In many teams, it can sometimes feel like the loudest voices are the ones that get heard. The ones with the most to say, the most confidence, the most airtime.
But volume doesn’t always equal value.
I remember being part of a team earlier in my career where this dynamic was prevalent. It didn’t sit right with me. In fact, I recall saying to my manager at the time that if that was the kind of behaviour the organisation celebrated, I wasn’t sure it was the right team for me.
Because what gets rewarded gets repeated.
When we lead people, we have to be conscious of what we are amplifying.
Are we creating space for different voices, perspectives and styles?
Or are we unintentionally reinforcing that only certain behaviours get recognised?
Some people think out loud. Others think deeply before they speak. Some process through discussion, others through reflection and writing. None of these styles are better than the other — but they are very different.
The quieter voices often hold just as much insight, sometimes more. They just need the space, time, and psychological safety to be heard.
And often, when we slow things down just a little, we find those voices were there all along — they just weren’t competing for airtime.
As leaders, our role isn’t just to listen more. It’s to design environments where people don’t have to shout to be heard in the first place.
That might mean changing how we run meetings, how we ask questions, or how we make decisions. It might mean actively inviting input from those who haven’t spoken yet, or giving people time to reflect before responding.
Great teams don’t just listen to the loudest voice in the room. They make sure every voice has a place.