5 Voices

1The Voice Called Yours

For 29 years Sarah Churman could not hear. She is a wife and a mother, a friend and a daughter, and she was deaf. With an 85 bilateral decibel loss, she couldn't hear her daughter laugh or cry, the birds chirp, the door open, or her husband speak. Even more, she had never known what her own voice sounded like. Can you imagine what that must be like?

Some of our readers know this reality firsthand. According to the Hough Ear Institute, there are approximately 300 million people who suffer from a range of hearing impairment, from severe hearing loss to complete deafness. Millions of people like Sarah are not able to hear their own voice without the help of hearing aids or medicine.

Fortunately, Sarah Churman eventually received help, and with the benefit of technology, was able to experience the miracle of hearing her voice for the very first time in 2011. It is amazing to see her reaction. (Watch for yourself on YouTube/Sarah Churman and experience the emotions of hearing your voice after 29 years of silence.)

What we are attempting to help you do in this book is, in some ways, similar to what the professionals who helped Sarah did: We want to help you hear and understand your leadership voice, maybe for the first time. We want to help you discover the power of your voice, understand what it brings at its best, and what others really hear when you speak.

Your voice is a personal trademark. It is unique because no one has experienced life the way you have. ...