It’s 3:25 pm, time for your last meeting of the day. Keep in mind that this is the 4th and that the first meeting set the tone for the entire day. Yes, imagine that it was one of those meetings that didn’t start on time as expected, several team members threw you under the bus, and the meeting ran over late again.
While walking to the conference room, you decided that you’d try to be a quiet leader, a technique you read about months ago.
It’s now 3:28 pm, you usually arrive early just in case the stars align and the meeting starts on time. Once again, as expected, the meeting begins 15 minutes late, yet you are not upset because you are ready to take on the embodiment of the silent leader.
As the meeting begins, you make a mental note of who is in attendance. The team has experienced a period of stable leadership; everyone around the table has been within the organization for the last five months; however, the team has not learned how to work as a cohesive unit.
The meeting is almost over and no one noticed your silence the entire meeting. You’re amazed that you were able to remain silent on most of the ridiculous statements and side conversations, but you were listening to everything that was said.
It’s now 4:43 pm, the meeting was scheduled to end at 4:30 pm, and your boss states, “You haven’t said anything this whole time, what are your thoughts?”
This is your time to tell them that you think everyone is thinking about things the wrong way, or, you can continue to be a silent leader and bring relevance to the subject without playing to the drama of the team.
This is a praise to the silent leaders and individuals who strive to rise above the unnecessary conflicts within their professional and personal environments. I hope that you make today count.
Credit: Dr. James D. Washington, DBA
“The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”
Exodus 14:14