In keeping with this month’s theme of Energizing Your Team, today, I’d like to share an inadvertent way leaders can accidentally sideline some of their best thinkers.

Cue scene…Imagine you’re in a team meeting and you turn to one of your strongest team members and say, “What are your thoughts about this idea/course of action?” All eyes descend on them; they hesitate, they seem unsure of how they want to approach their answer. Someone else has an idea. Possibly, the group and you move on, in the interest of time, etc…


It’s safe to assume that person probably had a sharp perspective. They just needed more time to form it.


Remember, quiet is not the same as disengaged or lacking creativity. Some of your most thoughtful, capable people are processing in the background while everyone else is talking. They think before they speak. They do their sharpest work when they have a moment to sit with something before responding.

When leaders misread silence, the danger is that they may stop hearing from the people who have the most to offer.

The fix is surprisingly simple.

Provide Space for Thinking:

  • Share your meeting agenda the day before the meeting so people can think about the topics and prepare themselves, armed with their thoughts and contributions.
  • Open your one-on-ones with the same two or three questions every time so people can come prepared.
  • When you want someone’s take on a big topic, give them a heads-up before the meeting, not during it.

These are not major changes to your leadership or communication. They are small acts of consideration that signal you value their thinking enough to give it space.


After a major decision or a tough conversation, try: 

  • “Take a few days to sit with this. Let’s talk through your thoughts on Friday…”

Some of your best people do their clearest thinking when they have time and space, and it’s where tapping into their buy-in and creativity has the greatest potential for success.


If you feel you might be losing some quieter, more introverted team members in the room, you probably are. And in so doing, you might also be losing some of your most creative ideas and solutions. 

I know I’ve recommended this book in the past, but for those of you who don’t yet know about it, it’s an SBJ favorite. Check out the book Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking to learn more about these team members, and maybe even yourself! It’s worth a read (and a re-read).