The power of silence

I've seen this happen so many times.

A question lands in the room.

And instead of waiting, someone fills the air.

Usually the loudest person.
Or the most senior.

Here's what gets lost:
The quieter person with the better answer.

The one who needed two more seconds to think.
The one who saw the risk no one else did.

Here's what I've learned after years of working with leadership teams:
Silence in a meeting isn't a problem to fix.

It's information.

The best answer in the room isn't always the first one.

Next time a question lands and no one jumps, just wait.
What you hear next might surprise you.

Because sometimes the most important thing said in a meeting is nothing at all.