You’ve probably read before about the key phrases that greatest leaders say every day.
But great leaders are also wise when it comes to the opposite strategy: Sometimes, the smartest thing to say is nothing at all.
I’m not referring here simply to the advice your mother might have given you about keeping your mouth shut if you don’t have anything nice to say. Instead, think of the big moments when people come close to achieving goals, accomplishing great things, or even just developing good relationships and encouraging people to like them more. Sometimes, a simple slip of the tongue can set them back and destroy all they’ve worked for.
It’s the same issue whether we’re talking about negotiations, investigations, or plain old conversations. So, in the interest of preventing us from wishing wistfully that our mouths had been on Mute, here are 10 times when the sounds of silence are the best sounds of all.
- When the other side in a negotiation starts debating against itself
- When you’ve asked a question
- When the other side misunderstands (and you don’t have a duty to talk)
- When you don’t have any idea what you’re talking about
- When you need someone else to get the credit
- When you are bragging, as opposed to sharing
- When your comment is more about you than the other person
- When you want someone else to grow
- When you are clearly boring people
- When you begin a speech
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