Own The Room by Amy Jen Su & Muriel Maignan Wilkins - Book review

Own the Room

Discover Your Signature Voice to Master Your Leadership Presence

By: Amy Jen Su, Muriel Maignan Wilkins

Published: April 16, 2013
Format: Hardcover, 240 pages
ISBN-10: 1422183939
ISBN-13: 978-1422183939
Publisher: Harvard Business Review Press










"This book is not about improving your leadership presence on the surface. It's about taking it deeper and and finding your Signature Voice", write executive coaches and leadership speakers, co-founders and managing partners of Isis Associates, Amy Jen Su and Muriel Maignan Wilkins in their leadership transforming and essential signature voice developing book Own the Room: Discover Your Signature Voice to Master Your Leadership Presence. The authors describe how leaders can better articulate their value proposition through developing their own authentic signature voice, and share the tools and exercises to achieve superior audience connection and to own the room.



Amy Jen Su (photo left) and Muriel Maignan Wilkins recognize that many successful leaders resist the idea of adapting to new and changing business landscapes. After all, as the authors point out, those leaders experienced tremendous success with their current skill set of leadership abilities.

The authors present a practical technique, that will enhance the already existing abilities of the leader, for giving better and more effective presentations. The authors offer a simple method for the leader to demonstrate what they call the authentic value and distinction. The authors also share how to connect with the audience in a positive manner through the leader's own signature voice.



Muriel Maignan Wilkins (photo left) and Amy Jen Su understand the importance for leaders of developing their own authentic, personal, and distinctive voice. This new signature voice transforms the leader into one whose presence moves beyond its current level and creates an immediate impact and connection with widely varied audiences.

Amy Jen Su and Muriel Maignan Wilkins present a comprehensive blueprint for leaders to guide their development from the ordinary to the extraordinary through a simple and straight forward series of principles. The steps on the journey to discovering and mastering one's personal signature voice are as follows:

* The myths of leadership presence
* Finding your signature voice
* How do I get a signature voice
* Assumptions: Mental conditioning
* Communication strategies: Skill conditioning
* Energy: Physical conditioning
* What's next: signature voice as a life journey
* Helping others find their signature voice

For me, the power of the book is how Muriel Maignan Wilkins and Amy Jen Su combine a complete framework for understanding and developing an individual signature voice, with the practical hands on practices and exercises to establish that authentic voice. The authors shares their readily applicable techniques for establishing a personal and authentic voice as part of any leadership skill set.

The framework for the signature is based on what the authors call the ACE strategy of assumptions, communication strategies, and energy. These simple pillars for building the signature voice are well defined, explained in an easily understood format, and can be utilized by any leader in all situations.

The book contains examples of the ACE principles in action in real world settings to further illustrate their learning and their implementation, The authors also include a very important chapter on assisting other current and future leaders to develop their own signature voice. This critical attribute of great leadership, in the form of developing other leaders, is often neglected in many books. The authors of this book perform a real service through leaders through the inclusion of that important section.

I highly recommend the leadership strengthening and career accelerating book Own the Room: Discover Your Signature Voice to Master Your Leadership Presence by Amy Jen Su and Muriel Maignan Wilkins, to any leaders at all levels of their organizations, and at every stage of their career development, who are seeking a clear and concise guide to enhancing their presence, establishing an authentic voice, and for connecting with their audience. This book will propel the career trajectory of any leader forward to new heights and opportunities.