Are You Quiet During Meetings?

 

If you do, others may see you as lacking in Executive Presence, which is a predictor of getting promoted into bigger leadership roles.

 

Being quiet in a meeting can be seen as a lack of confidence. It can also be interpreted as  you not having anything to input, or a lack of strategic vision (another element of executive presence).

 

 

You don’t get known as the person with the answers - even if you have them! You don’t get to be seen as the go-to person. You’re not seen as a leader.

 

 

You’re not going to get promoted into positions of authority if you don’t show you have authority. Leaders go first. They raise their hand. They speak up. The actions come first, the title second.

 

 

 

Think back to a moment when an opportunity presented itself. You could have stood up and shared something and instead you chose to shrink away. Perhaps your head went down, your shoulders shrugged forward...you got small at the table. 

 

What was going through your mind at that moment? What were you saying to yourself in your head in that moment? There was a thought that was happening. Maybe it was a question you were asking yourself or a statement you made. There was a thought that stopped you. What was it that prevented you from speaking up in that moment?

 

Whatever it was - it was a limiting belief. Let's squash it.

 

Take out a sheet of paper. Draw a line down the center. Write "Limiting Beliefs" on the left side of the page. Jot down all the thoughts that just came to your mind. All the words, phrases, statements, questions, thoughts you can remember about that moment. Write down every belief that stopped you from raising your hand and saying "I have something to add here."

 

On the right side of the page write "Empowering Beliefs" at the time.

 

Let's move you from where you are now to where you want to go. Literally write the opposite in this column. What is the opposite of everything you just jotted down? Flip everything over to the positive. THOSE are the beliefs that will serve you (and your company and co-workers) and support you in having the confidence to speak up.

 

What are some of the questions you could ask yourself? What are some of the new words, phrases and thoughts you could have that would support you? What will you choose to believe the next time an opportunity presents itself?

 

What we're really looking for in an empowering belief is the TRUTH. 

 

What is the truth about you? Your abilities? I'm willing to bet you that whatever you have listed under limiting beliefs is not true. If you reach deep down you, too, will see it's not true.

 

We want to focus on the empowering beliefs that will serve you and others as you move forward in your career by adding to the conversations around you and sharing your insights.

 

Remind your empowering beliefs regularly. My hope for you is that next time when an opportunity presents itself...you'll confidently raise your hand.

 

Speaking up with confidence is ONE attribute of executive presence. -I have a whole training series on it! It's totally free - no strings attached. Click HERE to grab it now.