Ever been in a meeting where one person talks so much you start questioning every life choice that led you to that moment? The scene is familiar: you walk in prepared, slides ready, data analysed, plans carefully mapped out. Then someone; confident, loud and utterly convinced of their own importance, takes over. They interrupt before anyone finishes a sentence, restate points no one asked for and somehow manage to fill the room entirely. The confidence is unmistakable. And just as unmistakably, it’s treated as competence.
After twenty years in the world of work, I’ve sat through this more times than I can count. And while I’m wary of absolutes, one pattern keeps repeating: the loudest voice in the room is rarely the one with the clearest thinking. Volume often crowds out judgement and certainty can disguise a lack of depth.
This dynamic feels particularly visible in marketing. It’s a discipline where opinions are easy to form and hard to disprove in the moment. A skimmed article, a trending buzzword, a strong hunch; suddenly everyone has a view. Some of those views are useful. Many aren’t. Yet the ideas that dominate discussion are often the ones delivered with the most confidence or seniority, not the ones most grounded in evidence, experience or an understanding of what’s actually likely to deliver the work.
That has real consequences. Time is wasted exploring ideas that won’t survive contact with reality. More importantly, opportunities are missed. Thoughtful insights, less theatrically delivered, are often sidelined or never voiced at all.
This isn’t about villainising people. But when interruptions and dismissive reactions become the norm, they quietly reshape how decisions get made. Over time, they teach people that it’s safer to stay quiet than to contribute carefully.
When a few voices dominate, most people retreat. The room grows narrower, not smarter. Diversity of thought disappears and with it the chance of finding better answers. Meetings start to feel less like places to solve problems and more like stages where confidence is mistaken for clarity.
The quieter voices are often the ones doing the real work. They question assumptions, connect dots and think through consequences. Their ideas are often the ones that save time, budgets and credibility in the long run. Without space for those voices, the loudest person sets the tone and the quality of decisions suffers.
Rich’s song "Let me just stop you there" captures this dynamic perfectly, with humour and precision: the interruptions, the overconfidence, the casual dismissals. It’s funny because it’s recognisable. But the underlying point is serious. Work shouldn’t be a contest of dominance.
We all have a role in shaping that culture. Notice when someone is taking over. Question confidence that isn’t backed by substance. And speak up when others aren’t being heard. Looking back, there are plenty of moments where I wish I’d done this more often.
Because if we don’t, the loudest voice will keep winning. And the smartest ideas will continue to go unheard.
Listen to "Let me just stop you there" on Marketing Mixtape
