Good leaders use silence to encourage more dialogue and openness from others. By not filling the void of immediate response, leaders encourage others to offer their candid views and opinions.
Too many leaders can’t stop themselves from offering a quick opinion or position, which can discourage competing views. More silence and restraint from response normally serve leaders well. But there is a dark side to silence.
Silence at the wrong moment can send a loud message that isn’t always intended. People draw distinct meanings from silence in a given moment.
The implications of what silence might mean can have an enormous impact on how people respond and behave in the future.
For instance, it is well-documented that silence by leaders in the face of injustice reflects a meaning of complicity. Leaders who choose to remain silent when they witness injustice are thought to accept or endorse this unfairness.
Even if they don’t. Silence on the part of leaders at the wrong moment draws attention and results in strong interpretation.
Consider the following dualities:
- Silence when others express compassion is often viewed as indifference.
- Silence in response to bad or rude behavior is typically seen as ambivalence or apathy.
- Silence after negative feedback is sometimes interpreted as defensive.
- Silence in the face of opportunity is seen as passivity or incompetence.
- Silence after confrontation is often viewed as guilt.
- Silence in the face of unethical behavior is seen as consent.
- Silence during advocacy is considered approval.
- Silence after poor performance is typically seen as acceptance.
Leaders must always ask themselves what silence or a lack of response in a critical moment will mean to others.
They can mistakenly overlook an interpretation that does not reflect their intentions or internal reactions.
But silence speaks for itself. It doesn’t beg for clarity or explanation. It means what others believe it to mean, and they act on that meaning in the future. Silence can create space for others, or it can speak loudly about what leaders think or don’t think about a situation.
Good leaders work hard not to let silence speak for them when they don’t want it to.
A Daily Dispatch from the Front Lines of Leadership.
