What if the thing holding you back isn’t a lack of expertise, but the fact that your voice hasn’t caught up to what you know?

In this episode, Steve Mellor sits down with Dr. Leslie Gordon, a speech, voice, and accent expert who helps high-performing professionals speak with more confidence, presence, and impact. Leslie introduces the idea of the “growing edge,” a powerful replacement for the word “weakness,” and explains why real growth requires more than mindset. It requires action, repetition, awareness, and the willingness to step into unfamiliar territory.

This conversation is for anyone who has ever left a meeting thinking, “I should have said something,” or who knows they have something valuable to contribute but struggles to make their voice match their expertise.

-Why “growing edge” is more useful than calling something a weakness
-Why high performers struggle to speak up, even when they know their stuff
-How self-evaluation can help growth or quietly block it
-How to work with the inner critic using Leslie’s “name it to tame it” strategy
-Why presence, breath, and body tension shape how your message lands
-Why confidence is built through action, not simply something you either have or don’t have

00:00 — Steve introduces Dr. Leslie Gordon
00:36 — What it means to be “growth ready”
01:31 — Leslie introduces the idea of the “growing edge”
03:39 — Why the unfamiliar feels scary, even when growth is needed
04:37 — Growing the “vocal muscle”
06:53 — The gap between expertise and the ability to communicate it
09:46 — How to evaluate your self-evaluation
11:51 — Awareness, intention, and presence
13:06 — Why the inner critic is trying to protect you
14:36 — “Name it to tame it”: how Leslie works with the critical voice
17:25 — Why high performers crave control
19:58 — Why your voice should be grounded in service to others
20:11 — Why connection and criticism cannot happen at the same time
24:39 — How the body affects the voice
28:25 — What it looks like when someone is fighting for space in a conversation
31:47 — Why growth mindset is not enough
33:12 — Confidence is built through action, not advice
36:35 — Curiosity, experimentation, and the power of a “freebie”
39:20 — How leaders can create low-stakes opportunities for growth
42:02 — Why learning in community accelerates growth

Connect with Dr. Leslie Gordon:
Website: https://www.leslie.gordon.speech/lesliegordonspeech.com

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