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Overview
Most of us have walked out of a meeting thinking, “I wish I’d said that.” Dr. Kristine Sickels has a name for it: the voice values gap. It’s the distance between what you believe and what actually comes out of your mouth. Left alone, that gap can quietly cost you promotions, clients, and credit for your own ideas.
In this episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast, John Jantsch talks with Sickels about her new book, The Clearest Voice in the Room. Sickels spent nearly 20 years in corporate marketing leadership. She shares the two 360 reviews that changed how she communicates, why “executive presence” so often rewards volume over substance, and how naming your values out loud gives your team a way to read you.
They also walk through her VOICE framework (values, outcomes, identity, consistency, energy) and the shift from “spotlight speaker” to “lighthouse speaker.” This episode is for small business owners, marketers, and leaders who want to speak with more intention in meetings, sales conversations, and on stage.
Guest bio
Dr. Kristine Sickels spent nearly 20 years at Newell Brands. She rose to senior vice president of marketing over a portfolio worth more than $2 billion that included Rubbermaid, Crock-Pot, Calphalon, Mr. Coffee, and Oster. In 2010 she left corporate life and co-founded C-Sweet, a multimillion-dollar women-owned consulting firm.
Sickels is part of the team at Mic Drop, an education company that helps women build keynotes, book paid speaking engagements, and grow their income and impact. She is the author of The Clearest Voice in the Room: How to Speak with Power and Intention at Work.
Key takeaways
- Start with values. Knowing what you stand for tells you what to say and which topics are worth speaking into.
- Name your values out loud. When Sickels tells a team she values candor, optimism, and curiosity, they know how to read her feedback and her questions.
- Set expectations so candor isn’t misread. When people know what’s coming, a direct critique reads as care for the work. Without that context, it can feel personal.
- Decide the outcome before you walk in. Know whether you want a decision, feedback on a recommendation, or buy-in, and let that shape what you say.
- Ask what “executive presence” means. If you get that feedback, ask for specifics. It might mean handling tough client questions or speaking confidently about risk.
- Watch for the seven silencers. People often hold back because of what they’ve seen happen to others in their culture. A leader who punishes honest feedback ends up hearing none.
- Remember why you’re in the room. Handing over the mic can feel kind. But you were hired for your expertise, and speaking up is part of the job.
- Be a lighthouse speaker. Spotlight speakers worry about how they look. Lighthouse speakers focus on guiding the room through an idea or decision, and that focus eases a lot of the nerves.
- Get your reps in. Waiting for the big moment means missing the everyday meetings where comfort gets built. Try different styles until one feels like you.
- Your energy speaks first. Walking in hurried, distracted, or buried in your phone says plenty before you open your mouth.
Great moments
[00:01]: John opens with the hidden cost of never saying what you believe out loud
[02:13]: Sickels shares the two 360 reviews that reshaped how she communicates
[04:18]: The voice values gap, and that “I wish I’d said that” feeling
[05:52]: Why company values on the wall don’t help when leaders haven’t defined their own
[06:50]: An introduction to the seven silencers
[07:59]: Naming your values to your team: optimism, curiosity, and candor
[10:26]: The trouble with “executive presence” and the loudest voice in the room
[12:21]: Why women often hand over the mic, and why they shouldn’t
[13:15]: Spotlight speaker vs. lighthouse speaker
[15:20]: The VOICE framework: values, outcomes, identity, consistency, energy
[17:50]: Finding a speaking style that feels authentic
[18:40]: Inside Mic Drop and how it helps women build paid speaking careers
[20:11]: Where to find Sickels and her book
Memorable quotes
“I believe that candor is care.” – Dr. Kristine Sickels
“It is not about being the loudest voice in the room. It is about being the clearest.” – Sickels
“We are hired for our expertise. We are in the room for what we know.” – Sickels
“Knowing what you stand for is going to help you know what to say.” – Sickels
“If we walk into a room and we’re hurried or we’re distracted, we’ve already said a ton and we’ve said nothing.” – Sickels
Resources
- The Clearest Voice in the Room (book): https://drkristinespeaks.com/
- C-Sweet: https://myvirtualcsweet.com/
- Mic Drop: micdropworkshop.com
- Connect with Dr. Kristine Sickels on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drkristinesickels
- Connect with John Jantsch: [email protected]