It’s often said that someone is “quiet’, meaning that either they aren’t saying much in the moment, or don’t say much in general. At least, that’s what it appears to mean.
In the first instance, the implication is that their “state” is different from normal, either because of some unrelated happening or because of some response to the present circumstances. In the second instance, the person is seen as relatively unengaged on an on-going basis.
So some observers, at least, expect a different behaviour.
But what is the opposite of “quiet?”
That perhaps isn’t so obvious.
Literally, the opposite is “loud,” but that’s not what me mean surely.
What about “vocal?” Is that closer?
Or is it that we hope for the person to be more engaged in what is going on? The jargon word for that might be “associated.”
We want people to be engaged in our stories, our dramas, our conversations, our ideas, and our lives.
But maybe they don’t want to be.
What’s the opposite of “quiet” in your map of the world?
And what makes you “quiet?”
It was an informal meeting in a hotel bar with 4 or 5 people present. I’d been asked to say a bit about this myself. This from someone I’d met only a few hours previously. Nothing very unusual about that. What was unusual was the way my short potted history was interrupted by comments, not to say criticism, from the other party. Let’s say my patience was tested, and eventually found slightly wanting.
It’s so often the way, isn’t it? Somebody you’re in touch with really sees the change you can help them make in their business.
Before we can create something in reality, we must create it in our mind. So developing a personal vision is a vital step in achieving something that didn’t exist before.
In relating to other people, time can be an ally, if we use it right.
We’re so accustomed to ever-present change and the need to lead ourselves and others through challenging times, we’re inclined to think leadership itself is a changing field. I am anyway, or I was.
In our enthusiasm for an insight or an aspect of a situation that makes a critical difference, we’re inclined to think that’s the one thing that matters in the end.
There something about train fares…
If you’re on the inside, it can be hard to stimulate change in the wider system because although you have some explicit authority, you’re constrained by your stakeholders’ expectations. We can’t really look to you to show the way on a wider front.
Do those with the most humility have the most influence? Or is vocalising knowledge and expertise an essential part of gaining the attention required to make a difference?
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