Are you accidentally silencing your best people? 🤫
True leadership isn’t about having the most information; it’s about making it safe for others to ask why. When a leader dismisses a public question as “stupid” or laughs at it because they have more context than the audience, even if it’s an unconscious reaction, the feedback loop is immediate: fall in line, or fall behind. Silence becomes a survival strategy. psychological safety evaporates, and innovation dies in the long run.
You can hold as many “open forums” as you want, but if the leadership reaction is dismissive, the discussion is already dead. An inclusive culture isn’t built on the speeches you give or the insider information you have—it’s built on the questions you welcome.