Raise Your Voice: You Can Influence Change When You Speak Up and Speak Out

When I wrote my article Why Do Women Find it Hard to Ask for Help? here on LinkedIn in 2015, little did I know the impact that it would have on the life of a woman living 3901 miles away from me on the other side of the world two and a half years later.

In October of this year, Kristen LeDuc from Wisconsin in the US, who creates a line of paint for furniture artists, needed help in her business but didn't like to ask for it. She Googled 'why can't women ask for help' and came across my article. My article inspired Kristin to take action and ask for the help that she needed and she now has a team of artists across the US rallying behind her brand.

As well as providing Kristin with the support that she needs, these artists now have an opportunity to feature their artwork, widening the reach of their work. Their artwork will add value to the people who buy it, and so on…

Your voice can create a ripple effect of action

This just goes to show what a ripple effect we can make in helping other people, when we raise our voice.

Whether it is sharing your story so someone else can learn from your personal experience, or speaking up about the many injustices in the world.  Whether it is expressing your skills and talents for the benefit of others, there is something to be gained by you raising your voice.

Be it Rosa Parkes, who became a symbol of the civil rights movement in the US, who raised her voice when she refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white passenger. Or Nobel Prize winner Malala Yousafzai, who raised her voice when she wrote about girls not being allowed to receive education where she lived at the time in north west Pakistan. Or more recently, the hashtag #metoo which highlights the power of the collective voice on social media and gave women (and men) the courage to speak out and take action.

Movements that have brought about social change have been started by everyday, ordinary people, who spoke up and raised their voice.

Writing is one way in which you can raise your voice

Expressing my opinion through writing is the way in which I raise my voice. With the ease of availability of online publishing platforms (such as here on LinkedIn), if you have access to the internet, you can do so too. Social media gives a voice to the voiceless. Where once these voices would never be heard, you now have the opportunity to influence change by raising your voice and getting your message out there at the press of a button.

Earlier this year when the BBC interview with Professor Robert Kelly (who was interrupted live on air by his kids) went viral, many people incorrectly assumed that the Asian woman who ran in to grab the kids was the nanny. However, the woman wasn’t the nanny, she was his wife.

I wrote an article about it and highlighted the unconscious bias that exists and how this translates in the workplace. The article got a significant response, and what pleased me the most about the responses, were those people who admitted that they incorrectly thought she was the nanny and thanked me for helping them to become aware of their own unconscious bias.

Whilst there will be many people who read my article and won’t have given my message the time of day, by raising my voice, at least some people now have that awareness. With that awareness, they can now examine and challenge their thoughts and beliefs when it comes to people who are different to them.

The issues I raise my voice on

I choose to write on issues that put women at a disadvantage in the workplace (with a particular emphasis on introverted women). Why? Because change is not happening quick enough and it is a cause that I am passionate about.

Issues I have written about over the past year include unfavourable unconscious bias that exists towards women and BME (black and minority ethnic) employees, as well as the challenges that women, BME and introverted leaders face and ways in which they can address them (I myself tick all 3 boxes). On the release of the report Race in the workplace: The MacGregors-Smith Review, commissioned by the government, I wrote an article about the plight of BME leaders here in the UK.

In 2018, I shall continue to raise my voice and write about these issues and continue to increase awareness about unfair practices and unconscious bias that still exists. I will be watching out for developments in these areas.  I shall also continue to write articles that help women/introverted women to navigate the many challenges they face so that they thrive as leaders. In addition to this, I plan to write my first book.

Have you got a message to share? Is there a cause that you are passionate about? If so, my call to action to you is, raise your voice, speak out and be heard.

What are the causes or issues that you would like to raise your voice on and write about? I would love to hear, so please let me know by commenting below.

ABOUT ME:

I am The Coach for High Achieving Introverted Women, an Executive, Career, Business Coach, Writer, Speaker, UK top 50 Business Adviser and the founder of Abounding Solutions . With over 25 years coaching and leadership experience, I help women (with a particular emphasis on introverted women) to be authentic, bold, confident leaders and excel in their careers and businesses.

I also help organisations develop the talent pipeline of female employees so that more women make it to senior management roles.

Are you a high achieving introverted senior woman? If so, join my new LinkedIn community for high achieving introverted senior women, who are members of senior management teams or executive teams. It is a place to discuss issues relating to your career and how to thrive in environments that don't view introversion as a strength. Come and join the conversation here.

All high achieving women who want to be authentic, bold, confident leaders and excel in their careers and businesses are welcome to join my other, more general community of High Achieving Women here