What do Oprah Winfrey, Freddie Mercury and the CEO of a Canadian bank have in common?
They have a big impact on others with their voice.
Where does this impact come from? And how do you get it?
I don’t know exactly the strategy Oprah and Freddy use, but I do know that leaders who use a breathing technique we call ‘ultimate breathing’ find that their voice has more influence. People listen to them. And they get more results from their communication.
The ‘ultimate breathing’ technique works like this…
When Oprah speaks or Freddy sings, they don’t stop the breath before it reaches the full inhale. They complete it. But many people stop their inhale too early.
Your breath has a hidden door at the end of the inhale. You will miss it if you aren’t breathing fully.
Most people do not take the time to inhale fully when they use their voice on the phone with a client or speaking to a live group. Freddy Mercury sure does. Oprah sure does! Using their breath when they speak is a key to their speaking or singing success.
How do you open that door to your breathing?
When I use my voice I want to take in the breath on the inhale all the way. I don’t want to stop inhaling too early.
But most people are stopping their inhale too early. Anxiety or something seems to put up a wall which tends to block their breath. We focus on relaxing the body and mind which helps the breathing open up.
This isn’t the breathing we learned at yoga or meditation class.. it is different. What I see Freddy and Oprah do is not yoga breathing. Not close.
Freddie’s inhales help him to move people powerfully. Oprah’s fullest breathing gives her confidence in freedom of expression
Most people aren’t accessing their full voice. But it is right there waiting for them access it.
When a CEO I work with uses his full voice his message flows beautifully… he sounds wonderful. The tone is rich and full and has a tone you want to listen to all day.
He says things to me like ”wow I feel like I can do anything!!’ It starts with his breath.
He tells me ‘I feel LARGER, more powerful… like I am accessing a much bigger and better part of myself’.
This is what helps him reach people deeply when he speaks.
Does this make sense?
Einstein said that when we solve a problem we need to go higher than the level of the problem itself. Most people try to find confidence by manipulating or pumping up their ego. But that only goes so far.
When a CEO, Oprah or Freddy access this doorway into their voice, through their full inhale they feel expanded and more resourceful which is why they don’t have fear.
‘Ultimate breathing’ gives leaders confidence and many have fallen in love with communicating because it feels so good to speak with others with their voice.
We call this voice of influence their ‘money voice’.
