Workplace leadership: less talk means more benefit

I RECENTLY had "conversations" with two leaders who talked too much. They were good people with interest-ing stories to share, but they went on for far too long while I just sat and listened. Characteristically, they asked few questions and even when they did, they didn't seem to be interested in my responses. These two leaders were engaged, but seemingly not curi-ous or fully present.

- MICHAEL WATKINS

These encounters crystallised a damaging leadership blind spot I've observed repeatedly in my decades of executive coaching: the simple inabil-ity to stop talking.

I call this a "leadership trap" because it ensnares otherwise effec-tive executives in a paradox: the same verbal fluency that may have helped them rise through organisational ranks becomes a liability once they arrive in positions of authority. What got them noticed now gets in their way.

Complex motivations

As I thought about these two lead-ers, I realised they reflected a pattern I've seen often. Contrary to what many might assume, their excessive talking wasn’t rooted in narcissism or self-absorption. Instead, it flowed from more complex motivations they probably didn’t even recognise.

The first executive, a fast-moving consumer goods leader, seemed driven by an underlying insecurity. Despite his considerable achievements, his need to recount every detail of his company's growth story suggested he was still seeking validation. His monologues were attempts to prove his worth a verbal CV delivered even when no one had questioned his credentials.

The second leader, a newly pro-moted senior vice president in healthcare, displayed what I've come to recognise as the "silence phobia". Whenever our conversation reached a natural pause, she would quickly fill the gap with another anecdote. This discomfort with silence is not uncommon among leaders, who often experience momentary quiet as a vac-uum that must be filled.

Drivers