From Fear to Flow: The Leadership Power of Creative Silence

You join a meeting, you start a conversation with your team — and how is that? What type of silence fills the space? The silence of muteness or the silence of creativity? Let me tell you that in those silences, there is a secret that reveals how you are doing.

Silence holds so much truth and creates the space to think — but it can also be a sign of fear.

A few months ago, I listened to a talk by Mario Alonso Puig, and he defined the two types of silence that reflect how things are going. He calls them the silence of muteness and the silence of creativity and defines them as follows:

• The silence of muteness is the silence that makes you feel awkward and uncomfortable. It often stems from fear or uncertainty. It’s when people think, “I won’t say anything because I might be wrong.”
• The silence of creativity is the silence that helps us rise above the noise of day-to-day life and enter a state of flow. It’s the silence that brings us to a new dimension where fresh perspectives emerge, peace is felt in the body, and confidence is gained.

If your team isn’t speaking up, sharing ideas, or proactively raising risks, it’s probably not because they lack knowledge, strategy, or intelligence — it might be because you’ve unintentionally muted them.

It may be just silence — but it’s silence that can tell you so much.

Let me ask you this: When you sit with your team, what kind of silence do you hear? And what is it telling you about how people really feel and how things are going?

Recognizing the Signs of Muteness vs. Creativity

🔍 Signs of Muteness (Driven by Fear or Uncertainty):

1. Awkward silence — The room feels tense, with people avoiding eye contact or fidgeting.
2. Lack of participation — People hesitate to speak or share ideas, even when invited.
3. Short or vague responses — Answers are brief and lack depth or follow-up questions.
4. Closed body language — Crossed arms, looking down, or physically withdrawing from the table.
5. Pressure to fill the silence — Someone tries to break the silence quickly, often with unproductive or surface-level comments.
6. Avoidance of difficult topics — People steer away from challenging conversations or disagreements.
7. Uncertainty and hesitation — Frequent use of phrases like “I’m not sure,” “Maybe,” or “It might not work.”

✨ Signs of Creativity (Driven by Trust and Flow):

1. Comfortable silence — People are at ease with pauses, using them to think rather than fill space.
2. Building on ideas — One idea sparks another, and the conversation naturally expands.
3. Open body language — Leaning forward, making eye contact, and relaxed postures.
4. Curiosity and follow-up questions — Team members ask thoughtful questions and show genuine interest.
5. Laughter and lightness — Humor emerges naturally, showing that people feel safe.
6. Risk-taking and experimentation — People propose new or unconventional ideas without fear of being wrong.
7. Deep thinking — Moments of reflection where people are visibly engaged and thoughtful.

👉 If the silence feels heavy and hesitant, you may be facing the silence of muteness. If it feels calm and open, you’re likely in the silence of creativity.

How Psychological Safety Fuels Creative Problem-Solving

Psychological safety — the belief that you can speak up, take risks, and express yourself without fear of judgment or punishment — is one of the most powerful drivers of creative problem-solving. Research consistently shows that teams with high psychological safety are more innovative, collaborative, and effective at tackling complex challenges.

There are multiple studies that support this. One of the most well-known studies is Google’s Project Aristotle — a study on team effectiveness conducted between 2012 and 2015. After analyzing over 180 teams, Google found that psychological safety was the number one factor that set high-performing teams apart from others. Teams where members felt safe to speak up, challenge ideas, and admit mistakes were more innovative and consistently outperformed teams that lacked this trust.

Additionally, research from the Center for Creative Leadership highlights that leaders who model vulnerability, admit when they don’t have the answers, and encourage open dialogue create environments where creative thinking thrives. When leaders demonstrate that it’s okay to be wrong or uncertain, team members feel empowered to explore unconventional ideas and challenge existing norms.

These studies highlight not only the importance of creating open and safe environments but also the critical role that leadership plays in fostering them.

As a leader, the type of silence you create in the room reflects the culture you’ve built. The silence of muteness — heavy with hesitation and fear — signals that your team doesn’t feel safe enough to speak up. The silence of creativity, on the other hand, creates space for reflection, deeper thinking, and bold ideas to emerge.

Your role isn’t to eliminate silence — it’s to shape it. When you foster psychological safety, model vulnerability, and create space for thoughtful pauses, you transform silence from something uncomfortable into something powerful.

So the next time you sit with your team and the room falls quiet, listen closely. What is that silence telling you — and how can you help it shift from fear to creativity?

👉 What type of silence do you hear in your team — and what can you do to make it a space for creativity rather than fear?

Leave your comments below.