Author: Phyllis Reagin is an Executive and Leadership Coach, Leadership Psychology Expert, and founder of At the Coach’s Table. She supports leaders in the entertainment and media industry to lead with clarity, confidence, and purpose.
When the ground feels shaky — layoffs, restructures, shifting priorities — it’s natural to pull back. I see it all the time: leaders who usually have strong instincts start second-guessing themselves. Add a little self-doubt, and suddenly you’re sitting in high-impact meetings thinking, “Maybe I’ll just stay quiet.”
That’s exactly what was happening with my client Annette, an Executive at a major music label. She told me, “I’m in the room for the big decisions, but I hold back my perspective. I worry about saying the wrong thing or sticking out too much.”
Annette has sharp instincts. She’s trusted in her field. She knows her perspective adds value. But in the moment, the fear of risk outweighed her confidence.
So in coaching, we worked on some simple shifts that helped her stop holding back and start speaking with conviction.
1. See your POV as value — not risk
When Annette stayed quiet, her brain was focused on all the things that could go wrong:
What if people disagree? What if I sound off-base?
We flipped it. Instead of asking, “What’s the risk of speaking up?” she started asking, “What’s the value if I do?”
That shift was huge. She realized not sharing her POV was actually the bigger risk — to her credibility, her team, and the decision-making happening in the room.
2. Speak from conviction, not perfection
Annette had a habit of waiting until her thoughts felt “fully baked.” By then, the moment had passed.
We practiced jumping in sooner, even if it wasn’t polished:
- “Here’s what I’m noticing…”
- “From my perspective, we should consider…”
- “Looking at it from a music strategy angle, my take is…”
The difference was immediate. Instead of sounding hesitant, she sounded confident and engaged, even when her point was still evolving.
3. Repeat strategically
In fast-moving conversations, one comment can get lost. So Annette started using what I call strategic repetition…circling back to her point later and tying it to what the group agreed on.
For example, if she floated an idea early on, she would come back with: “That connects to the direction we just landed on. Here’s how it fits.”
This reinforced her POV and showed conviction without her having to fight for airtime. Over time, her colleagues began to look to her to ground the discussion.
Uncertainty makes it tempting to play small. But your POV matters. And like Annette discovered, you don’t have to wait until it’s perfect to speak up. Reframe your value, share your conviction, and keep your perspective in the mix.
If you’ve been holding back in high-stakes conversations, let’s change that. I’m offering a free 30-minute consultation where we will uncover what’s getting in your way and build strategies to help you lead with conviction. Book your consultation here.
Meet Phyllis Reagin — A former entertainment exec turned high-impact coach. Phyllis is on a mission to help trailblazing leaders in Hollywood and beyond ditch self-doubt or Imposter Syndrome, use their strengths to make the biggest impact, and to start living from their own genius. She’s coached thousands of leaders and teams (from Netflix, Warner Bros. Discovery, Amazon MGM Studios, Google, Meta, Spotify, Atlantic Records, Paramount Global, and more) to lead with greater confidence, influence, and impact. If it boosts leadership impact and builds confident leaders, she’s on it! Read more about her here.
Learn more about Phyllis Reagin here: https://www.phyllisreagin.com