Anton Guinea
Entrepreneur, Speaker, bestselling author, and founder of The Guinea Group of Companies. For over 15 years, Anton has helped leaders move their teams to become psychologically safe, physically safe and overall better versions of themselves.
What if the quietest person in the room was the one shaping its future?
I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve seen the loudest voice take the lead, and the quietest mind get ignored. It happens in boardrooms, on-site, in stand-ups. But over the years, I’ve come to see that some of the best leaders don’t boom when they walk into a room. They build, they observe, they anchor.
This is what I call quiet growth with loud impact. And it works. Not just sometimes. Often. And especially when a team’s under pressure.
Not all growth has to be noisy
We’ve been sold a story that leadership has to be loud. That growth looks like explosive success, titles, or a room full of applause. But in my experience, the kind of growth that sticks is often subtle, slow, and self-directed.
I’ve worked with leaders who never raise their voice but change entire team cultures by their presence. They lead through consistency. Through curiosity. And most importantly, through reflection. I talk more about that in this piece on the lost art of introspection.
This idea isn’t just instinctive. It’s backed by research. This paper on paradoxical leadership explores how leaders who can balance strength with humility actually outperform those who rely on force alone. And that hits home for me.
The paradox that most leaders miss
We all know someone who leads with a big voice but a small backbone. And we’ve probably all worked with someone who didn’t say much, but when they did, everyone listened. That’s the paradox. Quiet leadership doesn’t mean small leadership. It means deliberate leadership.
Some of the strongest results I’ve seen in leadership coaching have come from people who stopped chasing attention and started cultivating intention. I wrote about this shift in what will you be remembered for, and it’s something I come back to often in conversations with senior leaders.
Sometimes, it’s the leader who takes a breath, asks one good question, and listens, that makes the biggest difference.
The introverted leader isn’t missing anything
One of the biggest myths I see in workplaces across Australia is that quiet people aren’t “leadership material.” It’s rubbish. Some of our most impactful clients have been introverts who took time to unlock their leadership potential by leaning into their quiet confidence.
One bloke I coached, barely spoke in meetings for the first few months. But when we worked on how to own space without owning the spotlight, his influence shot through the roof. His team began listening. His boss began trusting. Nothing changed… except everything.
As this article on quiet leadership points out, quiet doesn’t mean passive. It means aware. And awareness is what every team needs right now, especially with pressure, burnout and uncertainty still hanging around post-COVID.
Speaking safely is part of growing quietly
I created the speak safe training program for this exact reason. Because leaders who create space for others to speak, without fear, build the strongest foundations. It’s not about having all the answers. It’s about asking better questions and allowing room for real dialogue.
If you’re a leader who wants your team to perform, not just follow, you’ve got to start by making it safe for them to think. You can read more about how great leaders create safety in the everyday things they do.
Not everyone wants to stand on the stage, and that’s fine
I’ll be honest. I don’t care if you’re not a keynote speaker. What I do care about is whether you show up for your team. Whether you lead with emotional intelligence. Whether you’re building a safe, high-performing workplace. And whether your growth is the kind that builds other people up along the way.
Because quiet growth doesn’t mean hidden growth. It just means your leadership is rooted in something deeper than noise.
If that’s the kind of leader you want to be, book a chat with me here. I’d love to help you get there.
Here’s how this looks in practice
You start by building small daily habits. A morning reset. One mindful pause before replying to that sharp email. A quick check-in with someone who seems a bit off. These aren’t showy moves. But they shift culture more than a new vision statement ever will.
I talk through some of these ideas in this article on leadership reflection. Give it a read if you’re the kind of leader who’s ready to move from reaction to reflection.
Looking for support?
If this resonates with you, and you’re ready to lead with clarity, not just volume, reach out for a chat.
Quiet growth isn’t for everyone. But for those who choose it, the impact speaks louder than any slogan ever could.
Please click the image below if you’d like to chat about what leadership means to you
If you would like to learn more about Anton or The Guinea Group, please click here to book into Anton’s calendar, to:
UPGRADE your Mindset
UPSKILL your Leadership
UPLIFT your Teams