Unlock the Power of Active Voice: A Small Shift that Can Transform Your Communication

When it comes to powerful communication, small changes can lead to big impacts. Whether you’re a founder, executive, salesperson, or public speaker, your words shape how people perceive you and your message. One of the simplest, yet often overlooked, ways to strengthen your communication is to use the active voice. Though it may seem minor, research shows that active voice can enhance clarity and engagement, while passive voice—despite our best intentions—often slips into our language and muddles our message.

In fact, studies reveal that people tend to use passive voice more than they realize, particularly in professional contexts. This default setting makes communication less direct and, sometimes, less memorable. Let’s explore how active voice can be a game-changer for your communication and why it’s worth noticing where passive voice creeps into your language.

Why Active Voice Matters for Leaders

When you communicate, you want your message to be clear and direct, so there’s no room for misunderstanding. Active voice gives you this power by making it clear who’s doing what. In contrast, the passive voice can make sentences feel vague and even distant—qualities that don’t work well when you’re trying to lead, inspire, or sell.

The active version is more direct and engaging. As the speaker, you’re positioned at the heart of the action. Whether you’re presenting a new idea to your team or pitching a product to clients, active voice puts you in control and makes your message stand out.

The Power of Active Voice Across Professions

Let’s look at why active voice is a valuable tool across different fields:

1. Startup Founders and Executives As a leader, you’re constantly communicating your vision, motivating your team, and influencing stakeholders. Active voice strengthens these messages, making them feel immediate and intentional. Imagine pitching a new product to investors. Instead of saying, “Our product was developed by our team to solve this problem,” you could say, “Our team developed this product to solve the problem.” This shift gives your audience confidence that you and your team are driving innovation.
2. Sales Professionals When you’re selling, you want potential clients to feel engaged and drawn in. Active voice helps you tell stories that feel real and personal. Instead of saying, “The solution was created to meet your needs,” try “We created this solution to meet your needs.” This subtle change makes your pitch sound authentic and places your team in a proactive role.
3. Public Speakers and Coaches If you’re speaking to an audience, you want your message to be as vivid as possible. The active voice helps your stories feel alive, which keeps people interested and engaged. Picture telling a story about an early career mistake that shaped your journey. Instead of saying, “A mistake was made by me,” say, “I made a mistake.” Active voice brings the action forward, making your story more relatable and real.

Why Passive Voice Slips into Our Language (And How It Holds Us Back)

Research suggests that passive voice tends to slip in for a few key reasons:

1. Professional Politeness: When discussing topics that might seem blunt or assigning responsibility, we default to passive voice. This can be an unconscious choice to soften statements—like saying, “The mistake was made” instead of “I made a mistake.” This happens particularly often in business settings, where people may feel that direct statements sound too bold.
2. Avoiding Ownership: Passive voice subtly shifts attention away from who is responsible. This distancing effect might feel safer, especially in high-stakes scenarios. For example, “The deadline was missed” places the focus on the result, rather than who missed it.
3. Less Attention to Detail: When we’re quickly drafting emails, proposals, or speeches, passive voice often sneaks in because it’s easy to default to “was” or “by” phrases. Since passive voice is less direct, we don’t always notice that it reduces clarity and engagement.

Many people are surprised to find that they use passive constructions without noticing—especially in these kinds of settings. By becoming more aware of these patterns, you can make intentional shifts toward active voice and see improvements in how clearly and effectively you connect with others.

When the Passive Voice Can Still Be Useful

While active voice is generally more engaging, there are moments when passive voice can work in your favor, such as:

1. Focusing on the outcome: Sometimes, it makes sense to emphasize the result rather than the person responsible, as in “Mistakes were made” when you don’t want to single someone out.
2. Softening the tone: In situations where you need to deliver feedback gently, passive voice can help: “A miscommunication occurred during the process” feels less direct than “You miscommunicated during the process.”

In these specific cases, passive voice has a purpose. But generally, if your goal is to convey a clear, engaging message, active voice is the way to go.

Research on the Benefits of Active Voice

Studies highlight the positive effects of using active voice. According to linguistic research, sentences in active voice are generally perceived as more trustworthy, authoritative, and engaging than passive ones. One study from the University of Kansas found that people rated speakers as more credible and relatable when they used active rather than passive constructions. This is particularly impactful in professional contexts where clarity and trust are essential.

Another study published in the Journal of Pragmatics found that active voice makes it easier for listeners to process information, improving both comprehension and recall. In other words, if you want your audience to not only hear but also remember what you’re saying, active voice is a powerful tool.

Examples: Spotting Passive Voice in Your Communication

If you’re thinking, “I don’t think I use passive voice that much,” you’re not alone. Passive voice can be sneaky. Let’s look at some common examples in professional settings to help you spot it:

• Passive: “The report was finalized last week.” Active: “We finalized the report last week.”
• Passive: “The target was missed by the team.” Active: “The team missed the target.”
• Passive: “Improvements were made to the software.” Active: “We improved the software.”

When you switch these to active voice, notice how the sentences feel more decisive and impactful.

Practical Tips to Build an Ear for Active Voice

Shifting from passive to active voice doesn’t happen overnight, but there are simple ways to start noticing and making this adjustment:

1. Read Out Loud: When you read your emails or presentations out loud, listen for sentences that feel indirect or less engaging. Passive voice often has a slower rhythm; active voice, by contrast, sounds more assertive and natural.
2. Look for “Was” and “By”: Try reviewing a section of a recent email or report and highlight any instances of “was,” “were,” or “by.” See if you can rephrase those sentences to emphasize who’s taking the action.
3. Leverage Grammar Tools: Tools like Grammarly can highlight passive constructions and suggest active alternatives. This not only helps identify passive voice but also reinforces the habit of writing actively over time.

Why This Small Change Matters

While passive voice has its uses, especially in specific contexts, making active voice your default brings clarity, decisiveness, and energy to your communication. Leaders who communicate in active voice project confidence, which in turn builds trust with their teams, clients, and audiences.

By switching to an active voice, you’re saying, “I own this message.” This approach not only commands attention but also ensures that your audience understands and remembers your points. In business, where every pitch, proposal, and presentation counts, that can make all the difference.

Action Step: Start Using Active Voice Today

For your next presentation, email, or conversation, challenge yourself to shift as much as possible to an active voice. Look for moments where passive voice might sneak in and see how changing to active voice strengthens your message. You may find that your points resonate more clearly and your audience is more responsive to what you’re saying.

Ready to Transform Your Communication Skills?

If you’re a founder, executive, or speaker looking to elevate your communication game, small adjustments like this can create a big impact on how your message is received. Ready to see it in action? Book an introductory call with me , and let’s discuss how I can help you refine your communication skills for greater influence and impact in how you lead, inspire, and drive results.