Speaker Author CEO

Organizations perform better when more voices are heard.

Close the Voice-Values Gap™ – the distance between what your people think and what they actually say at work.

stages kristine has taken

Research is clear: when more voices shape the conversation, better decisions get made.

The problem is your most capable people are calculating the risk, waiting for permission, and staying quiet in the rooms that matter most. Dr. Kristine Sickels spent her career as a corporate executive watching this happen. She built a keynote around it. One that gives your people the language, the framework, and the conviction to finally say it.

73%

Better decisions when all voices are heard*

$100M+

Annual cost of ineffective communications*

63%

of Employees feel their voice is ignored at work*

4.6x

more likely to perform at their best when heard

*World Economic Forum | McKinsey | Workplace Intelligence | Gallup​

wHAt lEadErs ArE sAyiNg

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"KRistiNE HAs a uNiquE WAy oF EXpANdinG WhAt lEadERs bEliEvE is possiblE.

I've seen the confidence and clarity she brings into organizations and the impact it has on teams and culture. It's a powerful reminder that when leaders amplify their voices, organizations benefit.”

Tony Hair
CEO, Bradshaw Home

Your challenge isn’t a lack of ideas. It’s how they’re communicated.

In most organizations, the most capable voices aren’t the ones being heard.

  • $
    Leaders hold back in high stake moments. The room follows their lead
  • $
    Meetings end without clear alignment because no one said the hard thing out loud.
  • $
    The best ideas don’t land the way they should, or never get said at all.
  • $
    Talented people stop contributing, then start looking for somewhere else to contribute.

tHE REsult:

Slower decisions, missed opportunities and a culture where the loudest voice wins – 
not the clearest one. Dr. Kristine Sickels calls this The Voice-Values Gap™.

The Voice-Values Gap™

The distance between what you believe inside and what you actually say out loud at work. Every professional woman knows this feeling. This book names it and gives you a way to close it.

When leaders know what to say and say it, organizations perform.

Clarity is what creates influence. When leaders know what to say and say it with intention, 
the organization follows.

stRoNgER lEadERship pREsEncE

Leaders at every level communicate with the conviction and intention their role demands, even when it’s uncomfortable.

moRE EffEctivE 
mEetings & dEcisions

Meetings end in alignment, decisions get made with the full picture, and the hard thing finally gets said in the room.

teams that communicate with clarity

Your people stop self-editing and start contributing. The best ideas make it out of someone’s head and into the conversation.

immEdiAtE, prActicAl 
tools – Not tHEoRY

Your audience leaves with language and a framework they can use the next morning, not insipiration that fades by Monday.

 

The Result: An organization where

  • $
    tHE bEst idEa wiNs.
  • $
    tAlEnt stAys bEcAusE thEy fEel hEaRd.
  • $
    commuNicAtioN is A compEtitive advANtAge, not a liAbility

"ThE GoAL IS NoT to bE thE pErson wHo spEaKs tHE LoudEst or tAlKs the loNGEst. THE goAl Is to BE tHE clEarEst voicE in tHE RooM.

Dr. Kristine Sickels

The Clearest Voice in the Room

mEet dR. kRistiNE sicKEls

She Knows Exactly What it Costs to Stay Quiet.

Most leaders know exactly what needs to be said in the room. Far too often, they don't say it.

Dr. Kristine Sickels calls this The Voice-Values Gap™, and the cost runs in both directions: leaders carry the quiet weight of words they didn't speak, and organizations pay in unflagged risks, watered-down decisions, and strategies built on the loudest voice instead of the clearest one.

Kristine helps leaders and organizations close that gap. After twenty years inside the rooms where decisions get made – most recently as SVP of Marketing for a $2 billion portfolio including Crockpot, Calphalon, Mr. Coffee, and Oster – she now teaches The VOICE Framework™ to leaders who want to speak with clarity and conviction when it counts.

She is CEO of Mic Drop, co-founder of C-Sweet, and author of The Clearest Voice in the Room (Mic Drop Books, September 2026). She holds a doctorate from Georgia State and an MBA from Michigan.

Get on the list to stay up to date about The Clearest Voice in the Room pre-order and sale information.

See Kristine in the Room

dR. kRistiNe's kEyNotE

The Clearest Voice in the Room

Close the Voice-Values Gap™ and watch your organization perform.

Most organizations are already in the room with their next great idea. The problem isn’t talent, it’s that the people who hold that idea have learned to hold back. Kristine’s keynote gives your audience the clarity, conviction, and proven framework to stop holding back. Built on The VOICE Framework™ and grounded in behavioral research, this is a keynote your audience will still be using six months later.

wHat youR audiEncE wAlKs AwAy kNowiNg how to do:

idENtify

Identify where their Voice-Values Gap™ is widest and what it is costing them personally.

puRpose

Walk into any room with a clear sense of what they want to say and the intention to say it.

NAmE thE pRoblEm

Name the specific force that has been keeping them quiet and have a clear path to move past it.

spEaK up

Speak up in the moments that matter without overthinking, over-explaining, or holding back.

lEad with vAluEs

Lead with their values so their communication is consistent and credible, not reactive.

ApplicAtioN

Apply the VOICE Framework in their next high-stakes conversation, meeting or presentation.

"WhEN you kNow youR vAlues, you KNow wHAt to sAy.

Dr. Kristine Sickels

The Clearest Voice in the Room

What Leaders Are Saying

Every executive who wants a stronger, more values-driven organization should read it and put copies in the hands of the people they are lucky enough to lead.

"I have known Kristine for more than two decades, as a colleague, a teammate, and a friend, and the voice you'll encounter on these pages is the same one I've watched shape rooms, teams, and entire organizations. Kristine has an extraordinary ability to help women find the words they've been searching for, and The Clearest Voice in the Room captures that gift on every page. Every executive who wants a stronger, more values-driven organization should read it, and put copies in the hands of the women they are lucky enough to lead."

Kristie Juster
President and CEO, Conair

For Years now, kristine has helped leaders speak with clarity and confidence while staying true to who they are and what they believe.

"Insecurity doesn't wait for a bad day. It often shows up the moment we start to communicate. It's why Kristine's book is such a helpful resource. For years now, she has helped leaders speak with clarity and confidence while staying true to who they are and what they believe.

Years of coaching communicators taught me one thing — the right coach at the right moment changes everything. Kristine is that kind of coach."

Jeff Henderson
Author of What to Do Next

Kristine has a unique way of expanding what leaders, especially women leaders, believe is possible.

"Kristine has a unique way of expanding what leaders, especially women leaders, believe is possible. I've seen the confidence and clarity she brings into organizations and the impact it has on teams and culture. The Clearest Voice in the Room captures that same inspiration and practicality. It's a powerful reminder that when women lead with their voices, organizations benefit."

Tony Hair
CEO, Bradshaw Home

Kristine shows that in environments steeped in tradition, a woman using her voice doesn't just change meetings; she can change cultures.

"I worked with Kristine for much of my career, and her voice, and the voices of many other strong women leaders, shaped the leader I am today. The Clearest Voice in the Room is an essential tool, not just for women navigating corporate environments, but for leaders trying to break the thinking in rooms where everyone has historically looked and thought the same. Kristine shows that in environments steeped in tradition, a woman using her voice doesn't just change meetings; she can change cultures. This book is a reminder that leadership is better when more voices are heard. I've seen firsthand the impact of women who speak with clarity and conviction. This book captures the challenge of breaking through the status quo and the undeniable clarity that follows when you finally do."

Dave Lew
Chief Marketing Officer, American Cancer Society

Kristine names what women are feeling at work and gives them the language, and the courage, to act on it.

"I've seen so many women doubt whether their voice belongs in the room. The Clearest Voice in the Room meets them right there. Kristine names what women are feeling at work and gives them the language, and the courage, to act on it. This isn't about being louder. It's about being clearer and more confident and trusting yourself. Every woman who knows she has more to say should read this book."

Jess Ekstrom,
Founder, Mic Drop Workshop, TEDx and Forbes top-rated speaker

Kristine understands that speaking up isn't about confidence alone—it's about culture, clarity, and courage. This book gives women permission to use their voice and gives organizations a roadmap for why that matters.

"I spend my life inside organizations watching what happens when people feel seen, heard, and valued... and when they don't. The Clearest Voice in the Room is exactly the kind of book workplaces need right now. Kristine understands that speaking up isn't about confidence alone—it's about culture, clarity, and courage. This book gives women permission to use their voice and gives organizations a roadmap for why that matters. Kristine doesn't just teach voice—she models it. Reading this book feels like being coached by someone who has actually lived in the rooms she's writing about. If work is going to be better, it has to be better for everyone, and this book helps make that possible."

Lindsay Boccardo
Keynote speaker and leadership trainer

Kristine has an extraordinary gift for helping others find the courage to speak with truth and intention.

"In my meetings, I keep a stuffed moose on the table as a reminder to say the thing everyone is thinking but no one has said yet. That kind of courage doesn't come from being the loudest voice in the room; it comes from being the clearest—and that is exactly what The Clearest Voice in the Room teaches so powerfully.

Kristine has an extraordinary gift for helping others find the courage to speak with truth and intention. Our work together has been equal parts rigorous, reflective, and joyful—and that same spirit lives on every page of The Clearest Voice in the Room. This book gives women the language and confidence to put their own moose on the table, every single day. I believe there are souls in our lives who are meant to ride along, and what a fun—and impactful—ride it has been."

Delphine Francois
President, Beauty Division, Conair and BaBylissPRO

Too many women enter important rooms overprepared but under-voiced—editing themselves in real time.

"After years of advising executives and developing leaders, I've learned that capability is rarely the issue. Voice is. Too many women enter important rooms overprepared but under-voiced—editing themselves in real time. Kristine gives language to that tension and provides a practical path forward. The Clearest Voice in the Room is a timely resource for women ready to lead with greater conviction."

Jackie Parker
Former Chief Talent & Diversity Officer, Global Payments; Founder, The Assignment Room™

Kristine has a rare ability to translate complex thoughts into clear, compelling communication, and this book brings that same insight to every page.

"Kristine has a rare ability to translate complex thoughts into clear, compelling communication, and this book brings that same insight to every page. It's practical, direct, and immediately applicable in real work environments. This is a must-read for anyone who wants to show up with more clarity and influence. In fact, I believe it's a book you'll read more than once!"

Heather Hall
Founder, Three Oaks Media; keynote speaker and cancer/wellness advocate

This book belongs on the desk of every woman navigating a corporate room, and in the curriculum of every program serious about developing the next generation of women leaders."

"I spent much of the last decade of my career teaching and mentoring future women leaders. In our WomenLead program, we emphasized “being at the table.” Kristine is the rare scholar-practitioner who provides the explicit tools to make that possible. In The Clearest Voice in the Room, she names something I've watched hold brilliant women back for decades — the Voice-Values Gap™ — and then hands them a practical framework to close it. This book belongs on the desk of every woman navigating a corporate room, and in the curriculum of every program serious about developing the next generation of women leaders."

Dr. Pam Scholder Ellen
Associate Professor of Marketing Emeritus and Associate Director, WomenLead Program, Georgia State University (retired)

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Dr. Kristine helps leaders and teams bring clarity to their communication through her clear framework + practical tools that you can use immediately.

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The Clearest Voice in the Room by Kristine Sickels

A practical guide to communicating with clarity

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The Clearest Voice: Essays on Speaking Up at Work

Short, direct essays for leaders who know their organizations need more voices in the room. Published on Substack.

People Hear You Before You Say a Word by Kristine Sickels

You set the tone in every room, whether you mean to or not.

Read on Substack

For Years There Were Two Versions of Me at Work by Kristine Sickels

One did the job. The other one I kept in the parking lot.

Read on Substack

Know the Outcome Before You Walk In by Kristine Sickels

“Let’s circle back” is what a room says when nobody decided anything.

Read on Substack