5 Voices

11Voice Control—Mastering Your Tendencies

Each of us has a voice that is distinctly ours. Just like the complex uniqueness of a snowflake, your voice order comes from your own hardwired nature, the people and experiences that have nurtured and shaped you, and your choices. Therefore, while you may share the same voice order with a segment of people, none of them will have your exact upbringing or have made the same choices.

We want to help you understand and master your voice. We want you to understand how your foundational voice shapes the way you hear and experience others. We want your voice to be confident and mature, truly able to add value to everyone else in your world. Listen to how Julie Trimble, finance director at Cygnet Texkimp, in Manchester, England, describes her epiphany:

I found the 5 Voices to be a liberating process. I'm an accountant, a role that I love. But by nature I'm not a Guardian, I'm a Connector and a Creative, and when I get the opportunity to use those voices, I thrive. Before I went through the 5 Voices process I valued my contribution in the workplace by measuring my proficiency in accounting terms (technical awareness, reporting accuracy, etc.), but now I see that I bring far more than that. I am allowing myself to forgive my shortcomings and to recognize the skills that make me so much more than just a bean counter!

When leaders begin to know themselves and lead themselves through their voice order, they will become exponentially more productive; ...