Shhhh: The Value of Quiet Leadership
The following contribution is from the Forbes website and is written by Catherine Seeds, a former Forbes Council member. Catherine is president and CEO of Ketner Group Communications, a public relations agency specializing in retail technology.
Over the past few years, I’ve written several columns on different leadership styles. To be honest, I’m obsessed with the idea of leadership!
If you check my viewing history on any of the six streaming platforms I subscribe to, you’ll see that I gravitate toward documentaries about historical leaders and the impact they had during their tenure in leadership.
I love learning how these people used their unique personality traits to create bold changes in their lives and the world around them.
And to be even more honest, leadership isn’t something I ever dreamed of or thought I’d be good at as a kid. I was always the shy one, the least vocal in my group of friends, but the one people talked to because I was a good listener.
It wasn’t until I entered college and was elected president of my chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) at Texas Tech University that I began to apply my own leadership style to my new position.
I quickly learned that I had what it took to be a successful leader, but I would never be the loud, extroverted type. I was the quiet leader.
Over the years, I’ve learned to embrace my approach to leadership and a few things along the way:
Let go of knowledge and charisma when necessary.
Charismatic leaders who are always «on» are fun to watch and learn from, of course.
But equally impressive are leaders who know what to say at just the right moment.
For example, I have an amazing uncle: he’s easygoing, easy to talk to, and extremely intelligent.
He’s not one to command the table. He sits and listens attentively, but when the moment comes and (if) he has something to say, it’s always the funniest or most insightful thing you’ve ever heard.
I’ve modeled my leadership in the public relations world after people like my uncle, and I would certainly follow him into any battle.
Demonstrating charisma is great, but I recommend using it only when necessary.
People will still follow you. In my humble opinion, less is more!
Stay Calm and Listen
As author and educator Stephen R. Covey says in his book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, “Most people listen not with the intent to understand, but with the intent to respond.”
This quote speaks to me! How many times have you had a conversation with someone and you know they aren’t really listening, but rather thinking about what they’re going to say next?
I believe a good leader, regardless of whether they’re reserved or not, must know how to listen and stay calm.
This can be difficult in the fast-paced world of public relations agencies, but the truth is that when people truly listen, it makes us feel good and validates our feelings and thoughts.
I learned to hone this skill as a reserved person growing up, and I apply it to my leadership role today. My goal is to approach every problem or challenge with calmness and positivity, and to be the person my team needs to hear.
Remember, it’s always about the team.
It’s no secret to those who know me: I adore the British royal family and the late Queen Elizabeth II and her leadership style.
She once said, «I don’t know a single formula for success. But over the years, I’ve observed that some leadership attributes are universal. Often, it’s about finding ways to encourage people to combine their efforts, their talents, their perspectives, their enthusiasm, and their inspiration to work together.»
In other words, amazing things can happen when a leader integrates each person’s unique skills.
For me, as a private leader, my team is everything.
This is especially true because I’m a member of an agency team.
I love hearing new ideas from my colleagues and working to apply them to our business. I also know my limitations and am not afraid to ask for help.
Leaders don’t have all the answers, nor should they. Ultimately, my goal as a leader is to help my team shine.
Mastering My Silent Leadership Style
I often wish I were like one of my favorite soccer coaches, with a powerful voice that could dominate everyone with a single word. But that’s not who I am, and that’s okay!
There’s room in this world for all kinds of leadership styles, and each one brings a unique twist.
Although it’s not perfect, I’ve learned to be proud of my silent leadership style and to continue looking for ways to improve it. In the meantime, I’ll keep watching, listening, and learning.
Forbes Agency Council is an invitation-only community for executives from successful public relations, media strategy, creative, and advertising agencies. Do I qualify?
How to Cultivate Your Leadership Style
The following contribution is from the Forbes website and is written by Alexandra Friedman, former member of the Forbes Council of Coaches and founder of Friedman Business Solutions.
Transitioning into a leadership role presents several challenges. One of the key problems is that companies rarely offer the training and support necessary to ensure a smooth transition.
I have worked with clients who feel ill-prepared for their new roles, despite their skills and proven track record. Often, the knowledge that served them well in their previous positions doesn’t prepare them for the unique challenges of leadership.
When it comes to leadership, style matters more than substance.
It makes sense. Consider the findings of Antonakis, Fenley, and Liechti (registration required) on the importance of developing charisma.
In the Harvard Business Review, researchers revealed how charisma trumps «good presentation skills, such as speech structure, clear enunciation, pacing, and speaker comfort» in the perception of leadership.
And leadership style focuses on actions and behavior: what is done, how often, and when.
Unlike personality, which is intrinsically ingrained in us, behavior at work can be modified, and style is mutable.
Fortunately, leadership style can be developed.
To do this, it’s important to understand social markers.
As sociolinguist Howard Giles discovered, social markers are the verbal and nonverbal behaviors we use to express ourselves, especially our multiple social dimensions (i.e., gender, socioeconomic status, age, class, etc.).
Social markers are the signals we send to others that influence how they perceive us. In the workplace, indicators that convey status—and, by extension, leadership—fall into two categories: powerful and attractive:
Powerful
– Formal
– Detached
– Stoic
– Leaning back
– Maintaining eye contact only when speaking
– Controlled movements
– Forthright
– Strong voice
– Sophisticated words
– Unapologetic interruptions
– Declarative statements
Attractive
– Casual
– Engaged
– Animated
– Leaning forward
– Continuous eye contact
– Natural movements
– Diplomatic
– Modulated voice
– Everyday language
– Attentive listening
Questions
Most of us have a preferred leadership style consisting of a predetermined set of indicators.
In simple terms, we lean toward either powerful or attractive. All leadership styles fall somewhere on the spectrum.
A combined style incorporates a balance between powerful and attractive indicators: according to the work of Peterson, Abramson, and Stutman (registration required) in the Harvard Business Review, it is key to exceptional presence.
The combined style is the goal of the best leaders.
By practicing these techniques, any leader can develop a more effective style.
Look in your mirror.
Or your webcam.
Professional athletes review game tapes to hone their skills, and aspiring executives can do something similar. If you want to achieve a balance between powerful and attractive indicators, you’ll need to conduct an honest self-assessment.
Keep a list of indicators handy and review a recording of a recent meeting—a hidden benefit of our online work.
Review the behaviors you see yourself performing while reviewing the recordings and compare them to assess your style.
Don’t hesitate to ask others for feedback. Consult with trusted colleagues and ask them to share their perspectives on your style.
Change Your Cues
Once you’ve identified your style on the spectrum, start incorporating different cues to get closer to a combined ideal.
If you lean toward powerful, add engaging cues; if you lean too toward engaging, add powerful cues.
Ease the transition by choosing one verbal and one nonverbal cue.
Don’t worry about finding the «right» combination of cues—there isn’t just one.
Choose actions that feel natural to you and practice incorporating them into your interactions.
If you’re nervous, rehearse with a friend or coach. Feel free to experiment with different cues at different times.
Even if it feels uncomfortable at first, it’s necessary to try different styles.
We all do it. The best leaders demonstrate their authenticity and presence in their ability to choose the best behaviors for the context.
Read Your Cues
My clients often ask me when to incorporate powerful or engaging cues. Intuitively, they understand that some situations require a softer approach than others.
And they’re right: interpreting the signals, or reading the chart or screen, is an essential step in honing your leadership style.
In most cases, it’s best to assess the indicators you see in others before committing to your approach.
For example, although it may seem counterintuitive, executives should use engaging indicators with their subordinates and powerful indicators with their superiors.
Building trust requires, in one case, showing compassion and, in the other, competence.
Leadership style is a crucial ingredient for executive success.
By cultivating a blended approach, leaders will be effective enough to lead with style and substance.
The Forbes Coaches Council is an invitation-only community for leading business and career coaches. Do I qualify?
Quiet vs. Loud: How Leadership Leaves Its Mark
The following Medium post is by D. R. Wells, author of the Amazon bestseller «Walking Out of Time,» a retired Air Force major, equality advocate, and storyteller based in Raleigh, North Carolina.
I’ve already written about my time in corporate America. Luckily for whoever reads this, I’m not going to repeat everything.
Well… maybe just a little.
It’s been four years since I stepped away from that world. And while I don’t miss the politics or the pressure, I still think about some people.
Not because we’re disconnected—we still text occasionally—but because of how they made me feel when we worked together.
They weren’t loud. They weren’t the ones banging on the table or sending out all-staff emails at 11 p.m.
They led with discretion, with presence, without volume.
They had high expectations and weren’t afraid to correct you when necessary (and I needed to more than once).
But they did it calmly, respectfully, and clearly. No yelling. No threats. No ego.
And here’s the thing: you wanted to improve with them.
Not out of fear, but because they brought their best, and that made you want to bring your best in return.
That got me thinking: how do different leadership styles influence the people under them?
The Impact of Loud Leadership
Loud leadership thrives on visibility and authority.
These leaders often rely on pressure, dominance, and emotional intensity to drive results.
And in the short term, that can work: people react quickly to fear or urgency. But over time, it creates tension, disengagement, and even burnout.
According to research published in the Harvard Business Review, authoritarian and aggressive leadership styles are often linked to lower morale, higher employee turnover, and lower creative performance (Goleman, 2000).
Employees may comply, but they rarely thrive. When mistakes are met with shame or yelling, people stop taking risks.
They fall short. They hedge instead of improving. Trust erodes.
The Strength of Quiet Leadership
Quiet leaders don’t rely on volume. They lead with presence, modeling clarity, consistency, and emotional maturity. They communicate high standards while creating space for growth. And that trust? It inspires accountability, not just performance.
Support, Guide, and Coach
Studies on transformational leadership have shown that emotionally intelligent leaders (those who guide, support, and coach) help foster significantly greater team satisfaction, resilience, and productivity (Bass & Riggio, 2006). They build what Google’s Project Aristotle called psychological safety: a space where people feel safe enough to take risks and grow without fear of embarrassment.
It’s not about being soft. Silent leaders still provide feedback. They still have difficult conversations. But they know how to correct without crushing.
And that’s the difference.
The Human Cost
I’ve worked with both types of leaders.
The loud ones made me doubt myself. I worked harder, but with less clarity. More urgency, less joy. More pressure, less confidence.
They got short-term results, but not long-term commitment.
The silent ones? They changed me. I didn’t just want to meet their expectations, I wanted to grow with them.
Because they showed up with intention and made it clear that you mattered.
That kind of leadership stays with you long after the work is done.
One last word
I seriously considered naming them in this post.
But they didn’t want to.
They preferred to lead as they lived, away from the spotlight.
So here’s to you.
You made a difference.
And you still do.
The following contribution is from Andrea Petrone, executive coach and speaker in the UK | CEO at 35 | Founder of WCL21 CEO Hub | World-Class Leaders Podcast | Follow her to master mindset and leadership
Leadership isn’t always loud.
Its quiet version can be the most powerful.
Introverted leaders are often misunderstood.
What’s the misconception?
❌ They don’t inspire teams
❌ They avoid collaboration
❌ They can’t influence others
❌ They are weak and lack confidence
❌ They can’t handle high-pressure situations
Here’s why that perspective is flawed:
✅ They hear what others miss
⇢ Listening carefully allows others to feel fully understood
✅ They unleash the team’s potential
⇢ Their calm presence creates a safe space for good ideas
✅ They make decisions with depth
⇢ Reflection leads to better, more thoughtful results
✅ They empower quieter voices
⇢ Hidden talents flourish under their leadership
✅ They lead without needing to raise their voices
⇢ Role modeling becomes their strongest message
✅ They turn dialogue into action
⇢ Inclusion drives engagement and results from the entire team
✅ They inspire with quiet confidence
⇢ Trust is Become the foundation for great performance
✅ Boost creativity
⇢ Calmness frees minds to think innovatively
In short…
A true leader doesn’t need to be the one who talks the most.
Create a space where others feel safe
