Shhh... art of quiet leadership

Influence isn’t measured in decibels; it’s built in moments of trust.

When I joined a team of consultants with decades of experience, I brought deep ServiceNow knowledge but little formal consulting experience. I didn’t have the same client stories or decades of war-room tales. For a while, that made me hesitate; in fact, I remember wondering how to contribute when everyone already knew so much.

What I learned is that leadership isn’t about taking up space; it’s about creating it. The people with the most influence aren’t always the ones speaking the most; they’re the ones others turn to when it matters.

In a world that rewards quick answers and confident opinions, quiet leadership can feel underrated. But it’s often where the real progress happens. Listening builds context. Curiosity builds trust. Reflection builds clarity. And when you finally do speak, people listen, not because you raised your voice, but because you raised the value of the conversation.

I’ve seen loud confidence move projects forward and quiet confidence hold them together. The trick isn’t to compete for airtime; it’s to use your presence intentionally. Sometimes that means leading the discussion. Other times, it means letting silence do its work.

Quiet leadership looks like:

• Asking the question no one else will.

• Giving credit publicly and feedback privately.

• Speaking last so others feel heard first.

• Noticing who isn’t in the room, and inviting them in.

• Making decisions from understanding, not assumptions.

True leadership isn’t about how much noise you make.
It’s about the signal you send when you speak.