What Japan Taught Me About Speaking With Calm and Authority
Written by Lisa Sheerin, ICF PCC Executive Coach | Transforming Confidence, Communication & Leadership
Lisa works as an executive public speaking coach, actor, and fitness enthusiast. She is passionate about helping people overcome imposter syndrome and find their authentic voice to unlock career success in business and beyond. She is the founder of Speak Proud.
I’ve just got back from Japan, and there’s one small detail I can’t stop thinking about. Not the temples, the food, or the neon, but crossing the road. In Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto, the cities felt calm, clean, and efficient. The pace was different. At pedestrian crossings, even when there were no cars, people waited for the lights to change. No edging forward. No last-second dash. They just waited for the green.
At first, I assumed it was a strict rule following. Then I realised it read as something else, composure. A shared calm. Nobody looked impatient. It was settled. It made me think about how often we do the opposite with our voice, especially at work.
So many brilliant people rush to speak. They jump in before the thought has fully landed, fill the silence, and overexplain as if speed equals confidence. It doesn’t. In high-pressure moments, the nervous system shows up in the voice. Not because you don’t know what you’re talking about, but because you don’t trust the pause. Silence can feel like exposure, so you try to outrun it.
The problem is, rushing quietly changes how you’re perceived. It compresses meaning. It makes your points feel lighter than they are. It invites interruption because your endings aren’t clean. And even when the content is excellent, the pace can signal anxiety instead of authority.
Japan gave me a simple image for what authority often looks like in speech, the green light. A green light isn’t just permission to move, it’s a shared agreement that this is the right moment. A pause does the same thing. It signals steadiness. It tells the room you’re not scrambling for space. You already have it.
Here’s the shift to try this week, pause before you speak. Not a dramatic pause, not a performance, just one clean beat.
Use it in a few specific places. When someone asks you a question, take a beat before answering. It signals you’re considering it properly. Before your main point, let the setup land, then deliver the statement. After you finish a sentence, hold still for half a second. Let the ending land rather than rushing to fill the air.
If you want one simple exercise, try the “one sentence rule.” Answer in one sentence, then stop. You can always add more, but you’ll be surprised how often one sentence is enough when it’s delivered cleanly. Most people don’t struggle with starting, they struggle with ending. They trail off, soften the end, or add extra words that dilute the point. Practice finishing and staying still. Silence isn’t emptiness, it’s impact.
This isn’t about becoming slower. It’s about becoming deliberate. Pace communicates status more than we realise. The person who can take their time is often perceived as the person in control. That’s why the pause works. It’s not a technique, it’s a signal.
Over the next few days, don’t try to overhaul your whole speaking style. Just notice where you rush, and what changes when you wait. Try the green light pause once a day, one beat before you speak, one clean ending after you finish. Then watch what happens in the room.
Speak proudly.
Read more from Lisa Sheerin
Lisa Sheerin, ICF PCC Executive Coach | Transforming Confidence, Communication & Leadership
Lisa works as an executive public speaking coach, actor, and group fitness instructor with over 20 years of experience. A graduate of a three-year drama school program in London, she began her career in theatre and film, where she faced and overcame imposter syndrome. Today, she empowers others to embrace their authenticity and transform self-doubt into confidence, combining her acting expertise, fitness training, and passion for personal growth. Her mission is to guide others toward a life where they can speak and live proudly.
