Are you quiet in the meetings? That might be your superpower

Early in my career, I sat through meetings where silence felt like failure. Brainstorm sessions were pressure cookers. If you didn’t say something — anything — it felt like you weren’t contributing. Watching others speak up (sometimes just to speak), added more pressure to “perform.”

But with experience comes clarity. Speaking isn’t always contributing. And silence isn’t absence of thought.

The smartest people in the room are often the ones processing, observing, connecting dots — not always the loudest.

Here’s what experience teaches:
– The best ideas may not surface in the heat of the moment.
– Contributions come in various forms, not solely through verbal expression.
– Effective listening embodies a form of leadership.
– It’s acceptable not to hold all the answers to every challenge.


What Can Leaders Do?

Don’t schedule meetings that don’t need to happen
If there’s no clear decision to be made or input to be gathered, consider async updates or a well-written summary instead. Fewer meetings = more thinking time.

Encourage reflection over reaction
Give people the space to process before they respond. Not every valuable thought is fully formed in the moment. Let them come back after the meeting — via a message, email, or one-on-one — to share their perspectives. Some of the most thoughtful inputs emerge once the pressure is off.

Balance airtime, not just attendance
Some voices dominate naturally. Great leaders make space for quieter thinkers to speak — not by putting them on the spot, but by creating an environment where contribution doesn’t feel performative.

Normalize thoughtful silence
Silence isn’t disinterest — it’s often a sign of engagement. Those who are absorbing, analysing, and thinking critically might not jump in immediately. Recognize that stillness can be substance.

✅ Final Thought
Meetings should be about ideas — not performances. And leaders thrive when they know how to listen for the quiet voices too.