The Loudest Voice

Isn’t Always the Smartest

Some of the smartest ideas I have ever heard were whispered after the meeting ended.

A few years ago, I worked on a cross-functional project that was running on caffeine and adrenaline. We had a big launch date and a million loose ends. The meetings were intense, two or three people dominated every conversation. They talked fast, thought out loud, and were quick to debate. The rest of us barely had time to process before the next decision was made.

There was one teammate, Anna, who almost never spoke. She was sharp, I had seen her work, but in meetings she mostly listened, scribbling notes in the corner of her notebook. One afternoon, I pulled her aside and asked what she thought about a problem we had been stuck on for weeks. She hesitated for a moment, then said, “I have been wondering… what if we just approached it from this angle?”

Her idea was simple but brilliant. It solved the problem completely. We changed direction the next day and never looked back.

That moment stuck with me. Not just because Anna had the solution, but because she had been sitting on it for weeks. She did not think it was worth cutting into the noise for. And honestly, I did not blame her, those meetings were not exactly friendly to slower, quieter thinking.

I think about Anna often. How many ideas like hers never make it past the walls of someone’s mind because the room was not built to let them out? How many problems could we solve faster if we made it normal for everyone, loud or quiet, to speak?

If you lead a team and want the quiet voices to speak:

• Send agendas ahead of time so people can think before they speak
• Check in with quieter folks one on one
• Break into smaller groups where the stakes feel lower
• Give people channels to share in writing, not just out loud

If you are the quiet one and want to be heard:

• Prepare one or two points in advance so you feel ready to jump in
• Share your thoughts in a follow up email or chat if you miss the moment
• Find an ally who can open space for you during the meeting
• Own your style, you do not have to be the loudest voice to make an impact

The answers we need are already in the room. The question is whether we are making it safe, easy, and worthwhile for everyone to share them.