We have highly analytical, quiet leadership team members who sit silently through the entire IDS® portion of our Level 10 Meeting™, leaving the decision-making to the dominant voices. How do we get these silent leaders to actively contribute their expertise?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

A leadership team needs every voice to make healthy decisions. When quiet, analytical leaders remain silent during IDS®, you lose their critical perspective and risk making shallow or biased decisions. Often, these individuals are not disengaged; they are simply processing information internally and waiting for a gap in the conversation that never comes.

To break this dynamic, the facilitator must actively draw them out. Do not wait for them to volunteer. When discussing a complex issue, call on them directly. Ask a specific, open-ended question like, "You have been quiet on this, what is your perspective on the root cause?" or "How does this look from your seat on the Accountability Chart?"

Give them the floor and then stop talking. Allow them the silence they need to articulate their thoughts without letting dominant voices interrupt.

Additionally, make sure your Issues List is updated at least twenty-four hours before the meeting so these analytical processors have time to review the topics and formulate their thoughts beforehand.

If a leader fits their seat on the Accountability Chart and has GWC™, they must share their viewpoint. If they continue to remain silent even when prompted, it becomes a performance issue that must be addressed outside the meeting in a one-on-one conversation.