YOUR VOICE IS AN ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITY

Recently, a member of the POWER Tribe called me just to catch up. She works in high-visibility, high-stakes spaces here in our region, rooms where decisions carry weight and scrutiny is constant.

Mid-conversation, she took a deep breath and asked, almost out of nowhere,

 “What do I need to do to be heard more?”

Knowing her and having seen her lead in action, I didn’t rush to answer. Because that wasn’t her real question.

That was what I call a courage question.

You know the one. The thing you say when the internal pressure has been building and you just need to let something out.

So I waited.

A moment later she tried again. 

“What do I need to do to speak up? I know what to say… but sometimes I feel like I can’t find my words.”

Ah, There it was.

As we talked, I named some of what she was navigating, operating in spaces where she is often the minority, carrying unspoken expectations, constantly calibrating how she shows up.

But as she spoke, her concern settled deeply in my spirit.

Not because God said something.

But because it felt like a shared chord was being pulled inside of me.

---

Her question took me immediately to a recent moment in my own professional life, one where I made a conscious decision to withhold my thoughts. I told myself it wasn’t the right time. That someone else would name it. That the moment would pass.

It didn’t.

What stayed with me wasn’t relief, it was discomfort. A heaviness that lingered long after the conversation ended. So much so that I doubled back and sent the team a long email, one that probably felt less like a follow-up and more like a short dissertation.

That’s when it became clear to me.

The tension I felt wasn’t about confidence. It was about integrity.

---

There are moments in leadership when the tension doesn’t come from the room, it comes from within.

You know what needs to be said. You feel the urgency. 

And still, there’s that quiet internal battle: Do I say it? Do I soften it? Do I wait?

I’ve learned something important about those moments.

Your voice isn’t about self-expression. It’s about stewardship.

You don’t speak because you want to be heard. You speak because not speaking has consequences, for people, for timing, for trust.

Silence, or softening your voice to preserve comfort, is not neutral. 

It is a choice. 

And often, it is a breach of your own standard.

That’s why the tension feels sharp. Not because you lack courage but because your integrity is being tested.

---

Leading Through Healthy Tension—Within Yourself

In the POWER Tribe, one of our core POWER Skills is Leading Through and Infusing Healthy Tension. We often talk about this skill in the context of teams, systems, and organizations, but it applies just as deeply to how we lead ourselves.

I’ve been told by countless high-visibility, high-impact leaders that there are moments when they really want to say something and find themselves in an internal battle.

If that resonates, here’s what I want you to understand:

That tension is not a sign that you’re unsure. It’s a signal that your integrity is asking for your attention.

And often, it’s pointing directly at Your Unique Voice.

---

Reframing Your Unique Voice

What I am suggesting, and how I lead the women in the POWER Tribe, is a necessary shift in framing:

Your Unique Voice is not a personality trait. It is an ethical responsibility.

When voice is framed as personality, it becomes optional. 

When it’s framed as ethics, it becomes grounded in impact.

This shift removes ego from the equation and centers the real question: 

What does this moment require of me as a leader?

The metric is not likability.

It’s not comfort. 

It’s not perception management.

The metric is simple and demanding:

Am I honoring what I know?

---

POWER Skill #2: Your Unique Voice

POWER Skills Academy is the place where you can learn the skills of consequential leaders who produce exceptional results, build incredible partnerships and endear followership.

As we center 2026 around this theme, it’s important to be clear about what we mean when we say Your Unique Voice.

Baseline Definition POWER Skill #2: Your Unique Voice 

Harness your individual strength to enact change. Purposefully shape your environment through the power of language. Master the use of tone, volume, and cadence to influence and inspire. Ensures that your voice is heard and your message resonates.

Expanded Definition Your Unique Voice is the authentic expression of who you are, your personal power in motion and your integrity made audible. It is the deliberate and ethical use of your words, tone, perspective, and presence, grounded in your culture, values, and lived experiences. Your Unique Voice is not about self-expression alone, but stewardship, honoring what you know and speaking when silence would have consequences. As you deepen your relationship with your own voice, you use it not only to inspire action and communicate influence, but to edify others, embody your values, and drive meaningful, collective impact.

The Internal Check-In for High-Impact Leaders

In moments of healthy tension, especially when the stakes are high, I recommend this internal check-in.

Ask yourself one of these questions and listen closely to the answer:

• Am I honoring what I know, even if it disrupts comfort?

• If I stay silent here, what am I complicit in?

• What does integrity require of my voice in this moment?

• Am I managing perception—or stewarding responsibility?

These questions don’t rush you. 

They ground you.

They bring you back to your values, your discernment, and your leadership ethic.

---

---

The Declaration for 2026

2026 is not about finding your voice. It’s about obeying it.

This year, we will explore what it means to trust your knowing, honor your voice in moments of tension, and lead with clarity, courage, and responsibility.

Because leadership isn’t proven in the absence of tension.

It’s revealed in how we meet it, starting within ourselves.

This is the work.

This is the invitation.

And this is the standard.

One last important thing before I go...

This is a call to action, not a call to be reckless.

Using your UNIQUE voice is not about reacting, venting, or saying everything you think in every moment.

It is about discernment, timing, and responsibility.

Your Unique Voice asks you to speak with intention, not impulse.

To be clear, not careless.

To be bold and grounded.

Honor what you know.

Respect the weight of your words.

And use your voice in a way that builds, clarifies, and elevates, yourself and others.

-Kenya Dunn