BOOK SUMMARY 92 Louder than Words
·
Summary written by: Zach Rubin
"Many people operate in ‘default mode,’ and they
ignore their hunches, their deeper intuition, and their unique vision, and
instead settle into the fold. Over time, they become more of a reflection of
everyone around them – or a faded photocopy of a photocopy – than an original
source of ideas, energy and life."
- Louder than Words, page 2
Todd
Henry’s Louder than Words reminds the reader about the
essential nature of our authentic voice. The core idea is that each of us has
something unique to contribute in our professional and personal lives. Stifling
or ignoring this true voice is a recipe for a half-life of sorts where we miss
the opportunity to achieve a deeper purpose. Henry defines voice “as the
expression (idea) you make through a medium (platform) in order to achieve a
desired outcome (result).” Everyone from artists and writers to engineers and
lawyers have an authentic voice which is required to achieve the best outcomes.
Louder
than Words draws inspiration from an almost
spiritual view of work and life but is really more of practical handbook than
an existential tome. The books is filled with relevant stories and exercises to
guide an individual and team-leader through finding and utilizing their
authentic voice.
The Golden Egg
The Voice Engine
"Developing
your authentic voice is not just about personal gratification. It's about
achieving impact. In order to do that, your work must resonate with others. You
must be mindful of not only what you want to communicate but also how it will
be received by your audience."-
Louder than Words
The
idea of the “Voice Engine” explains the three interlocking components of an
authentic voice: identity, vision and mastery. Identity is the idea of who you truly
are. What experiences, passions, challenges and hopes define you and cause you
to strive towards a vision and mastery?
Your identity is the
core of authenticity because pursuing work which you do not genuinely identify
with can never be authentic.
Vision is the destination you strive for in your work.
It’s the place where you want your audience (customers, readers, clients, etc.)
to come to through your work. Vision is less a specific goal than a North Star
to guide you along the path.
Mastery is the way you grow in the skills of your craft to
deliver your vision. This comes from practicing core competencies, emulating
existing great work and regularly taking smart risks to advance your craft.
Mastery is not a destination but an unending journey of improvement.
Henry
posits that any great work requires the creator to have identity, vision and
mastery. Whenever we’re “stuck” in life or work, it’s helpful to consider each
area to hone in on the sticking point. For example:
·
If the project we’re working on is
unfulfilling it likely doesn’t align with our identity.
·
If a team is working hard but feels aimless
then a lack of vision is likely to blame.
·
If the work feels important but we’re not
achieving the results we want it’s likely a lack of mastery. We don’t have the
skills needed to achieve the vision yet, which results in an “aspiration gap.”
Gem #1
Commit to a Path
"If
you try to be effective at everything you will be effective at nothing. You
must choose a path. This is the first and most significant responsibility of
any creative professional and it's the origin of all unique authentic
voices."- Louder than Words, page 82
It’s
always difficult to turn down opportunity but it is required to develop a truly
authentic voice. Bouncing from area to area or trying to “do it all” precludes
the possibility of becoming excellent and providing the unique value we are all
capable of creating. This is not to say that you should be myopic and ignore
the world around you. Quite the opposite. You must choose a path to the
exclusion of others but your voice is unlikely to resonate if you shut
everything out.
Have
you committed to a path? Or are you pulled in every direction in your work,
always chasing the next “thing.” Building an authentic voice takes patience and
effort over time so consider carefully the path (or lack thereof) that you’re
on.
Gem #2
Define Your Intended Audience
"The
most important method for refining your vision is to closely and specifically
define your intended audience."-
Louder than Words, page 105
The
idea of knowing your audience isn’t new but Henry places extra emphasis on it
in the context of our authentic voice. He provides some excellent guiding
principles for thinking through the intended audience of any project:
·
Think of a specific person rather than traits
when thinking and talking about your intended audience. Your audience is made
up of individuals who you need to relate to rather than demographics like
married men age 30 to 45 with children. The person would ideally be someone you
know and can reasonably ask “what would they think of this?”
·
Your intended audience should feel like
whatever you’re creating was made for them personally. Remembering that you are
connecting your vision with real people helps clarify your actions and
thinking.
·
Don’t change your intended audience in the
middle of a project. If you find that what you’re working on won’t work for the
audience you planned, making slight adjustments for a different audience is
unlikely to be successful. Pause and take the time to consider the new audience
from the beginning and don’t be afraid to toss completed work that is no longer
relevant.
Henry
provides some guiding questions to help us think through our intended audience:
·
Who is your intended audience for a project
you’re working on?
·
What are you trying to achieve for them?
·
What expectations will they have and how can
you exceed them?
·
How can I surprise and delight my audience in
unexpected ways?
Louder
than Words is an excellent read because it helps
tie many of the philosophical ideas behind the nature of work with practical
tips for achieving an authentic voice. I would recommend this to any creative
professional (artists, designers, entrepreneurs, etc.) but would especially
recommend it to those who don’t consider themselves in a creative field.
Thinking about the voice behind our work is essential to personal fulfillment
and professional achievement in any field, but those who consider themselves
“non-creative” may actual take away more from the book.
Do you
feel like you are using your authentic voice fully in your work in life? What
areas of identity, vision and mastery can you focus on more to let your
authentic voice resonate?
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