practice rather than a performance. By the end you will likely find yourself asking where your own leadership communication lands today and what your voice actually teaches people about whether it is safe to trust your leadership.
Episode Breakdown:
00:00 Speaking to Influence: Why Leadership Is About How People Hear You
02:05 Defining Influence in Leadership and Internal Communication
06:08 Leading in High Pressure Environments and Building Trust Quickly
10:20 Scaling Leadership: Coaching Your Leaders to Coach Their Teams
14:12 Communicating Across Cultures and Avoiding Transactional Leadership
16:25 Creating Psychological Safety and a Healthy Feedback Culture
19:36 Using “Help Me Understand” to Defuse Tension and Build Trust
22:57 Pause, Breathe and Apologize: Humility, Mistakes and Real Leadership
29:13 Where to Find Dr. Laura Sicola and Speaking to Influence Resources
Connect with Dr. Laura Sicola:
Explore more of Dr. Laura’s book and podcast, Speaking to Influence
Tune in to Dr. Laura’s podcast - Speaking to Influence
Tune in to Dr. Laura and Janet Salazar’s podcast - ALPHAWHISPERERS™
Dr. Laura Sicola is a leadership communication and influence expert, speaker, author of Speaking to Influence: Mastering Your Leadership Voice, and host of the Global Top 1% podcast, Speaking to Influence: Communication Secrets of the C-Suite and the podcast ALPHAWHISPERERS: Genesis. Her mission is to transform executives into confident, inspiring leaders. A cognitive linguist by background, she has trained and coached executives at Fortune 500 companies and non-profit leaders from around the world. Laura’s TEDx talk, “Want to Sound Like a Leader? Start by Saying Your Name Right,” has nearly 7 million views.
Connect with Maartje van Krieken:
Connect with Maartje on LinkedIn
Visit The Chaos Games Consulting website
Visit The Business Emergency Room website
Subscribe to The Business Emergency Room on YouTube
Subscribe to Maartje’s Substack
Host Maartje van Krieken is a crisis strategist and decision-making expert who thrives in high-stakes business environments. Combining disaster management training, hands-on experience in global industries, and leadership skills honed as a seasoned sailor, she helps businesses navigate chaos with precision. Whether tackling transformation, scaling challenges, or leadership bottlenecks, Maartje delivers actionable insights to turn turbulence into traction.
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