I was coaching a senior leadership team last week when an all‑too‑familiar scene unfolded.

During a strategy session, one leader - let’s call him “Tom” - hijacked every conversation. Tom spoke first, longest, and loudest. His points were half‑baked, light on data, and heavy on bravado. Meanwhile, the real subject‑matter experts sat silently, shrinking with every booming opinion Tom hurled across the room.

Sound familiar? It happens in boardrooms, on Zoom calls, and Slack threads everywhere.

The wrong, the ill‑informed, the unprepared, the ego-driven, are often the ones who crank the volume to eleven. If you don’t address it fast, your best thinkers tune out, productivity nose‑dives, and morale flatlines.

So why are the wrong people so loud, and what can you do about it?

Three Reasons the Noise Merchants Dominate

Volume Masks Insecurity
Loud talkers use noise to cover gaps in knowledge. If they keep the spotlight on themselves, they never have to reveal what they don’t know.
Leaders Reward the Wrong Metric
If meeting time equals airtime, the squeaky wheel wins. When leaders confuse confidence with competence, volume becomes currency.
Silence Feels Safe for High Performers
Your real talent is thinking before speaking. They weigh words, test ideas, and avoid drama. In a room where bombast is unchecked, restraint feels smart - even when it hurts the conversation.

Your Playbook to Turn Down the Volume

1. Set the Rules of Engagement - Establish clear ground rules: concise contributions, data over opinion, no interruptions.

Say this: “Each point gets two minutes. Bring facts, not volume. We’ll rotate speakers so every voice is heard.”

2. Make Expertise Visible - Label who owns what. When a topic lands, invite the expert first.

Say this: “Before we debate market entry, Maria owns customer insights - Maria, kick us off.”

3. Reward Insight, Not Decibels - Publicly praise tight analysis, sharp questions, and a collaborative tone. Watch how quickly volume chasers recalibrate when applause shifts to value.

4. Coach the Offenders in Private - Don’t shame them in front of the team - that just turns the volume into a weapon.

Say this one‑on‑one: “I appreciate your passion. Let’s channel it. Speak shorter, anchor in data, and leave room for others. That’s how we win.”

Why This Matters

When loud equals right, you breed groupthink, miss red flags, and hand the microphone to ego over evidence.

When insight equals right, you unleash a culture where the best idea wins, no matter how quietly delivered.

Next Steps

Ask yourself:

Do my meetings spotlight expertise or ego?
Have I set explicit rules on how we discuss, debate, and decide?
Who’s not talking that should be, and how will I pull them in?

Great leaders aren’t noise‑canceling headphones - they’re master conductors. Balance the orchestra so every instrument, from thunderous brass to delicate strings, is heard clearly and on time.