Losing One’s Voice

This weekend has been a bit unusual for me as I lost my voice on Friday night after several days of allergy related symptoms. Being unable to communicate above a whisper has presented a variety of challenges. Phone calls are not an option since the other person would be unable to hear what I may have to say. Being forced to mute my comments or defer responding to what is happening around me has also been difficult. My dilemma caused me to wonder what might happen if every leader awoke one morning with a bad case of laryngitis.

Being without a voice is forcing me to rely more on others. My wife has been graciously nursing me back to health but is also serving as my personal assistant, fielding phone calls and handling other activities that require verbal communication. Leaders could learn some valuable lessons about the real value of those they serve by allowing their voices to be heard above the din of our own egos. When was the last time you asked your employees for their opinion and actually paid attention to their response? Or had a sincere conversation with a client where their feedback about the relationship was taken seriously?

The only way to restore my voice to its normal function is by resting it completely. I confess that my recent schedule has found me working seven days a week without much time for real restorative rest. Leaders often forget to tend their own bodies and souls. Whether it is physical exercise, healthier eating habits, or simply doing nothing, we need to allow time for respite. It’s too soon to predict how quickly my voice will heal but if I ignore the need to rest my vocal cords the process will take much longer.

An unexpected lesson from my laryngitis is the reminder that there are many persons without a voice around the world and in our own neighborhoods. They aren’t suffering damaged vocal cords but instead have been victims of corrupt political systems, war, famine, disease, and countless other problems. They are powerless because their voices have been silenced intentionally. The people in Iran are just one example of how governments and leaders can oppress the will of their own people. Let’s do what we can to give these persons the voice they deserve.

By this time next week, my current situation should be just a memory. Will I have practiced any of the lessons learned from this experience? Is it possible to actually change the structures that keep people’s voices from being expressed? Perhaps the bigger question I will be asking is how am I improving on the silence since I got my voice back?