Have you noticed that some CEO’s speak last in a meeting?
The higher the position, the later you speak. That’s how many leaders are practicing it.

Doesn’t it make sense to speak your mind first when being in charge, since you’re the one who will be making the decisions at the end?

Don’t get me wrong there are leaders that will start a meeting and end it. I have seen it many times. Being in charge doesn’t mean that you’re going to be the only one making decisions. If you decide to do that, you’ll end up either with YES-sayers or with no team at all.

Let people in Junior positions begin the meeting by allowing them to say their opinion without interrupting.

Why are many leaders doing it wrong?

It’s a false assumption to think that you’ll be telling everyone what to do because you’re in charge.
Sure, there will be decisions you’ll have to make for the team but why having a team when you’re deciding everything yourself anyway.

Especially when you’re the company owner it’s not easy to trust others with your business but that’s what a good leader has to learn. You have a team so everyone can bring in their own opinion. If you did a good job, you hired the right people that will give you interesting and smart ideas.

“You wanna set up your culture so that the most Junior person can overrule the most Senior person if they have data.”-Jeff Bezos

Unfortunately, many people in high positions are egomaniacs or control freaks.
If you think you’re the center of the universe you’re going to have a very hard time having a successful and motivated team.
Letting go and trusting your staff is a big part of being a leader.
You can’t expect people to trust you if you’re not trusting them.

If a leader is deciding everything himself and is not allowing others to bring in ideas, it will be a very discouraging work environment that people are going to leave sooner or later.

Let's dive into reasons why you should speak last as a leader.

Why speaking last as a leader is a good idea

1. Benefit of listening what everybody has to say

2. Empower your team

3. Increase creativity

Which benefits come with that

Benefit of listening what everybody has to say:
Before coming up with a solution, did you listen to all the information?
To get the best idea about a certain topic or to understand a situation completely you should have as much information as possible.
You’ll only receive that if you listen to everyone first. Every person has a different opinion and another view on things.

Make sure to listen to every angle before speaking.
The best way to offer an objective viewpoint is by knowing as much as you can from everyone.

Empower your team:
Not only will you be able to see the full picture by listening to your team, you’re also empowering them by doing so.
Think about it. If you’re a strong leader, people will respect you.
If someone you really admire says something, it will automatically influence your judgement.
A Junior person might have had a certain opinion that is contrary to their boss’s opinion. Do you really think they are going to speak their mind freely once they heard that you see things completely different?

You want to have an environment where everybody can say their opinion freely.
The most Junior person should speak first, then the second. Try to go in order of seniority. Your people will feel seen and valued!

Increase creativity:
By keeping your opinion to yourself and letting your team speak first, you will empower them and also increase their creativity.

If people feel valued and heard it will increase their confidence. This is the first reason their creativity will be increased.

The second reason is, that you’re inviting everyone to give his input on an idea.
I’m not saying that every thought a Junior person has will be fruitful but allowing them to speak about their view on things can have a very refreshing vibe for the company.
Sometimes an initial idea is very good but just needs some fine-tuning. That’s where everyone can get creative by contributing. Ultimately, that should be the reason of having a meeting.

In conclusion

Don’t make the mistake of setting the tone for every discussion with your team. You’ll not only discourage them to be creative, you’ll also surround yourself with YES-sayers.

No one knows always what’s best. So make sure to listen what everybody has to say without clouding their judgment by speaking first.

The reason of having a team is to embrace a culture of creativity and innovation. You can only do that by empowering each and everyone.

Thank you for reading.