Do I Need To Say More In Meetings?

Do you ever walk out of a meeting questioning whether you said enough, or even doubting if you made any impact at all?

In this episode of The Leaders Kitbag, I explore a common struggle for reflective, internal-thinking leaders who often equate airtime with impact.

Spoiler alert: the two are not the same.

I share three practical tips to help you communicate effectively and confidently, without needing to be the loudest voice in the room.

You’ll learn about:

• Why your presence can be just as powerful as your words
• How to leverage your natural listening and summarising skills for maximum impact
• The importance of speaking with timing and relevance, not just frequency

This episode is especially useful for leaders who identify as internal processors, introverts, or simply thoughtful contributors looking to enhance their leadership presence.

Need More Support?

If you’d like support with leadership training, coaching or conference speaking, do drop me a line via chat@ben-morton.com, I’d love to help.

Podcast Transcript:  

Have you ever sat in a meeting at work where your thoughts and ideas weren’t shared – or at least not very much – and then spent a huge amount of time afterwards ruminating on what other people or your boss thought about your contribution, or your perceived lack of contribution? 

If the answer’s yes, then today’s episode of The Leaders Kitbag is for you. 

Some of the most effective, impactful, and inspiring leaders I’ve had the privilege of coaching and training are big internal thinkers. 

This means they process their thoughts internally before speaking. They reflect deeply and aren’t driven by the need to be the loudest or most frequent voice in the room. 

And yet, even they sometimes doubt themselves: 

“Am I saying enough?”
“Am I speaking enough?”
“Am I being heard in the room?” 

This doubt is often driven by the misconception that airtime equals impact. But it absolutely doesn’t. 

You know this because at some point in your career, you’ve been in a meeting where someone said something completely off-base, just for the sake of saying something. 

So, if you’re an internal thinker operating in a culture that equates talking time with contribution, here are three tips to help you demonstrate your true value, without needing to become someone you’re not. 

Tip 1: Silence is not absence. 

Sometimes, your full focus and presence is a powerful form of leadership. Just being there and giving people your full attention is often all they truly want and need from you. 

Tip 2: Play to your strengths. 

Use your reflective nature. In meetings where others are busy trying to prove their value by speaking up, they may not be truly listening. 

You can provide value by summarising or paraphrasing what has been said, capturing where we stand, and highlighting what has been agreed upon. 

Tip 3: Speak when it matters. 

You don’t need volume and frequency to have impact. You need timing and relevance. A single, well-considered point often carries more weight than five poorly thought-through comments. 

So there you have it—three practical tips for having more impact in meetings as an internal thinker. I hope it’s been useful. 

And remember, if you need support with training, coaching or speaking, you know where to find me.