What does leadership look like? The world talks a lot about leadership as something that happens in businesses, organizations, meetings, and on stages. It’s the loudest voice that takes charge of an unfolding situation. It’s the person everyone turns to waiting for that nod of approval. It’s the person that commands the ship, sets the vision, and dictates the way forward. It’s bold. It’s something we take notice of. It may even be brash.
Yet some of the most meaningful leadership happens quietly. It is the phone call. The text. The extra shovel. The offer to pick something up. The simple question, “Are you okay?” Some of the strongest leaders listen more than they talk. They exhibit empathy and patience. They mentor and guide more than they dictate.
Quiet leadership, a term coined by author and speaker Karen Grosz, looks more like mentorship and collaboration than it does a top-down model. It’s about sitting down together as a team and listening to different perspectives before identifying a path forward. It’s shining a spotlight on the team and celebrating their wins, vs. accepting the accolades as the leader. It’s about seeking to understand and empathize.
Let’s be honest, leaders don’t have all the answers. No one, not even the wisest most experienced leader among us, can walk into any room and know all that one needs to know. Good leaders know this. They ask a lot of questions. Sometimes it’s information gathering so they can make an informed decision. Sometimes it’s asking the right questions to help their team navigate to the best answer together. They facilitate solutions.
Quiet leaders aren’t just heard, they’re seen. They roll up their sleeves and get to work alongside their team. They lead by example – by doing. They are engaging directly with clients. They are sitting in a departmental meeting talking through challenges, identifying solutions, and taking on tasks to move the ball forward.
“We’ve always done it this way” is a security blanket. Legacy concepts aren’t better, but they feel safer. Stepping out into the unknown feels like a bigger risk. Quiet leadership makes space for testing the waters. Being open to new ideas, being willing to experiment and find inspiration from others paves the way to step beyond established processes that may no longer be serving your business well. Quiet leaders, in fact, encourage taking that risk of moving beyond the tried and true to find the next right thing.
Good leaders – quiet and otherwise – know the value of celebrating the wins. Quiet leaders, however, are intentional about celebrating the small ones, as well as the big ones. Sure, sometimes correction is required. Mistakes happen. How you handle it, however, makes a difference.
If the only time you’re engaging your team is to point out what they did wrong, it’ll have a negative impact on morale. Call out the strengths. Compliment growth. It can go a long way to hear something like, “In your last review we talked about trusting your gut more. I’ve noticed you’ve been speaking up more in team meetings and have valued your input. You’ve got some really good ideas and it’s been great to see you trust yourself enough to share them.”
Keep On Growing
There’s always room to grow. That’s true whether you’re a seasoned professional or the newest member of a team. Quiet leaders get this. They don’t expect everyone to come to the table with all the skills already under the belt. They expect their teams to come hungry to grow and learn – and they set the example by pursuing opportunities to develop new skills, hone their craft, and stretch beyond their comfort zone.
Focus On the Big Picture
Quiet leaders may roll up their sleeves and help carry the load, but they’ve also got their eyes on the big picture. They help their teams keep focus. Hitting the speed bump is easier when you have your eyes on goal and the progress you’ve made. Otherwise, that bump risks becoming a mountain.
Helping your team keep an eye on the big picture means being able to see the setback for what it is. A culture of trust and encouragement means a team that’s willing to experiment and offer different ideas. Being open to ideas and collaboration means you can work your way through it.
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