Ever had your story hijacked in a meeting?
Like halfway through, a colleague jumps in: “Oh, that reminds me of when we…”
… and suddenly, it’s their story. Their airtime. While your point vanishes into thin air.
That’s so frustrating, isn’t it?
Some thoughts on how to deal with this in the video.
Join us tomorrow for an exclusive live session with more tips on how to lead in a system that makes leading hard: https://michaelgerharz.com/live
Keep lighting the path!
Transcript
Welcome back to “Irresistible Communication”.
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:Two minutes, one insight
on how to find better
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:words
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:.
Speaker: You're in the exec meeting.
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:You finally have the floor and you're
sharing a story you've chosen carefully,
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:something that proves a point,
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:that shows what's really going on.
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:But halfway through,
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:a colleague jumps in: “Oh,
that reminds me of when we…”
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:And suddenly it's their
story, their airtime.
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:And your point?
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:Vanishes into thin air.
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:This is so frustrating, isn't it?
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:I mean, why do they always
have to hijack the story just
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:to make themselves look smart?
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:Honestly, it stings.
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:And it can feel like they're
trying to undercut you.
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:But are they?
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:Because here's what
might really be going on.
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:In leadership teams, airtime is currency.
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:It signals relevance,
influence, and status.
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:So when someone hijacks your story,
it's not necessarily to undercut you.
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:Often, it's more to prove they belong.
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:It's insecurity wrapped in
performance, and if we're
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:honest, it's not even unusual.
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:Every one of us has done it at some point.
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:You hear a story,
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:it triggers one of your own,
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:and you can't resist.
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:You jump in to contribute, to connect, to
show you've got something valuable too.
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:Seen through that lens,
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:the hijack is less about
malice and more about need.
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:The need to be heard
and the need to be seen.
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:So what do you do?
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:Well, you don't win this by
fighting for airtime harder.
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:You win it by using your airtime
to turn the spotlight around.
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:Instead of keeping it on yourself,
you point it forward onto the
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:team, onto the path ahead.
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:You make them feel seen and
nurture a sense of belonging.
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:'cause here's the thing, as long
as airtime feels like it's about
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:individuals, people will fight for it.
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:But when you turn it towards
the group, the fight disappears.
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:Because when people feel the spotlight
includes them, they stop grabbing for it.
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:Keep lighting the path.