I was facilitating a two-day leadership workshop. One participant stood out—not for what he said, but for what he didn’t. He sat there like a mouse—listening and scribbling, barely speaking. Not in the large group, not even within his small group.
As a facilitator, I couldn’t help but wonder:
Is he uninterested?
Is he struggling to relate to the conversation?
I intended to check in with him the next morning over breakfast. But I didn’t have to wait that long. At the end of the day, he approached me. Calmly, he shared how the day had made him reflect on his leadership style and where things may be going off track.
That moment shifted something in me.
We often misread silence; a silent person is quickly boxed in as:
boring,
disengaged,
lacking confidence, or
lacking leadership presence.
Worse, silence can be unintentionally punished. The quiet ones may be overlooked for
stretch roles,
key discussions, or
important projects
Have you seen silent people getting boxed? What have you done differently? Would love to hear your experience
At the outset, I would like to thank you for stopping by my Blog.
I believe that there is nothing right or wrong in this world. What’s right in this moment and context may be wrong in another moment and context. This belief has inspired me to name my blog ‘Perspectives’.
Perspectives is a platform for me to share my experiences, thoughts and perspectives on various subjects. You may have a different point of view. I look forward to hearing them, these are the triggers for rich and deep conversations.
On personal front, I live in Mumbai, India. I love to read; Somerset Maugham and Nevil Shute are my favorite authors. My favorite books are The Razor’s Edge, Mrs. Craddock, Chequer Board and Gone with the Wind. I am thankful to my father who inculcated the habit of reading in me early on.
I am also passionate about traveling, I have been to most parts of India and to several countries across the globe.
On professional front, I work in Human Resources function. Over two and half decades, I have worked across multiple industries and cultures. I focus on Leadership Development, Talent Management, Visioning and Culture, Large-scale change, Employee Listening & Engagement, Employee Well-being, Inclusive work culture, HR effectiveness, Behavior and Mind-set shifts through sustained interventions
I currently lead Organization Effectiveness Function for Aditya Birla Group, a $44.3 billion conglomerate with 120000 employees across 35 countries.
I sincerely hope that you will enjoy reading my blog. I look forward to your thoughts and suggestions.
Thank you!
View all posts by Padma Rajeswari
Perspectives 