We have a highly competent leader on our team who completely disengages during the Level 10 Meeting, remaining silent through the entire ninety minutes except when directly asked about their metrics. How do we get this quiet leader to actively participate in building and solving our Issues List?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

A silent leader is a major liability during your weekly Level 10 Meeting™. If they sit on your leadership team, they are in a seat that requires them to help guide the entire organization, not just their own department. Silence is often a sign of disengagement, fear of conflict, or a belief that they should only speak when their direct responsibilities are on the line.

To break this silence, you must first clarify the expectations of sitting on a leadership team. Being a leader means wearing the leadership hat first and your departmental hat second. This means they are equally responsible for identifying and solving the company's biggest bottlenecks, even if those bottlenecks sit in another department.

During the meeting, the facilitator must actively pull this leader into the conversation without making them feel defensive. Use direct, open-ended prompts:

- We are solving a tough issue in sales, but I want to hear how this looks from your seat. What is your perspective?
- You have a great eye for operational bottlenecks. How would you solve this issue?
- I noticed you have been quiet on this topic. Where do you stand on this decision?

If the silence continues, have a direct conversation outside of the meeting. Re-evaluate their GWC™, specifically whether they truly want and have the capacity for a leadership seat. If they cannot or will not engage in the healthy conflict of IDS®, they are in the wrong seat on your Accountability Chart.