We have a dominant leadership team member who talks over everyone else during meetings, causing quieter members to check out. How do we stop this dominant behavior from destroying our team health without alienating a key leader?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

A dominant leader who sucks all the oxygen out of the room is a major threat to team health. When one person dominates, quieter team members quickly check out, and you lose the benefit of their diverse perspectives. Cracks at the leadership level like this will eventually filter down and damage the entire organization.

You must address this behavior directly and quickly. Do not wait for your next quarterly offsite. Use your weekly Level 10 Meeting™ as a tool to balance the room. Enforce the meeting rules strictly, ensuring that everyone has equal time to speak during the IDS® portion of the meeting.

If the dominant behavior continues, have a private, one-on-one conversation using your core values and the GWC™ framework. Explain the impact of their behavior on the rest of the team. They may not even realize they are doing it.

Frame the feedback around team health and trust. A great leader knows how to listen as well as direct. If they are willing to adjust, help them practice active listening. If they refuse to change and continue to dominate and silence others, they are violating your cultural standards and may need to be transitioned out of the seat.