Why the best leaders value quiet contributors over loud performers

Over more than three decades of working across banks, automotive companies, theme parks, sports bodies, food and beverage businesses, crisis environments and boardrooms, I’ve seen this pattern repeat itself again and again.

Real strength often moves quietly.

When the meetings end and the dashboards stop flashing, we will notice that it is not the loudest voices or the most visible performers who are quietly holding everything together. There’s a workplace analogy that’s been doing the rounds – and it resonates because it’s true.

Every workplace has what some have called the “fish”. They operate beneath the surface. They don’t fight for attention or dominate meetings. They don’t need recognition to stay motivated. They think deeply, anticipate problems and stabilise situations before they escalate. When things go wrong, they don’t panic. When things go right, they don’t boast.

Their work is rarely loud. But it endures.

And then, there are the chickens. Always moving. Always busy. Emails sent, messages fired off, tasks ticked off one after another. Their energy is visible and their effort undeniable. They play an important role too. But their contribution is different.

This metaphor captures something I’ve witnessed throughout my career: the problem begins when organisations confuse movement with meaning. When noise is mistaken for leadership. When visibility becomes the sole measure of value.

This is often what we see in politics – the loud noisemakers. True productivity isn’t performance theatre. It isn’t about those who speak the most or appear the busiest.

It is purpose, consistency and quiet excellence that doesn’t demand applause.

Leadership – not just in the corporate world but also among politicians, policymakers and the civil service – is not proven by how much one personally does, but by how much capability one builds without ever lowering standards.

Many leaders struggle with this. They believe their value lies in being the fastest problem-solver in the room. When something feels off, they step in. They take over presentations, rewrite proposals, rerun meetings or quietly sideline the person who stumbled.

It gets results quickly. But it also sends a message.

The senior leader who steps in with good intentions, fixes the issue and moves on, leaves behind something invisible but powerful…and intensely damaging. Doubt. A quiet question forming in someone’s mind: “Am I good enough?”

That single moment can undo months of confidence. It can turn capable people into cautious ones. It can make teams wait for permission instead of thinking independently.

Instead of taking over, good leaders sit down with the person, reframe what ‘good’ looks like and walk through the thinking, not just the outcomes. They stay close, offering clarity and guidance. They don’t remove ownership. Standards remain high and dignity remains intact.

Although it takes more time, something important happens. The person doesn’t just complete the task. They learn how to think, how to judge, how to improve. And the next time, they will not need as much support as they did before.

That is the difference between managing work and building leaders.

Many organisations, including the different arms of government and the civil service, fail to function efficiently not because of a lack of talent among their workers. These workers are misaligned with the organisation’s purpose, with leadership expectations and with their own sense of growth and worth.

Great leaders bridge that gap: they align personal confidence with company or organisational goals, capability with responsibility, and discipline with psychological safety.

Some of us are fortunate to have leaders who built us. Others survived despite leaders who didn’t.

And this leads to an uncomfortable truth. Leaders shape lives, whether they realise it or not. Some leaders make our working lives or our quality of life better. Others make them heavier. Some create clarity and growth. Others create fear and silence.

Most of this happens quietly, in small decisions no one documents – in who gets another chance and who doesn’t, in who is coached and who is replaced.

Great organisations don’t choose between fish and chickens. They need both. But great leaders know how to protect the thinkers, guide the doers, and create systems where both can thrive.

Leadership isn’t about being seen. It’s about leaving people better than you found them.

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