Why the Best Leaders Talk Less

We tend to associate leadership with talking.

Setting direction. Giving speeches. Having answers. Filling the silence.

But here’s a pattern I keep seeing: the leaders who talk the most in meetings usually have the least idea what their teams actually think.

When I was COO, I ran a lot of meetings. Early on, I ran them like most executives — set the agenda, drive toward decisions, fill every silence with direction. Efficient. Productive. And I was completely blind to what my team wasn’t telling me.

The shift happened when I started doing less talking and more noticing. What changed when I stayed quiet for 10 extra seconds:

→ People filled the space with what they were really thinking

→ The quiet ones — who often had the best read on things — actually spoke up

→ I heard the disagreements people had been keeping to themselves

→ I made better decisions because I had better information

This isn’t about being passive. It’s about being strategic. The leaders who talk less don’t know less. They learn more.

This week, try an experiment: in your next meeting, wait three seconds longer than feels comfortable before speaking. See what emerges.

You might be surprised what your team has been waiting to tell you.