From Shy to Sincere: Why Quiet Voices Deserve to Be Heard
Confidence, in the workplace and beyond, is still too often confused with volume.
People often mistake the loudest voice in the room for the most competent.
The fast-talker, the interrupter, the individual who fills the silence before anyone else has the chance, these behaviours have, somehow, become shorthand for authority.
But those who operate more quietly and more carefully often know the unspoken cost of this dynamic.
You have carefully considered what you want to express.
You’ve rehearsed it — in your head, at least.
And when you finally do speak, you can almost feel the room slipping away mid-sentence.
It’s not because your ideas aren’t strong. They're not receiving the attention they deserve.
The Myth of Loud Leadership
There’s a peculiar irony at play here: many of the people who struggle most with speaking up are, on paper, the ones worth listening to.
They’re often more prepared, more thoughtful, and more aware of how their words will land.
But that self-awareness can backfire, making them more likely to hesitate, second-guess, and defer to those who seem more confident.
Here airtime is finite, and perception can outrun substance; those hesitations have consequences.
So the question isn’t whether you have something worth saying.
It’s about whether you can express it in a way that resonates.
Do people really listen when you speak?
Your voice should be your most powerful tool as a professional
Whether you're leading a meeting, delivering a presentation, or influencing a conversation, what you say and how you say it make the difference in making your point, getting what you want—or the opposite.
With this free assessment, you can test the powers of your communication to see how you could be cutting through with more impact and effectiveness.
- ✔ Identify possible communication blind spots
- ✔ Strengthen your confidence and delivery
- ✔ Command attention and influence with ease
What Sincerity Sounds Like
Let’s be clear: sincerity isn’t a consolation prize for people who don’t like public speaking.
It’s the quality that makes people lean in.
Not because you’ve raised your voice, but because something about the way you speak feels true.
It’s a particular kind of presence — calm, focused, intentional. Less about taking up space, and more about holding it.
And yet, most traditional communication training glosses over this.
It favours performance over presence.
Certainty over curiosity.
Charisma over clarity.
The result: There is a preference for charismawho don’t naturally speak with flair are left thinking they simply aren’t cut out for visibility.
From Shy to Sincere: A Shift in Approach
What if confidence wasn’t something you had to manufacture?
What if you didn’t need to fake it till you make it, but could instead build your speaking style around a voice that already feels like you?
That’s the core of what I teach — and it starts with dismantling a few long-held assumptions:
That confidence is a personality trait, not a skill.
That a flat voice means you’re not engaging (when it often means you're over-managing).
That pausing is dangerous, when in fact it can be one of the most commanding things you do.
The move from shy to sincere doesn’t require volume.
It requires alignment — between what you believe and how you say it.
The Takeaway
There’s a difference between being quiet and being unclear.
One is a temperament.
The other is a technique—and techniques can be changed.
So if you’ve ever walked out of a meeting thinking “Why didn’t they hear me?”, the issue may not be what you said…
but how you let yourself say it.
What's the good news? There’s another way.
🧭 If you’d like to explore how to develop a calmer, clearer, more connected voice — one that reflects who you are, not who you think you should sound like — take the Cut Through Communicator Quiz: