Megan ReitzEvery podcast appearance, updated as new ones drop

The strategy meeting ends and everyone appears to agree. Then the real conversation begins elsewhere. I’ve seen this happen in leadership teams, and it leaves me wondering: what made it difficult to say those things in the room? I’m joined by Megan Reitz, Professor of Leadership and Dialogue at Hult International Business School and Associate Fellow at Saïd Business School, Oxford University. Megan’s work explores speaking up, listening and the role power plays in our conversations. We talk about what leaders might miss when a team appears aligned...

In this episode, Bradley Hamner sits down with Megan Reitz, researcher, speaker, and author focused on dialogue in organizations. Megan shares insights from years of studying why people speak up, why they stay silent, and how leaders influence both through the way they show up. They explore how leadership presence affects team communication, why most leaders overestimate their listening skills, and how everyday signals can either invite ideas or shut them down. Megan also explains how habits, attention, and curiosity shape whether meaningful conversations actually happen inside organizations. This conversation looks at what prevents honest dialogue and how leaders can create space for it. How do you encourage feedback without intimidating your team? What signals are you sending in meetings? And how do you address the “elephant in the room” before silence turns into resentment? If you want to improve how your team communicates, invite better feedback, and create an environment where people feel safe to speak up, this conversation is for you. Visit https://workshop.blueprintos.com to register for the upcoming Above The Business workshop. Learn more about Megan Reitz: https://www.meganreitz.com Connect with Megan Reitz on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meganreitz/ Check out her latest book – Speak Out, Listen Up: https://a.co/d/090esprL Thanks to our sponsors Coach P Consulting Coach P found great success as an insurance agent and agency owner, leading a large and stable team of top-performing professionals. Today, he shares the systems, delegation strategies, and specialization methods he developed along the way. Gain access to weekly training calls and mentoring at: https://www.coachpconsulting.com Be sure to mention you heard about it on the Above The Business Podcast. Autopilot Recruiting Autopilot Recruiting helps small business owners solve staffing challenges by taking the stress out of hiring. Their dedicated recruiters work on your behalf every business day, optimizing your applicant tracking system, posting job listings, and sourcing candidates through social media and local communities. https://www.autopilotrecruiting.com Mention Above The Business Podcast when you reach out. Direct Clicks Direct Clicks is built by business owners, for business owners. They specialize in custom marketing solutions that drive real results. From paid search campaigns to SEO and social media management, they provide comprehensive digital marketing support to help your business grow. Exclusive offer for listeners: https://directclicksinc.com/abovethebusiness Get a free marketing campaign audit and actionable recommendations. About Above The Business Above The Business is hosted by Bradley Hamner, founder of BlueprintOS, and focuses on helping small business owners transition from Rainmaker to Architect by building systems, teams, and operations that scale.

How “spaciousness” helps teams move beyond busywork — and build the conditions for honest conversation. “We’re just so busy right now” is one of the most common reasons cultures don’t change — and it’s exactly what Megan Reitz set out to understand. In her research, she describes two modes of attention at work: doing mode, where focus narrows to tasks, control, and quick progress, and spacious mode, where attention expands, insight emerges, and real connection becomes possible. Reitz is a leadership researcher whose work explores how people speak up, listen well, and create environments where others can be heard — because, as she puts it, “how you show up affects the voices of the people around you.” When teams are anxious or rushed, attention tightens and listening gets shallow; when there’s more safety and space, people can pause, widen their perspective, and make better choices together. In this Quick Thinks episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart , Reitz and host Matt Abrahams discuss why organizations get stuck in doing mode and what it takes to build spacious agility. They share practical ways to name spaciousness, strengthen psychological safety, introduce healthy dissonance (even through assigned roles like devil’s advocate), and respond in ways that keep people speaking up — not shutting down. Episode Reference Links: Megan Reitz Megan’s Book: Speak Out, Listen Up Ep.132 Lean Into Failure: How to Make Mistakes That Work Ep.148 Conviction and Compassion: How to Have Hard Conversations Connect: Premium Signup >>>> Think Fast Talk Smart Premium Email Questions & Feedback >>> hello@fastersmarter.io Episode Transcripts >>> Think Fast Talk Smart Website Newsletter Signup + English Language Learning >>> FasterSmarter.io Think Fast Talk Smart >>> LinkedIn , Instagram , YouTube Matt Abrahams >>><a href="https://www.linkedi

What does it truly mean to find a sense of spaciousness and permission to pause in a world that constantly demands our attention? Global business thinker Megan Reitz , an Associate Fellow at Saïd Business School at Oxford University and Adjunct Professor of Leadership and Dialogue at Hult International Business School, unpacks her latest research on attention management. She explores the difference between the instrumental "doing mode" and the expansive "spacious mode," and shares the personal flashpoints—from growing up on a farm to stepping off the consulting partner track—that ignited her work in mindfulness, dialogue, and leadership. Discover how setting boundaries and embracing "structure creates freedom" can help you take more agency over your life and focus on what is truly worth your attention. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! https://www.ipurposepartners.com/podcast

Why it’s critical to say what needs to be said — and listen when others do the same. Speak out, listen up — these are Megan Reitz’s core pillars of workplace communication. According to her, healthy organizations are only possible when everyone can say what they think, and they know they’ll be heard. Reitz is an academic and author whose work focuses on creating workplaces where all voices are heard and valued. Her latest book, Speak Out, Listen Up , explores the power dynamics that shape our communication at work and beyond. “Conversational habits define organizational success and our capacity to flourish,” she says. “Ethical conduct depends on what we're able to say and what we aren't, and whether we're heard or not. Innovation depends on our capacity to speak up, challenge, and disrupt, and whether that is heard or not. And of course, our engagement and our ability to perform depends on a feeling that our opinion is valued and that we're respected.” In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart , Reitz and host Matt Abrahams discuss how to create workplaces where every voice is heard. From her T.R.U.T.H. framework (trust, risk, understanding, titles, and how-to) to the pitfalls of communicational power dynamics, Reitz’s insights reveal why healthy organizations are only possible when we all speak out and listen up. Episode Reference Links: Megan Reitz Megan’s Book: Speak Out, Listen Up Ep.132 Lean Into Failure: How to Make Mistakes That Work Ep.148 Conviction and Compassion: How to Have Hard Conversations Connect: Premium Signup >>>> Think Fast Talk Smart Premium Email Questions & Feedback >>> hello@fastersmarter.io Episode Transcripts >>> Think Fast Talk Smart Website Newsletter Signup + English Language Learning >>> FasterSmarter.io Think Fast Talk Smart >>> LinkedIn , Instagram , <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6caGRBUYZCmgDGM2RK6mxKB9jG_

Is there space to think, breathe, or connect in your workday? In this episode, I talk with leadership thinker and mindfulness researcher Megan Reitz about the tension between doing and being – and how fear, power and pressure keep us stuck in overdrive. Megan is an Associate Fellow at Oxford’s Saïd Business School and co-author of Speak Up and Speak Out, Listen Up . Her latest research explores spaciousness - a different kind of attention that opens up creativity, connection and compassion. Together we examine how workplace culture often rewards busyness over awareness - and what we lose when we constantly prioritise speed, certainty and performance. We explore: How anxiety shapes attention - and limits creativity The impact of power, status and unspoken dynamics in leadership Why language matters - and what gets lost when we only speak in targets and metrics How spaciousness can release compassion, curiosity and insight Practical ways to bring more space into work, leadership and life This is a thoughtful, expansive conversation that doesn’t just talk about making space - it invites you to feel it. Grounded in both research and lived experience, it helps us examine our defaults, rethink productivity, and reconnect with what matters. If you’ve ever said, “I’d love to slow down… but I just don’t have time,” this one’s for you. Continue the conversation with Grace here: gracemarshall.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/gracemarshall/ Instagram: instagram.com/gracemarshallninja/ About Guest Megan is Associate Fellow at Saïd Business School, Oxford University and Adjunct Professor of Leadership and Dialogue at Hult International Business School. She focuses on how we create the conditions for transformative dialogue at work and her research is at the intersection of leadership, change, dialogue and mindfulness. She is on the Thinkers50 ranking of global business thinkers and HR Magazine’s list of Most Influential Thinkers. Her books include Speak Up and the updated Speak Out, Listen Up , shortlisted for the CMI Management Book of the Year. Her TED talk on employee activism has been viewed over 1.5 million times, and her research has been featured by the BBC, CNBC, Harvard Business Review and MIT Sloan. She is mother to two wonderful teenage daughters who test her regularly on her powers of mindfulness and dialogue. Find out more at https://www.meganreitz.com/ The podcast was produced by pronkproductions.com

Busyness is killing productivity and harming workplace culture. Here's how to counter it for amazing results at individual, team and organizational levels. In this conversation, author and expert Megan Reitz discusses the dangers of busyness in modern leadership and the importance of spacious thinking and mindfulness. She emphasizes the need for leaders to create environments that foster spaciousness, allowing for better decision-making, creativity, and well-being. The discussion covers practical steps to integrate spacious thinking into daily routines and highlights the future of leadership in a rapidly changing world. What this episode covers: How Busyness can lead to mental and physical health issues. Why spacious thinking allows for creativity and insight. The fact that mindfulness is often misunderstood in corporate settings. Why creating safety in the workplace is essential for spaciousness. How attention can be trained and should not be left to chance. Taking small pauses in the day can help create spaciousness. Why conflict can lead to new perspectives and insights. The ways the physical environment impacts our thinking and creativity. Why leaders must adapt to the pace of technology by embracing spaciousness. How mindfulness is a practice that requires ongoing effort. Chapters 00:00 The Dangers of Busyness 07:50 Understanding Mindfulness in the Workplace 14:06 The Irony of Productivity and Spaciousness 16:29 Exploring Spacious Thinking 21:01 The Power of Spaciousness 29:19 Creating Space in Leadership 37:17 The Future of Work and Spacious Thinking 41:29 Practical Steps to Invite Spaciousness Learn more about Professor Megan Reitz, including where to connect with her, right here https://www.wearehumanleaders.com/podcast/escaping-busyness-trap-megan-reitz As Human Leaders we’re seeking to lead better, living truer, and being the change we want to see in the world. This is how we recreate workplaces, and the world into a place where people flourish and thrive. Human first, leader second. Thanks for listening to the episode! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As time hurtles by at lighting pace, there is scarcely a second to take stock and breathe. Across the world, work seems increasingly harried and fraught and it’s taking its toll on engagement and organisational performance. In this episode, Dom, Jen and Cat talk with Megan Reitz and John Higgins about their most recent research report, Permission to pause: Rediscovering spaciousness at work . They look at what it is, and why it’s a business-critical issue. Against a rising tide of stress anxiety and burnout, spaciousness is the one permission we should all be granting ourselves, not least if we stand any chance of resolving society’s most pressing challenges. To find out more go to www.johnhigginsresearch.com , www.radicalod.org , and www.meganreitz.com About Megan Reitz Megan is Associate Fellow at Saïd Business School, Oxford University and Adjunct Professor of Leadership and Dialogue at Hult International Business School. She focuses on how we create the conditions for transformative dialogue at work and her research is at the intersection of leadership, change, dialogue and mindfulness. She is on the Thinkers50 ranking of global business thinkers and is ranked in HR Magazine’s Most Influential Thinkers listing. Megan has written a number of books, most recently Speak Out, Listen Up which is the second edition of her bestselling book Speak Up , with Financial Times Publishing. Speak Up was shortlisted for the CMI Management Book of the Year 2020. Megan is a contributor to Harvard Business Review and MIT Sloan Management Review. She has presented her research on the BBC and CNBC. Her TED talk on the topic of employee activism has been viewed more than one and a half million times. She is mother to two wonderful teenage daughters who test her regularly on her powers of mindfulness and dialogue. Find Megan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meganreitz/ Megan’s website: https://www.meganreitz.com/ About John Higgins John is a widely published researcher and author who for many years has been exploring, with Megan Reitz, what it takes for truth to be spoken to power at work – and how this shapes workplace activism. Their work has appeared in the Harvard Business Review, Sloan Management Review and the European Business Review – and on various public platforms, from Radio 4’s ‘The Bottom Line’ to Brene Brown’s ‘Dare to Lead’ podcast. For the last year and a half, John and Megan have been looking at the concept of spaciousness, and what it takes for organisations to marry a more spacious mode to enrich an over-focus on tasks and busy doing. Alongside this John has written two books, alongside Mark Cole, which critique the taken for granted assumptions about what counts as good organisational management and leadership. John’s website: http://www.johnhigginsresearch.com The report: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/597729cbcf81e0f87c7f6c61/t/677b9b9a26a22a7351dce717/1736154022120/SpaciousnessREPORT_90pp_FULL.pdf Articles: https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/create-mental-space-to-be-a-wiser-leader/ https://hbr.org/2025/02/how-to-give-yourself-more-space-to-think

With so many pressing environmental and social challenges to address, workplace activism is on the rise. Concerned citizens are increasingly using whatever means they have – whether as consumers, shareholders, or increasingly now, workers – to raise awareness and effect change for the issues that matter to them. This has dynamic consequences for business. Organisations must work out how best to respond to colleagues who bring social and environmental justice issues to work. Those that refuse to listen to the concerns of their staff face disengagement, or worse, mutiny. How can – and should - leaders shift from traditionally hierarchical ways of thinking about the views and opinions of their workers towards leveraging and integrating those views for the benefit of all? In this episode, Jen, Dom and Cat speak to Megan Reitz and John Higgins, co-authors of Speak Up: Say What Needs to be Said and Hear What Needs to be Heard . They explore the role of colleague voice in engagement and look at the role of internal communication in helping organisations become better equipped to hear – and leverage – the views that matter. +++++ Find Megan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meganreitz/ Megan’s website: https://www.meganreitz.com/ John’s website: http://www.johnhigginsresearch.com

On this episode of Culture & Compliance Chronicles , Nitish Upadhyaya from Ropes & Gray’s Insights Lab and Richard Bistrong of Front-Line Anti-Bribery, are joined by Megan Reitz, founder of Reitz Consulting and an Associate Fellow at Saïd Business School, Oxford University. Megan, a renowned thought leader listed on the Thinkers50 ranking and HR Magazine’s Most Influential list, shares insights from her latest co-authored book, Speak Out, Listen Up: How to Have Conversations That Matter . Megan discusses the relational aspects of speaking up, the importance of creating environments that encourage open dialogue, and practical exercises to enhance listening skills. The conversation reveals stories of how organizations have driven value through speaking out and listening up. This episode is packed with valuable takeaways for compliance officers, HR professionals, and business leaders looking to foster a culture of transparency and innovation.

On this episode of Culture & Compliance Chronicles , Nitish Upadhyaya from Ropes & Gray’s Insights Lab and Richard Bistrong of Front-Line Anti-Bribery, are joined by Megan Reitz, founder of Reitz Consulting and an Associate Fellow at Saïd Business School, Oxford University. Megan, a renowned thought leader listed on the Thinkers50 ranking and HR Magazine’s Most Influential list, shares insights from her latest co-authored book, Speak Out, Listen Up: How to Have Conversations That Matter . Megan discusses the relational aspects of speaking up, the importance of creating environments that encourage open dialogue, and practical exercises to enhance listening skills. The conversation reveals stories of how organizations have driven value through speaking out and listening up. This episode is packed with valuable takeaways for compliance officers, HR professionals, and business leaders looking to foster a culture of transparency and innovation.

How can you speak confidently and navigate difficult conversations in your organization? How does power dynamics affect communication? In this episode, Megan Reitz , the author of Speak Out, Listen Up , talks about how perceptions of power enable and silence others. She also breaks down the TRUTH Framework that affects whether we speak or listen. Delve into the subtle influences that prevent us from voicing our most innovative ideas. Join Megan Reitz in this valuable conversation today. Check out the full series of “Career Sessions, Career Lessons” podcasts here or visit pathwise.io/podcast/ . A full written transcript of this episode is also available at https://pathwise.io/podcast/megan-reitz Become a PathWise member today! Join at https://pathwise.io/join-now Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sarah and Megan explore how leaders create spaces for conversations that matter by (1) deepening their listening so that team members speak up and real issues are discussed; (2) being aware of power dynamics and their impact on a conversation; (3) paying attention to the incoming tide of employee activism and the use of generative AI in organisations. About Megan Reitz Megan is Founder of Reitz Consulting, Associate Fellow at Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, and Adjunct Professor of Leadership and Dialogue at Hult Business School. She is listed on the Thinkers50 ranking of global management thinkers (and recently shortlisted for both the Radar and Breakthrough Idea Awards) and HR Magazine Most Influential Listing. Megan writes, speaks and consults in the areas of leadership, dialogue, mindfulness, culture, change, coaching and team effectiveness. She is author of 'Mind Time' and 'Dialogue in Organizations' and co-author with John Higgins of 'Speak Up: Say what needs to be said and hear what needs to be heard' for Financial Times Publishing, which was shortlisted for CMI Management Book of the Year 2020. A second edition of this book hit the shelves in spring 2024 with the new title, 'Speak Out, Listen Up.' Megan is a regular contributor to Harvard Business Review , which has covered many of the themes of her books, and her research has recently been featured in the MIT Sloan Management Review , in Forbes , on the BBC, in a TEDx talk, and in numerous academic and practice-based journals. As well as her life as a lecturer, doctoral supervisor and business owner, Megan is mother to two wonderful daughters, who test her regularly on her powers of mindfulness and dialogue. For more information, go to www.meganreitz.com

How do you make space to make wiser choices? Megan Reitz, Founder of Reitz Consulting and Associate Fellow at Saïd Business School (University of Oxford), joins Perry to discuss the ideas of mindfulness and a new concept of ‘spaciousness’ that could forever change how we work.

How should HR engage with activist employees? Why are many leaders in an 'optimism bubble'? Megan Reitz talks to Jo about leadership, dialogue, and change. Tune in for a masterclass on how to work sensitively and productively with your organisation's activists.

Megan Reitz: Speak Up Megan Reitz is Professor of Leadership and Dialogue at Hult International Business School where she speaks, researches, consults and supervises on the intersection of leadership, change, dialogue and mindfulness. She is on the Thinkers50 ranking of global business thinkers and is ranked in HR Magazine’s Most Influential Thinkers listing. She has written Dialogue in Organizations and Mind Time. She is a regular contributor to Harvard Business Review and her research has recently featured in Forbes, on the BBC, in TEDx talks, and in numerous academic and practice-based journals. Her latest research on employee activism was nominated for the Thinkers50 Breakthrough Idea Award. Her most recent book with John Higgins is titled Speak Up: Say What Needs to Be Said and Hear What Needs to Be Heard*. Many leaders consider what they need to do in order to speak truth to others, but rarely focus on how to make it easier for people to speak to them. In this conversation, Megan and I explore what leaders can do in order to hear what needs to be heard. We share several tactics that will make it easier for others to surface what you need to hear. Key Points Speaking up and listening up go hand in hand. Power always affects what gets said and what gets heard. A key checkpoint is whether or not you really value the opinion of others. Where you have conversations can make a massive difference on how comfortable the other party is in surfacing an important message for you to hear. Leaders who have margin in their daily schedules create space for the right moment to hear truth. Proactively invite challenge and debate through specific invitations. One example: “What do you know that I need to know, but will never be told?” Resources Mentioned Speak Up: Say What Needs to Be Said and Hear What Needs to Be Heard* by Megan Reitz and John Higgins Interview Notes Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required). Related Episodes How to Ask Better Questions, with David Marquet (episode 454) How to Speak Up, with Connson Locke (episode 546) How to Use Power Responsibly, with Vanessa Bohns (episode 551) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

I’m talking to Megan Reitz, a professor of leadership and dialogue, and John Higgins, a researcher and author, about an article they published in the MIT Sloan Management Review titled “Leading in an Age of Employee Activism.” It’s a huge topic in every organization I talk to, and I can say, as an employer and an activist — leading a team filled with organizers and activists — that this is definitely an important issue. We talk about what it takes to make a difference, to do the internal work, and to give leaders the skills to lead with advocacy in the modern workplace. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For the 4th episode of our Setting Yourself Up for Success series, Helen talks to author, researcher and professor Megan Reitz about speaking up at work. Together they discuss why speaking-up feels hard and how our conversational habits can hold us back. They talk through the TRUTH framework Megan has developed to understand what gets in the way of speaking up and how to overcome challenges and Megan also shares the importance of managers being prepared to 'listen-up' to what is being said. For more on Megan's work, head to: https://www.meganreitz.com/ You can buy her book here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Speak-Up-what-needs-heard/dp/1292263016 For everything else Squiggly Careers related, head to www.amazingif.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Her passion and curiosity centers around the quality of how we meet, see, hear, speak, learn with, and encounter one another in organizational systems. She believes how we might encourage dialogue is not only more humane, but it also enables us, our colleagues, and our society to flourish. Working at the intersection of leadership, change, dialogue, and mindfulness, she has presented her research to audiences throughout the world and is recognized by the Thinkers50 Radar of global management thinkers. Her recent research with John Higgins on ‘Speaking Truth to Power’ – examining how perceptions of power enable and silence others, is the subject of her new book, Speak Up: Say what needs to be said and hear what needs to be heard. As well as running her own business, she is a Professor of Leadership and Dialogue at Ashridge Executive Education – part of Hult International Business School. Previously she was a consultant with Deloitte, an executive at Boo.com, and worked in strategy consulting in what is now the strategy arm of Computer Science Corporation. Educated at Cambridge University she gained an MA in Land Economy, a Masters in Change Agent Skills and Strategies at Surrey University, and a Masters in Research at Cranfield School of Management where she also earned her Ph.D. Most valiantly, she’s the mother to two wonderful daughters who test her regularly on her powers of mindfulness and dialogue. Join me on this episode of the Curve Benders podcast with Megan Reitz. In the opening section of the podcast, I also reference my recent The Way I See It…Innovative Teams Thrive Through Visionary Leaders . Hope you’ll get a chance to read the rest of the article. Don't forget, I turn the show notes from these podcasts into more in-depth articles, so check them out in our Free, Member-Based community, Nour Forum. Join us at NourGroup.com/Forum . --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/david-nour/message