258. When Power Talks, People Walk: Why Leaders Don’t Hear What Matters Most

Think Fast Talk Smart: Communication Techniques

Think Fast Talk Smart

Education, Career Growth, Career, Improv, Public Speaking, Influence, Career Skills, Communicating, Careers, Language Learning, Business, Communication, Leadership

4.7 • 805 Ratings

🗓️ 26 January 2026

⏱️ 29 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Why it’s critical to say what needs to be said — and listen when others do the same.

Speak out, listen up — these are Megan Reitz’s core pillars of workplace communication. According to her, healthy organizations are only possible when everyone can say what they think, and they know they’ll be heard.

Reitz is an academic and author whose work focuses on creating workplaces where all voices are heard and valued. Her latest book, Speak Out, Listen Up, explores the power dynamics that shape our communication at work and beyond. “Conversational habits define organizational success and our capacity to flourish,” she says. “Ethical conduct depends on what we're able to say and what we aren't, and whether we're heard or not. Innovation depends on our capacity to speak up, challenge, and disrupt, and whether that is heard or not. And of course, our engagement and our ability to perform depends on a feeling that our opinion is valued and that we're respected.”

In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Reitz and host Matt Abrahams discuss how to create workplaces where every voice is heard. From her T.R.U.T.H. framework (trust, risk, understanding, titles, and how-to) to the pitfalls of communicational power dynamics, Reitz’s insights reveal why healthy organizations are only possible when we all speak out and listen up.

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Chapters:

(00:00) - Introduction
(02:19) - The TRUTH Framework
(05:30) - Status, Titles, and Voice
(09:19) - Power Traps For Leaders
(14:04) - Mindful Leadership = Habit Change
(18:33) - The Final Three Questions
(26:26) - Conclusion

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi, Matt here. Before we get started, I wanted to highlight a recent milestone, our six-year
0:05.7	anniversary. And to celebrate, we've got some exciting changes coming, more episodes, more
0:10.7	ways to connect, and some brand new ways to learn and grow your communication and career skills.
0:15.5	At the end of this episode, stay and listen in, and I'll share what's new and how you can get
0:19.9	even more from our show.
0:21.4	As always, thanks for listening.
0:23.4	Now a word from one of our sponsors.
0:25.7	Their support allows us to bring you quality content free of charge.
0:31.7	Hi, Matt here.
0:33.0	The start of the new year gives us a moment to rethink how we work.
0:36.2	And I don't know about you, but I want to work more efficiently. And that's why I'm going to double down on Grammarly.
0:42.4	Grammarly has been super helpful to me. It brings everything I need to do when writing all together.
0:47.6	So I can take my writing from draft to done in one place, emails, presentations, proposals.
0:53.9	I don't lose momentum and you won't either.
0:57.1	Grammarly even helps you use AI more thoughtfully and thoroughly. You can get real-time
1:01.8	suggestions, refine your tone, or ask for help, all while keeping your own voice front and center.
1:08.1	I found it saves time and makes writing feel more manageable and even enjoyable.
1:13.1	In fact, 90% of professionals say Grammarly saves them time, writing, and editing.
1:18.9	Sign up for Grammarly free and take your professional writing from draft to done.
1:24.0	Visit Grammarly.com. That's Grammarly.com. That's grammarly.com.
1:31.8	Communication really works when people feel comfortable speaking up and knowing that they'll be
1:39.3	listened to. I'm Matt Abrahams and I teach strategic communication at Stanford Graduate School of Business.
	...

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