Why People Stay Silent at Work with Megan Reitz

October 13, 2026•1 min read

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The strategy meeting ends and everyone appears to agree. Then the real conversation begins elsewhere. I’ve seen this happen in leadership teams, and it leaves me wondering: what made it difficult to say those things in the room?

I’m joined by Megan Reitz, Professor of Leadership and Dialogue at Hult International Business School and Associate Fellow at Saïd Business School, Oxford University. Megan’s work explores speaking up, listening and the role power plays in our conversations.

We talk about what leaders might miss when a team appears aligned, how we respond when someone offers a different perspective, and why finding space for a meaningful conversation can be harder than it sounds.

In this episode, we cover:

  • The meeting after the meeting

  • Why some voices are easier to hear than others

  • What helps people speak honestly

  • How our attention shapes a conversation

  • Why making space to think matters for leaders

Megan gave me plenty to reflect on in my own work with teams. If you’ve ever left a meeting wondering whether everyone said what they really thought, I’d love you to listen.

Subscribe for thoughtful conversations about leadership, thriving teams and the way we work together.

Resources:

  1. Megan’s book Speak Out, Listen Up

  2. Megan Reitz's Website

  3. Megan Reitz's LinkedIn Profile

  4. Thriving Teams by Claire Gray

Where to get the book, Thriving Leaders: Learn the Skills to Lead Confidently: 

Physical:  ⁠⁠Purchase here⁠⁠ 

International:  ⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠  ⁠⁠Booktopia⁠⁠  ⁠⁠Barnes & Noble⁠⁠ 

Audio:  ⁠⁠Audible⁠⁠  ⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠ 

 

For all other resources:  

– ⁠⁠Learn more about our leadership programs⁠⁠  

– ⁠⁠Join our fortnightly newsletter⁠⁠  

– Want to connect directly with Claire? ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠  

– Follow on ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠  

– Visit: ⁠⁠www.thrivingculture.com.au 

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