Building the Confidence to Speak Up

Raise your hand.
Sit in the front.
Ask the question everyone else is thinking but no one is saying out loud.

For many people, especially women and early-career leaders, speaking up in meetings can feel risky. We worry about sounding unprepared, being judged, or taking up too much space. So we stay quiet. We observe. We learn. And while there is real value in listening, growth and leadership require more than silence.

Being quiet can help you gather information. Speaking up is how you shape the room.

Why Speaking Up Matters

Research consistently shows that teams perform better when people feel safe to share ideas and ask questions. Harvard Business School professor Amy Edmondson’s work on psychological safety found that high-performing teams are not the ones that make the fewest mistakes, but the ones where people feel comfortable speaking up, admitting uncertainty, and contributing ideas.

Another study published by Harvard Business Review highlights that employees who regularly share ideas and ask questions are more likely to be perceived as confident and competent, even when their input is not perfect. Confidence, it turns out, is often less about having the right answer and more about being willing to participate.

Confidence Is Built Through Action

Confidence does not magically appear one day. It is built through repetition.

You do not need to dominate the conversation. Start small.
Ask one thoughtful question.
Share one perspective.
Sit closer to the table instead of at the edge of the room.

Each time you speak up, you reinforce self-trust. You teach yourself that your voice belongs in the space you occupy.

Pushing Past Comfort

Growth lives just outside your comfort zone. Speaking up may feel uncomfortable at first, and that’s okay. Discomfort is not a signal to stop. It is a signal that you are stretching.

Remember, many people in the room have the same question you do. They are waiting for someone else to say it first. When you speak up, you are not only helping yourself, you are often helping the entire group move forward.

Let’s Lead

Observation is valuable. Participation is powerful.

Leadership is not reserved for the loudest voice in the room. It belongs to those who are willing to engage, contribute, and step forward even when their voice shakes.

It is okay to speak up.
It is okay to ask the question.
It is okay to take up space.

Your voice matters.