In episode five of this season’s TeamBonding Saves the World podcast, Angela Lussier, CEO and founder of the Speaker Sisterhood, joins Rich Rinnisland to talk about why speak up culture is so important and the vitality of women speaking up and having a voice in the corporate world. To listen to the full conversation, the Speak Up Culture episode can be accessed here

Angela Lussier put it bluntly right from the start: “If you want to be a leader, you have to be able to speak.” Having a voice in the corporate world is critical to long-term success, and there are a few critical components that are necessary:

  1. Be an effective communicator.
  2. Have the ability to persuade an audience, change their minds, or inspire them to rise to challenges.
  3. Understand that effective communication is about more than just the words — body language and delivery are just as critical to successfully conveying the message.

“If you’re not willing to communicate and you’re not willing to be seen, then you’re in that group of people who stay in the same job for their whole life,” she stressed, “and [you’re not] able to contribute on a bigger level. So that’s how speaking training makes a difference for people who are trying to climb that ladder.” 

This is especially true for women in the corporate world, she noted, which is what led her to found the Speaker Sisterhood. Lussier — an award-winning professional speaker, author, TEDx presenter, and entrepreneur — actually got her start doing public speaking in the corporate world herself, where she quickly realized how critical that skill set was for long-term success. 

She also quickly realized, while teaching a course to women who wanted to be professional speakers, that organizations like Toastmasters didn’t necessarily have the full range of specific skills needed for women to succeed in communicating effectively in a corporate environment. And thus, the Speaker Sisterhood was born. 

“It’s a network of public speaking clubs for women who are finding their voice together in a sisterhood,” she noted. “This is a place for women to show up as themselves, and tell the truth and be vulnerable and do the thing that scares them most: public speaking. And in the process, really find their voice.” 

Overcoming the Fear

Angela Lussier found that for many women — even those who started or owned successful businesses already — actually speaking up about their goals, pitching to investors, and presenting their business ideas to others was a major fear that was holding many back. 

“And I thought — I have that skill set,” Lussier said. “I can help them. And so with all of those things coming together, I decided I would start this organization for women, and coincidentally, it was August of 2016 when we started. And a few months later, Trump took office, and then the Women’s March happened. And then the ‘Me Too’ movement happened, and there was a national conversation going on about women and their voices, and Speaker Sisterhood really took off because it was something we were finally talking about, and I had a solution for it.”

The initial idea was just to help women feel more confident presenting themselves in corporate situations, including at large conferences where they would have a chance to stand out from the crowd. But Lussier quickly noted a few other added benefits of empowering women in the workplace that are the result of the increased confidence in presenting themselves: better personal relationships. 

“They were starting to speak up more to their family members and their spouse,” said Lussier. “And they’re becoming better parents because they were really saying what was on their mind and feeling confident enough to do so.”

Building that total confidence paid off in other ways as well, not just in being able to speak to a crowd: Lussier found that women started speaking up about their own value as well. “Maybe they were undercutting themselves because they didn’t want to ask for too much, or they were afraid of losing the job because they didn’t believe in their worth. And now, by being part of the Speaker Sisterhood, they were building up their asks. Instead of asking for $1,500 for a job, they’d asked for $3,000 — and they were getting it.”

Gaining a Voice

While it can be difficult to put into practice, the actual skills needed to have a voice in any situation, corporate or personal, are actually fairly easy. And this applies to public speaking skills in general:

  • Go in with the right mindset.
  • Breathe.
  • Pay attention to your audience, their goals, their challenges, and how you can address them.

“When you answer questions like that, your presentation all of a sudden takes on a whole new life, because it’s about being in service to those challenges and goals, instead of trying to show up a certain way and be seeing a certain way,” said Lussier.

Lussier has a few tips for those looking to improve their ability to speak up. 

  1. Be present. Don’t just passively sit back and listen to others speak — share your ideas and opinions and engage in the conversation.
  2. Be self-aware. Understand your own strengths and weaknesses, and be confident in what you bring to the situation. Also, understand the difference between assertive and confrontational — you can insert yourself and your point of view without attacking anyone else’s. 

Finally, Lussier noted, it’s important to have a safe space to confront your truths and let go of the shame. This is where clubs like the Speaker Sisterhood come into play, where you can work through the fears and doubts, where they came from, and overcome them in an environment that is encouraging you to be the best version of yourself. “The thing we’re most ashamed of is the thing that everyone else can relate to,” she said, and getting that shame out in the open, confronting it, and letting it go is the first step to a more confident, successful career.

Listen to the Speak Up Culture episode of the TeamBuilding Saves the World podcast to hear Angela Lussier’s full, lively, and informative interview with Rinnisland. Learn more about her background, how the Speaker Sisterhood got started, the importance of a good mental health support system if you get involved in speaking up, and more. If you’re ready to join the speak up culture, visit speakersisterhood.com to join a club.

Anna Webber

Team Contributor

Subscribe

Sign up for tips on crafting the perfect team.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Categories

Podcast

around the world podcast logo

Get ideas, inspiration and best practices from across the globe.

apple podcast logo spotify podcast logo

Be a Guest Blogger

Do you have any useful tips, tricks, guides, or valuable insights about company culture?

Learn more  

Sign up for tips on crafting the perfect team.

Less drama? Greater productivity and job satisfaction? Yes, you really can make an impact, and TeamBonding is here to help. Subscribe to our blog for useful tips, tricks and insights.

More great content based on your likes.

TeamBonding’s Guide to the Five Stages of Team Development

Developing strong and cohesive teams is essential for every business or organization, but team development doesn’t happen overnight. There are numerous stages of team development that can ultimately lead to a synergistic team, which carries with it many benefits. 

Read More  

Why Team Building Doesn’t Work

As a leader in your organization, you’re likely always looking for innovative ways to strengthen employee relationships. Creating a strong workplace culture that encourages teamwork is essential for increasing productivity and improving employee engagement. However, your workforce might not always see eye to eye with leadership when it comes to team building. Some employees may feel it’s nothing more than a chore while others might think that team building will not solve the underlying issues that are affecting workplace relationships. It may lead them to really question “does team building work”?

Read More  

6 DIY Team Building Activities That Work

It’s easy… right? You just need to find the right people with the right skills, put them in a room together, and you have a well-oiled team. They’re smart, and they know their stuff: they’ll figure out how to get the work done…except it doesn’t always work out that way. We provide a foundation for team building that lasts beyond your TeamBonding event; however, you’ll have the most success after your event by incorporating team bonding activities into your company culture throughout the year. And if the budget is tight, that doesn’t mean you can’t do anything at all. Here are 6 DIY team building activities guaranteed to help your team build those lasting connections!

Read More  

5 Ideas for Motivational Team Building Activities for Employees in 2024

For decades now, there has been an acute issue plaguing HR workers and managers around motivational team building activities for employees. An unmotivated employee or team can lead to decreased productivity and morale, higher turnover, and a lack of cohesion throughout the organization. There are many theories on how to best motivate employees. Some think that monetary incentives are the only way to truly motivate employees, while others believe motivation can be found through a better work culture or by cultivating motivational activities for employees. Before we can truly understand how to motivate work teams and employees and our favorite motivational activities for employees, we must first understand the different types of workplace motivators.

Read More  

Questions? Need a quote?

Complete this form to get started or call 877-472-2725.

Loading Icon

Create Your Free Account

Get exclusive access to new programs from the TeamBonding Lab, save your favorite ideas, and track your upcoming events.
Already have an account? Login

Please wait...

Sign-in

Don't yet have an account?
Create a Free Account

Forgot Your Password? Password Reset