In too many workplaces, the loudest voices dominate conversations. They speak first, speak longest and often walk away with their ideas shaping the agenda. Meanwhile, quieter team members who prefer to listen, reflect and weigh their words carefully are overlooked.

I’ve spent much of my career in male-dominated environments where confidence was mistaken for competence and volume was seen as authority. As a young woman and single parent trying to build a career, I quickly learned that being quiet could be misinterpreted as being unsure or passive. In those rooms, silence was often a disadvantage.