Leaders Don't Need To Be Loud To Be Influential

Welcome to the Vantage Influencers podcast. This podcast is sponsored by Vantage Circle, the simple and effective recognition platform for employee engagement.

We've all been in rooms where the loudest voice seems to take the lead. But if you really think about it, influence doesn't always come from who speaks the most. It often comes from who people choose to listen to. And that's exactly what we are unpacking today. Because in a world that often rewards visibility and constant presence, there's a quieter kind of leadership that's just as powerful, or even more. To explore this, I'm joined by Hassan Trad, Head of Talent Management at Finance House. He brings a thoughtful perspective on leadership and influence, and what it really takes to make an impact without always being the loudest in the room.

Sanjeevani Saikia: Hi, Hassan. Thank you so much for joining us today.

Hassan Trad: Hi, thank you. Thank you, Sanjeevani. Thank you so much for having me.

Sanjeevani Saikia: It's a pleasure to have you on the show. Before we begin today's conversation, could you kindly walk us through your corporate journey so far?

Hassan Trad: Sure. So my name is Hassan, as you rightly said, and I've been in this journey for over 17 years. My experience is mostly financial services, insurance, reinsurance, investment, and telecommunication. As Head of Talent Management, I look at initiatives that really strengthen organizational capabilities, develop future leaders, and drive high-performance cultures. My specialization is basically translating business strategy into practical people solutions through leadership development, succession planning, performance management, and learning transformation. I'm a Chartered Fellow of the CIPD, I have a fellowship also for the Chartered Management Institute, I'm also a Fellow of the Institute of Leadership and Management UK, and I'm a Certified Fellow of the Australian HR Institute. I'm a guest lecturer and a judge for the CIPD Middle East People Award, and I've had the pleasure to contribute to the advancement of HR practices and the development of future HR leaders across this region. I feel really pleased and honoured to be a part of this journey. So this is, in a nutshell, who Hassan is.

Sanjeevani Saikia: Wonderful. Thank you so much for sharing your journey with us, Hassan. So with your permission, I'd like to begin our discussion on today's topic.

Hassan Trad: Sure. Please go ahead.

Sanjeevani Saikia: You know, when we think about leadership, we often picture someone who's outspoken, someone who's highly visible and constantly driving conversations. But in reality, not every influential leader fits that mould, and honestly, some of the most impactful ones don't. So I wanted to explore this idea a little deeper, especially around quieter leadership styles and how influence really shows up in teams. What do you have to say about that, Hassan?

Hassan Trad: Well, you're absolutely right, Sanjeevani. There are quite a lot of leadership styles across the organisation, but yes, you're absolutely right, there are always these quieter leaders that we always wonder how they command respect and shape decisions in organisations. So my two cents on this is that quieter leaders really command respect less through volume, but more through consistency and clarity. They tend to listen really deeply, they are great listeners, which means when they do speak, they usually consider and really add value because it's well thought through. It's not just people being loud and speaking, and over time, people learn from their input, because it's not noise, it's a signal. They shape decisions, in my opinion, behind the scenes. Instead of dominating meetings, they build alignment one on one. They ask very thoughtful questions, and they influence the direction before the room even gathers. That kind of leadership, I would definitely call it, is not a subtle leadership, but it is an incredible, effective leadership. I do hope I answered your question, Sanjeevani.

Sanjeevani Saikia: Yes, you did. You know, I have seen situations where someone who speaks less actually ends up shaping the direction of a conversation in a big way, like you already said. So it makes me wonder how that dynamic really works in practice, because we always had examples of people who speak loudly, who are more visible, who have better command. But now we're seeing a whole different picture. So from your experience, how can quieter leaders still command respect and shape decisions within the team?

Hassan Trad: That's actually because of their ability to listen very carefully, and they ask the right questions. Once you are in a position where you have the full information and you've been listening quite a lot to whatever is happening, and asking the right questions, you have the full information to take the right decision. So once the decision is taken, it's always seen as a very effective decision, one that's pretty much aligned to the direction of the organization. So those quieter leaders command respect and shape decisions by being the listeners and taking the right decisions within the organization. That's their top skill, if you want to call it that.

Sanjeevani Saikia: Yeah, there are multiple generations in a particular organization. We have Gen Z entering the workforce as well. So when you talk about Gen Z, are you seeing a different kind of leadership style that they're approaching, or what kind of behaviors do they exhibit that you can predict whether they're going to be leaders who are louder or quieter?

Hassan Trad: Well, again, it depends on the individual personality and the style of each leader, because as I mentioned earlier, there are many leadership styles. But when it comes to talking about quieter leadership across different generations, from what I've seen, the new generation, Gen Z in particular, coming into organizations, they want quick results, they want quick turnaround, they want quick development, they want to take fast decisions, and they're very agile and very open to change, to technology, and so on. And that sometimes seems kind of risky for a lot of other stakeholders within the organization. So, let's understand this. I do not believe that Gen Z are the quiet ones. There could definitely be quiet leaders within Gen Z, but overall I would say they're loud, energetic, they come in wanting to change, they want to grow fast, and so on. And there are lots of organizations who can accommodate that. Again, the right organization and the right maturity within that organization dictate what kind of leadership style works there. We've seen over the last couple of years young, energetic leaders come into an organization, transform it, and create a success story. So we're not in a position to say this kind of leadership is good or it's not good. No, it's the context that makes the difference, the type of business that makes the difference, and the organization itself where those people are operating.

Sanjeevani Saikia: Right. So you've mentioned a very important point, that it depends from context to context, and how a person responds to a given situation largely depends on the situation itself. I'd like to understand that a little deeper. What are the kinds of situations where a leader has to be a little louder, and what are the situations where a leader can be a little more laid-back or quieter in approach?

Hassan Trad: Again, it depends on the situation itself, the context itself. It depends on what the plan is for the organization. Are we in a growth state? Are we in a recovery state? Are we in an emergency state? What kind of state are we in as an organization? That's number one. Number two, it depends also on the culture of the organization. How is the culture? Is there trust within the organization? Are people empowered to take the right decisions? How do people react to change, and to things in general? So the right leader, or the good leader if I may describe it that way, is one who tailors their own leadership style depending on the situation and the circumstances. We've seen in so many organizations where the same leader manages completely different teams. Say one team requires a more often loud leadership style, and that works for them. Another team, I would rather be quiet, I would rather focus on teamwork. So that's also a skill, that a good leader knows how to manage their leadership style depending on the team and the situation within the organization.

Sanjeevani Saikia: Okay. Building on that, I sometimes feel like workplaces still tend to reward the most visible voices in the room. I may be wrong in saying that, but somewhere I feel it's still prevalent, which makes me question whether quieter leaders are not always recognized in the same way, even when they're contributing just as meaningfully, if not more. So do you think organizations sometimes overlook quieter leaders, do you think they're less recognized, and if so, what strengths might they be missing out on?

Hassan Trad: That's a very nice question, thank you for that, Sanjeevani. The answer is yes, absolutely, quieter leaders are overlooked. Recognition depends on many circumstances within the organization, its processes, and so on, but the actual answer is yes, absolutely. Many organizations still equate visibility with leadership, which often favors more vocal personalities. Some organizations say, this leader is loud, he talks a lot, he's influential, and so on, while the other one doesn't talk much, is very quiet, and so on. So yes, they are overlooked. But what they miss is the depth. Quieter leaders often bring stronger critical thinking. As we discussed earlier, their strength is listening. They're very active listeners, and active listeners tend to be strong when it comes to critical thinking, because they take in all the information, look at different factors, and can come up with a better decision. They have better risk assessment, and they have higher emotional intelligence because they know how to manage that across the organization. From experience, they're the ones who create what we call psychological safety, and that's what most employees need. They're looking for psychological safety, feeling heard, which leads to better ideas and more honest conversation. Quiet leaders play a big role in creating that kind of environment, where everyone within the organization wants to feel heard and wants to have honest conversations. In a fast-moving environment, that kind of thinking can be the difference between a reactive decision and a smart decision. So it's important not to overlook quieter leaders and just focus on the ones who are loud. I do hope I answered your question, Sanjeevani.

Sanjeevani Saikia: Yes, you absolutely did. Moving on, it's important to understand, Hassan, what behaviors or leadership qualities really allow someone to build influence, other than great communication skills, other than being loud or quiet. What are the other skills that a leader particularly needs to have?

Hassan Trad: From my experience over close to 20 years, there are a few behaviors that really build influence without dominating conversation that I can mention. Number one is active listening. I know I keep repeating it, but active listening is quite important because it's not just hearing, it's reflecting and building on other ideas. Number two, for me, is asking sharp questions. Sometimes the best way to lead is to guide thinking, not give answers. You ask the right question, a sharp question, and that's where you start leading the thinking in the room. Number three, consistency, which is the greatest of everything. Delivering results builds credibility faster than speaking often. Delivering consistent results over a period of time enhances influence, enhances trust, enhances the organization. Number four, a calmer presence. People trust leaders who don't get swept up in noise or ego. People feel comfortable around a calmer presence, it feels great to be around them. And timing is critical too. Speaking at the right moment is much more powerful than speaking the most. Over years of experience, I'd say influence isn't about airtime, it's about impact, and that comes from choosing the right moment to speak.

Sanjeevani Saikia: I think you've highlighted each and every behavior or quality a leader must have in a very beautiful way. So thank you so much for that. We're reaching the end of today's episode, but before we wrap up, what are some key trends you're witnessing in the leadership space? And at the same time, do let us know if quieter, more thoughtful leadership styles will become more valuable or more trending in the future.

Hassan Trad: Will quieter leadership become more valuable in the future? I think it's already more valuable right now. Remember, Sanjeevani, 20 years ago is different from today, we're in 2026, work has become much more complex, much more collaborative. The ability to listen, to synthesize, to think critically is becoming more important than simply speaking loudly or quickly. Let's not forget the remote and hybrid work as well. Influence is less about who dominates the room and more about who brings clarity, alignment, and good judgment. So yes, quieter, more thoughtful leadership isn't just valuable, it's increasingly essential. That's something we've seen clearly over the last couple of years as we've had more complex, collaborative work in organizations. We're looking at how leaders can bring everyone together, working toward the strategy and objective of the organization. Without that clarity and alignment and good judgment, everyone just goes into different directions, and it becomes people just speaking loudly instead. That's something we've seen, and yes, absolutely, the future will have more quiet leaders.

Sanjeevani Saikia: Wonderful. This was a very interesting topic that we took today, and you've answered each and every question of mine so beautifully. I'm sure our listeners will be able to relate to it amazingly as well. Is there any final message for our listeners before we wrap up?

Hassan Trad: Thank you so much, Sanjeevani, it's really been a pleasure talking to you and answering these questions. Leadership is quite an interesting topic, and from my experience, leadership is not about occupying the most space in the room. I used to think, many years ago, that being loud and occupying the most space in the room was what leadership was about, but as we've moved forward and seen different models of work in place, I can say that leadership is not about occupying the most space in the room, it's about creating the space where others can do their best work. Sometimes the loudest voice may command attention, but the most resourceful voice will earn trust, and trust helps people come together, feel heard, and work toward a common goal. So, thank you Sanjeevani, it's been a great discussion, and I hope our listeners find it informative and useful.

Sanjeevani Saikia: Thank you so much, Hassan, thanks a lot for joining us today.

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