Weekly Insight #24: The Leadership Dance – Lessons from Voice and Resonance

Leadership is a balance—a dance, really—between guiding with authority and creating space for others to step forward. In my work as a voice instructor, I often think about how much structure to provide and how much freedom to leave for self-discovery.

This balance became even clearer to me while reflecting on Juliet Funt’s article from A Minute to Think, where she explores the delicate interplay between authority and receptivity in leadership. Her interview with Joseph Vinciquerra highlights how flexibility and emotional intelligence are critical for effective guidance. This 60-40 split—60% authority and 40% receptivity—resonates deeply with how I approach both teaching voice and thinking about leadership.

But what does this balance look like in action? And why is it essential for leaders, teachers, and anyone seeking to guide others?

Authority and Receptivity in Voice Instruction

Teaching voice is an interplay of structure and adaptability:

• Authority (60%): Students rely on me for guidance—breathing techniques, vocal exercises, and tips for resonance. This foundation is critical for their growth.
• Receptivity (40%): At the same time, I listen deeply to each voice, their struggles, and their goals. Every voice is unique, and a rigid approach would limit their potential.

This balance builds trust. Students feel supported, yet independent enough to explore and discover their authentic voice. It’s not just about instruction; it’s about creating a partnership for growth.

Leadership Lessons from the 60-40 Balance

This balance is as vital for leaders as it is for teachers:

• Some team members need authority—clear direction and structure.
• Others thrive on receptivity—feeling heard and trusted to take initiative.

As Juliet Funt notes, the best leaders adapt, knowing when to step forward with guidance and when to step back to listen. Emotional intelligence is at the heart of this adaptability, allowing leaders to read the room, assess needs, and respond effectively.

The Resonance Connection

This balance also mirrors how the voice creates resonance:

• Authority: Resonant sound relies on structure—breath support, alignment, and precise technique. Without this foundation, communication falls flat.
• Receptivity: At the same time, the voice adapts to emotion, audience, and context. It must remain flexible to truly connect.

Great communicators—and leaders—understand this interplay. They adjust their tone, pitch, and delivery to connect with others, just as vocalists adapt to the music and moment.

Generational Shifts and Audience Awareness

Juliette’s observation about generational shifts in workplace dynamics is particularly relevant. Younger professionals often value collaboration and psychological safety over rigid hierarchies.

In my teaching, I’ve noticed similar trends. Some students need firm guidance to feel secure, while others thrive in a more exploratory, collaborative approach. Recognizing these differences and adjusting accordingly makes all the difference.

Practical Takeaways for Leaders and Teachers

Whether you’re leading a team or guiding a student, consider these steps to embrace the 60-40 balance:

1. Ask What’s Needed: Start by asking, “What does this person need most right now—clear direction or space to contribute?”
2. Flex Your Style: Practice switching between authority and receptivity. Like any skill, adaptability improves with use.
3. Stay Authentic: Balance doesn’t mean abandoning your personality. Whether you lean more toward authority or receptivity, bring your authentic self to the relationship.

The Art of the Dance

The beauty of the 60-40 balance is its flexibility. It’s not about choosing between being authoritative or receptive. It’s about embracing both, using each as the moment demands.

Leadership, like voice, is an art. And just like art, it’s not about perfection. It’s about finding the balance that allows you and those you guide to thrive.

🔗 Explore more insights: Developing Your Authentic Voice (DYAV) with Elias

#DevelopingYourAuthenticVoice #Leadership #Resonance #EmotionalIntelligence #Teaching #Adaptability

Engage with Me

I’d love to hear your thoughts! Share your experiences, ask questions, or let me know what topics you’d like to see explored in future posts. 

And if you’d like to dive deeper into these techniques, I explore more practical exercises and insights throughout my book. It’s all about making the process of voice production practical, accessible, and tailored to your unique needs. 

🔗 Read more insights here: Developing Your Authentic Voice (DYAV) with Elias

In Act III of La Traviata, the expressive matadors lead, the dancers respond, and the chorus listens attentively—each role vital to the moment’s impact. Leadership is no different: a balance of authority and receptivity creates harmony.

Note: if you’re viewing this on a mobile device and don’t see the ‘Subscribe for Updates’ option, try switching to the web version of the blog. You can do this by scrolling to the bottom of the page and clicking ‘View web version.’ This will allow you to easily subscribe and stay updated with more insights like this.

Weekly Insight #23: Vocal Agility – Flexibility in Action

Vocal agility is a skill that allows us to adapt our voice to meet the moment. Whether in conversation, a speech, or singing, this flexibility lets us express ourselves with authenticity and precision.

In Insight #1, we explored the power of recording and listening to your voice to uncover its natural qualities. Later, in Insight #6, we discussed how clear articulation forms the backbone of effective communication. Building on these ideas, Insight #15 emphasized the role of intentional practice, like sustaining vowels, to build vocal control.

Vocal agility ties these concepts together, using breath, clarity, and intentionality to create a voice that can adapt effortlessly to any situation.

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Breath as the Foundation of Agility

Every aspect of vocal agility begins with breath. How we use and manage our air directly affects the flexibility of our voice. Consider this:

• Volume: Increasing or decreasing volume depends on how we manage air pressure. For example, if we want to emphasize a point with a louder voice, it’s not just about speaking louder—it’s about preparing the breath to support that change.
• Tempo: The speed of our delivery often mirrors the rhythm of our breath. Slower tempos require deeper, more deliberate breaths, while quicker tempos need efficient, shorter ones.
• Inflection: The nuance of inflection—how we emphasize or lengthen vowels—is rooted in breath control. A sustained vowel or a subtle rise in pitch adds color and meaning, supported by steady airflow.

By practicing breath awareness, we can train ourselves to make these adjustments effortlessly.

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Developing Vocal Agility

Agility isn’t something that happens overnight—it’s built through intentional practice. Here’s a simple exercise to explore and refine your flexibility:

1. Choose a Short Passage: Select a short text, such as a quote or poem.
2. Experiment with Dynamics:
   • Volume: Start softly and gradually increase volume. Then try the reverse, starting louder and softening.
   • Tempo: Read slowly and deliberately, then experiment with a quicker pace.
   • Inflection: Emphasize different words or phrases, exploring how changes in pitch and tone shift the meaning.
3. Record and Reflect: Record yourself reading the passage in these different ways. Listen back to notice how breath supports each adjustment and how each version feels to you as a listener.

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Why Vocal Agility Matters

Vocal agility is about more than technical ability—it’s about using your voice with intention and presence. When we develop this skill, we:

• Adapt gracefully to unexpected moments.
• Engage others by meeting the energy and emotion of the situation.
• Communicate clearly without losing authenticity.

Key Takeaway: Agility in the voice reflects agility in the mind. By connecting breath, intention, and practice, we can lead, inspire, and connect more meaningfully.

#DevelopingYourAuthenticVoice #VocalAgility #Resilience #Leadership #Breathwork

Engage with Me

I’d love to hear your thoughts! Share your experiences, ask questions, or let me know what topics you’d like to see explored in future posts. 

And if you’d like to dive deeper into these techniques, I explore more practical exercises and insights throughout my book. It’s all about making the process of voice production practical, accessible, and tailored to your unique needs. 

🔗 Read more insights here: Developing Your Authentic Voice (DYAV) with Elias

Note: if you’re viewing this on a mobile device and don’t see the ‘Subscribe for Updates’ option, try switching to the web version of the blog. You can do this by scrolling to the bottom of the page and clicking ‘View web version.’ This will allow you to easily subscribe and stay updated with more insights like this.

Weekly Insight #22: The Thoughtful Power of Your Voice 🎶

Leadership often conjures images of charisma and extroversion—a commanding presence and a voice that dominates the room. But true leadership isn’t always loud or forceful. It’s found in how your voice connects, influences, and inspires through thoughtfulness and authenticity. 

Your voice carries power, not just in what you say, but in how it vibrates, resonates, and connects. It has the potential to influence, inspire, and lead, even in the simplest of interactions. The key lies in learning to listen to yourself, to understand your voice’s natural qualities, and to appreciate its impact. 

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🎤 Daring to Listen to Yourself
In the first Weekly Insight, we explored the value of discovering your unique voice and introduced a simple exercise to help you get used to hearing yourself—recording your voice in unscripted moments and listening back. That practice was a powerful first step toward self-awareness and connection. 

This week, we revisit that exercise with more tools and insights, focusing on three key dynamics of your voice—volume, tempo, and inflection—to uncover how these elements shape your communication. 

Have you ever recorded yourself speaking—not in a rehearsed or polished way, but in an unscripted moment, like giving directions, sharing a story, or answering a question? It can feel vulnerable to listen back, but it’s also a powerful exercise. 

By daring to listen to yourself, you begin to: 

• Recognize the natural rhythm and tone of your voice. 

• Understand how your voice impacts others. 

• Appreciate its unique ability to convey emotion, intention, and strength. 

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🎤 Resilience Through Voice Awareness
Your voice reflects your inner state. When we listen to ourselves, we gain awareness of how our voice adapts to situations, emotions, and intentions. This awareness strengthens resilience, as it teaches you to notice subtle shifts and respond to challenges with clarity and purpose. 

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Key Voice Dynamics

• Volume: Volume determines the loudness of your voice. It can be adjusted to convey different emotions or emphasize particular parts of a conversation. Mastery of volume control comes through skillful modulation of breath pressure, allowing you to adapt your voice to fit the moment and message. 

• Tempo: Tempo refers to the speed of your speech or delivery. Being mindful of tempo helps you align your message with your intention. For example, slowing down can create space for your listener to absorb what you’re saying, while a quicker pace may help convey energy or urgency. Adjusting tempo gives you the flexibility to match your delivery to the context and audience. 

• Inflection: Varying pitch and tone within speech brings emotional depth and meaning. Effective inflection keeps your message engaging and dynamic, transforming a monotone delivery into one that connects with your listener. 

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🎥 Practical Exercise
Here’s how to revisit the exercise from Insight #1, now with a focus on observing volume, tempo, and inflection: 

1. Record Yourself Unscripted: Choose a simple task—like giving directions to a favorite café, narrating a morning routine, or explaining a process. 

2. Listen Back with Intention: Focus on these dynamics as you review the recording: 

   • Volume: Where does your voice naturally grow louder or softer? How does this shape the clarity or emotion of your message? 

   • Tempo: Is your speech rushed, steady, or deliberate? How does it align with your intended meaning? 

   • Inflection: How do changes in pitch and tone add variation and meaning to your delivery? Where might you explore more dynamic shifts? 

This exercise isn’t about perfection; it’s about appreciating how your voice resonates and influences others, giving you tools to refine and enhance your communication. 

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Why This Matters
Your voice is one of the most powerful tools you have. By daring to listen to yourself, you can uncover the thoughtful strength of your voice and use it to lead, connect, and inspire. 

Key Takeaway: Leadership doesn’t always require a commanding presence—it can be found in the thoughtful, steady resonance of your voice. Dare to listen, reflect, and discover the power of your authentic sound. 

🔗 Explore the insight referenced here: Insight #1

#DevelopingYourAuthenticVoice #Resilience #VocalHealth #Leadership #EmotionalIntelligence 

Engage with Me

I’d love to hear your thoughts! Share your experiences, ask questions, or let me know what topics you’d like to see explored in future posts. 

And if you’d like to dive deeper into these techniques, I explore more practical exercises and insights throughout my book. It’s all about making the process of voice production practical, accessible, and tailored to your unique needs. 

🔗 Read more insights here: Developing Your Authentic Voice (DYAV) with Elias

Note: if you’re viewing this on a mobile device and don’t see the ‘Subscribe for Updates’ option, try switching to the web version of the blog. You can do this by scrolling to the bottom of the page and clicking ‘View web version.’ This will allow you to easily subscribe and stay updated with more insights like this.

Weekly Insight #21: Discovering the Gift of Your Voice-Registers 🎶

Every voice is a gift, as unique as the person it belongs to. Whether speaking or singing, your voice has its own qualities, its own range, and its own comfortable register. Understanding these aspects of your voice can help you become more aware of your unique sound and feel confident naming it, exploring it, and embracing what it means for your communication. 

🎤 Range vs. Tessitura
In vocal pedagogy—the art and methodology of teaching voice—we often use specific terms to describe what makes every voice distinct. Two such terms are: 

• Range: The full span of pitches your voice can produce, from the lowest to the highest. 

• Tessitura: The part of your range where your voice feels most comfortable and natural, like a “home base” for speaking or singing. 

While singers often explore their full range, tessitura is what we naturally use in our day-to-day lives—especially in speech. 

✨ The Registers of Your Voice
Your voice also has different registers, including: 

• Low: Often resonant in the chest, this register conveys warmth, authority, or calm. It’s grounded and full, offering a sense of stability and connection to the body. 

• Middle: Balanced and versatile, the middle register is where much of our everyday speech and vocal expression occurs. It provides a natural blend of clarity and resonance, allowing for flexibility in tone and emotion. 

• High: Light and open, the high register carries an airier, more ethereal quality. It’s often used to express excitement, joy, or a sense of heightened energy.

Becoming aware of these registers can help you fine-tune how you use your voice to communicate effectively. 

🎥 Finding Your Natural Speaking Pitch
For speakers, finding your natural pitch—your “home base”—is an essential step in understanding and optimizing your voice. Here are two simple exercises to help: 

1. Give Directions: 
   Record yourself giving directions to someone (e.g., how to get to your favorite coffee shop). When you play it back, listen closely to your voice. You’ll notice that you tend to speak at a consistent pitch during the directions. That pitch is often your natural “home base” for speaking. 

2. Use “Uh-huh”: 
   Say “uh-huh” aloud as if you’re casually agreeing with someone. Pay attention to the second syllable, “huh.” If you sustain that sound, it’s usually close to your natural speaking pitch. 

These exercises give you a practical way to discover where your voice feels most comfortable. Understanding your natural pitch is the first step toward greater confidence in your vocal expression. 

🎥 Watch This Demonstration:In this short video, I demonstrate these exercises so you can hear what they sound like and try them for yourself. Hearing the process can help you better understand how to find your own natural pitch.

link here

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Why This Matters
When you know your voice—its range, tessitura, and natural pitch—you begin to unlock its potential. These insights give you tools to speak with clarity, comfort, and authenticity. Awareness of your voice is empowering, whether you’re leading a meeting, telling a story, or simply having a conversation. 

Key Takeaway: Your voice is uniquely yours. By exploring where it feels most at home, you can connect more deeply to your sound and use it confidently in every interaction. 

🔗 Explore more insights here: https://dyavwithelias.blogspot.com/

#DevelopingYourAuthenticVoice #VocalHealth #Tessitura #Range #SpeakingVoice #VoiceAwareness  

Engage with Me

I’d love to hear your thoughts! Share your experiences, ask questions, or let me know what topics you’d like to see explored in future posts. 

And if you’d like to dive deeper into these techniques, I explore more practical exercises and insights throughout my book. It’s all about making the process of voice production practical, accessible, and tailored to your unique needs. 

Note: if you’re viewing this on a mobile device and don’t see the ‘Subscribe for Updates’ option, try switching to the web version of the blog. You can do this by scrolling to the bottom of the page and clicking ‘View web version.’ This will allow you to easily subscribe and stay updated with more insights like this.

Weekly Insight #20: Breathing with Intention  

As we begin a new year, intention is often at the forefront—how we approach our goals, relationships, and communication. But intention isn’t just for long-term planning; it’s also in the small, profound moments, like taking a breath.

Maria Callas, one of the most celebrated artists of the 20th century, exemplified this beautifully in her live 1962 concert in Hamburg. Performing the famous Habanera from Carmen, she filled the two minutes of instrumental music before the aria with extraordinary intentionality.

Most singers wouldn’t dare to stay on stage for that long without singing. The silence can feel vulnerable, even overwhelming. But Callas not only dared—she likely wished it to be so. Those two minutes were a masterclass in presence. Her breathing was natural yet purposeful, attuned to the harmony of the moment. By the time she began to sing, the audience was captivated. Her intention was so clear that her voice became an inevitable extension of everything she had already conveyed.

🎥 Watch Callas in Action:
You can witness this extraordinary performance yourself by watching the full video of her Hamburg concert here: Maria Callas performing the Habanera. Her ability to embody the character of Carmen before singing a single note is a powerful reminder of what it means to breathe with intention.

🎤 What Can We Learn from Callas?
Breathing with intention is a profound practice, not just in performance but in leadership and daily life. It’s about being present, prepared, and connected to what truly matters. This kind of intentionality reflects key elements of emotional intelligence:

1. Self-Awareness: Callas knew the power of her presence, using breath to ground herself and focus her energy.
2. Empathy: By aligning her breath and presence with the character’s emotions, she created a connection with the audience that transcended words.
3. Confidence: Her daring use of silence and stillness demonstrated an unshakable belief in her ability to command the moment.

✨ As We Begin the Year: How Can We Use This?
Callas’s artistry reminds us that intention starts with small, mindful acts—like taking a breath. As you think about your intentions for the year ahead, consider:

• Pause Before You Begin: Take a moment to reflect before speaking, acting, or making decisions. What energy do you want to bring to the moment?
• Align with the Present: Pay attention to the harmony around you—your environment, your thoughts, your emotions. Breathe into that space with awareness.
• Dare to Be Present: Like Callas, embrace the silence. Trust that intention and preparation will resonate more powerfully than rushing to fill the void.

🎥 Reflections on Callas’s Legacy
With the release of a new biopic starring Angelina Jolie, Maria Callas is once again inspiring a new generation. While the film has sparked varied opinions, it succeeds in bringing Callas’s artistry back into the spotlight. Her work remains a timeless example of the power of intentional expression—not just for singers, but for anyone seeking to communicate with authenticity and purpose.

Key Takeaway:
Maria Callas’s performance of the Habanera reminds us that intention transforms even the simplest act—like taking a breath—into a tool for clarity, connection, and power. As we step into a new year, let each breath carry your intention—to speak, act, and lead authentically.

In Traviata at Opéra Biarritz, Germont-père and his son stand at a crossroads of intention. The father, steady and resolute, seeks to guide and protect, while the son wrestles with heartbreak and inner conflict. Their opposing intentions collide in a poignant moment of raw emotion and human complexity.

#DevelopingYourAuthenticVoice #VocalHealth #Intention #EmotionalIntelligence #MariaCallas #Leadership #Authenticity #Teaching #NewYear

Engage with Me

I’d love to hear your thoughts! Share your experiences, ask questions, or let me know what topics you’d like to see explored in future posts. 

And if you’d like to dive deeper into these techniques, I explore more practical exercises and insights throughout my book. It’s all about making the process of voice production practical, accessible, and tailored to your unique needs. 

🔗 Read more insights here: Developing Your Authentic Voice (DYAV) with Elias

Note: if you’re viewing this on a mobile device and don’t see the ‘Subscribe for Updates’ option, try switching to the web version of the blog. You can do this by scrolling to the bottom of the page and clicking ‘View web version.’ This will allow you to easily subscribe and stay updated with more insights like this.