Quiet Power: The Strategy - High-Stakes Executive Presence

0:01 Hello, and thank you for tuning in to A Sharp Outlook on K4HD Radio and Talk Or TV. I am Angela Sharp, your host. Our armchair discussions with industry experts will give you the steps, tools, and information to be successful in business and to prepare you to be your best self. Hello, I'm Angela Sharp and welcome again to another exciting discussion about things that can help you in business, help you go forward. You know, right now, society rewards the loudest voice in the room, but true influence is often in the shadows. When the volume in the room goes up, the most powerful person is often the one speaking the least. This is a follow-up conversation and today Veronica O'Donnell is with me to help us dissect the tactical side of quiet power. We will peel back layers of quiet power movement and how those that are not screaming and yelling in the meetings, how they're able to be seen, be heard, be respected and We will peel back the layers of quiet power movement and go beyond professional tips and into the psychological shift required to trust

1:33 your own quiet instincts in a world that demands noisy output. We explore how to command authority without raising our voice, how to hold space, during corporate crisis and why your silence can be the greatest strategic asset that you have. How are you going to handle yourself in the boardroom where everyone is jockeying for position to be heard, thinking that if I'm the loudest, I'm the one that will be respected the most. I've been in the boardrooms and we're going to talk about that Today, my guest is Veronica O'Donnell, and I would like to invite her to join me so we can have this powerful discussion. Good morning, Veronica.

2:33 Good morning, Angela. It's lovely to be here. Yeah, it's great to have you on the show. And as I was saying in the introduction, It's really noisy out there now in social media, in movies. I even see the commercials have turned to a point where they're just noisy and loud. In fact, some of them, I can't even tell what it is you're selling because you just want to create the noise. Yeah, there's so many messages competing for each other. Yeah, yeah. It's like there's so much competition that they're thinking about And I have worked a long time. I've been in a lot of boardrooms. I've seen some of that behavior, but in my era, you know, they knew to kind of back down a little bit because they could see the expressions on the faces like, whoa, that's not what we want right now. And so the quiet person is the one that generally gets the most respect.

3:39 And so, you know, We're in a society often that confuses loud with leadership and quiet with weakness. Bad analogy. You don't know what's really going on. That is just so true. It's so not true. Yeah. Why is it the society is so biased toward loud, obnoxious, rude, mean, and heartless? Well, I think people think that being loud is, that they're being heard. They just forget what they're being heard for. And they can be heard for being obnoxious, which isn't really the message you want to convey.

4:22 Yeah, absolutely. And, and, and then that's how it looks. I mean, even, even like I said, some of the, the, the stories and, and I'm sitting here and watching commercials about an upcoming movie or something like that. And, you know, all of the previews are, they're angry or obnoxious or there's a lot of rudeness or, you know, you can get a story told. If it's a good written story, you can get that story across with quietness, with softness, with all of that. And you don't have to have all the noise and the rudeness and everything. In fact, maybe you can help us soften that. the atmosphere that we're in right now, and even some of our younger generation are coming up, why are you training them to be rude and obnoxious? This is where they learn, you know?

5:21 Yeah, well, I think it comes down to respecting yourself and those around you. And when you have that respect, you don't feel the need to fill in that silence. You've got something to say. You can be intentional. You can be direct. And you don't have to be allowed to do it. And I find often when people are loud and they meet each other by being loud, that you're playing their game. And as soon as you're playing someone else's game, you can't win yours. Yes. Yes, that is an excellent point. Because it ends up being like two boxers in a boxing ring. They're trying to see who can knock the other one out. That doesn't get the information you need to decide on what direction to go with your corporation.

6:20 And people don't realize, I think as well, that often the people that are respected the most... are the ones that don't need to be loud. They're the ones that people will go to. They'll go to them, if not during the meeting, they'll go to them after the meeting. Right. And then they'll get the advice and the feedback and may be able to say things that they felt uncomfortable sharing because there was someone just louder and obnoxious. Right. Right. Yeah. Right. As if intimidation is the answer. And it's not. And that's what I want to tell our younger women, this generation of women. You don't have to be loud. You don't have to be obnoxious. You are confident. You know your stuff. You can do it with a quiet voice.

7:15 And people that have been loud, they're the ones that are going to be shocked. when your idea is the one that was accepted. So don't do it. Yeah, and it's very easy to think, well, if I want to challenge you, I'm going to win by being louder. But that's just not the case. Not at all. Not at all. I've seen that, and it's not the answer. Yeah. So how do you personally define quiet power? Well, for me, I look at it as an inner strength. So it's the strength on the inside, the capacity to be able to control yourself, make choices, and from those choices, that's where the freedom comes. And I think of it the same way as exercising a muscle at the gym.

8:09 So the same way you'd be lifting up weights is exercising that control over yourself. It's not about exercising control or power or dominance over anyone else. It's about having that strength on the inside and being more intentional about when you use it. Mm-hmm. Especially with communicating, having a direct message, being intentional, and it's much easier for people to hear you. And they can be in a conversation with you and feel welcome and warm and invited. And that way you can build better relationships with people.

8:49 Oh, incredible. So it's almost like a skill that you cultivate, right? It is definitely a skill to be developed, that's for sure. I mean, I love winning. And I think we can all win because I think that, well, I believe that we're best communicating when we can hear each other. And you often find when people are loud and noisy, you don't want to hear them. Yeah, yeah, absolutely. Well, I want you to know I am just, I am impressed. Like I said, especially during this time when everybody is so loud that you are bringing this movement here that have that confidence. If you have your act together, you have your information, you know you have the right answers. You just gracefully just sit there, let them all shout and scream and knock each other out and then go. When they notice you haven't said anything, they are always going to give you that platform to begin to speak. You can shine. and show them what you really have. Show them the skills. Show them the talents.

10:05 Show them the knowledge. Show them that you've been thinking about it the whole time and you have the right solution to the crisis, the problem, or whatever. Because especially when you're in a high-stakes situation, meeting and you're present there you're in that meeting because they don't have the answers and they really really are depending on you to bring the solutions in so just quietly just wait and that is such that is a great strategy. You find you know you let them you let them talk until they get it all out of their system and then you can just sit back and they'll come and you'll come and Sometimes they're in a better place to listen because I've got it out of their system.

10:55 And now you can just come in calmly and say what needs to be said. Give your point of view. You can challenge things, but you can do it in a very respectful way. And I find that when people are loud, it's a really unhealthy form of communication. It really is. Yeah, well, it is. Like I said, the louder you get, the more intimidating you become. And intimidation isn't your goal. You know, your goal is to bring the correct answer to the leadership so they can make the right decisions that even impact your own life. So why do you want to stir up all this confusion? you know, noise and intimidation. I know, like I said, you see it on the movies, you see it in the cartoons, you see it in the commercials. And let's all be honest.

11:46 And if you're listening, those that are advertising, we're clicking that noise off because we're not even getting the message. We're just getting a lot of loud noise. You probably need to talk to your marketing department and see if they can come up with a better solution because it's not working. Louder does not mean smarter. It's just, you know, louder is sometimes dumber. Yeah, yeah. Well, like I said, what they've done is made it so loud that you're turning down the volume. And then while you're watching it thinking you can still, you know, identify what it is that they're selling the product.

12:31 It's so confusing with the noise. It's like, I don't even know what that was about. I don't even know what they were trying to say. I'm certainly not buying their products. They obviously don't even know what the product is. What does it do? How does it benefit me? It's just noise. And I think somewhere along the line, you've been watching the wrong, uh, videos or social media information, because I know that's what you've been looking at, because you've been tracking my stuff and popping up with stuff that I don't want. I think we all need good mentors. We all need people around us that can really show us different ways to be, you know, like yourself, that can come in and just say that there are different ways. There are alternatives.

13:19 And there are better ways to communicate. There are better ways to connect with people. And you can have stronger relationships when you can hear each other. Yeah, because when you have that environment that's more quiet... then everybody feels like they're part of the team. And as a team, we're all helping to make the decision instead of one person who's screaming. And it just gives everybody else that comfort that, hey, I can share what's in my mind. I can share what I've experienced. I can share my thoughts and ideas. Because if If you don't understand business to the point that it's about collaboration, then you pretty much have been losing this battle.

14:17 Yeah, well, you can draw people in. You really can draw people in through that subtleness because it's so refreshing when you've got so much noise going on around you. Yes, yes, absolutely. So is there a tipping point, though, where silence goes from being powerful to being perceived as disengaged? I mean, it definitely can do. There's other ways of communicating. So if you're not making eye contact, if you've sort of checked out, maybe you're looking at your phone, you know, you might have your pen and not really be engaged in what they're doing. But if you're sitting there respecting them, you'll often find that they will respect you.

15:10 Yes. And they will acknowledge that you're part of that conversation and you will find that there's an opportunity for you to speak. Yes. But you also have to wait until someone's ready to receive. And when someone's coming at you, you know, loud, loud, loud, very intense, often you find that, you know, you just need to give them a moment, get it out of their system. Because sometimes people are loud because they don't feel heard. And it can help them by repeating back to them what they've said or saying, look, I hear what you're saying. And I'm going to give you an opportunity to speak after I've spoken first. Because one should have an opportunity to share.

16:02 Yes, yes. And one of the things, like I said, I've been in business for a very long time. Those that are coming in speaking loudly and noisy and, you know, more aggressive or whatever, what I have found is as being a manager and a leader myself I have found that the one that is making the most noise is the person that really doesn't have the confidence and generally is not really as prepared and so they think if they speak loudly and you know and everybody has attributed loud and noisy to powerful and have leadership well no that's not the truth It's the quiet ones that actually can be the leaders.

16:53 Why? Because quietly they are thinking the whole time they are sitting there. They are running those ideas, those numbers, those solutions through their minds and preparing the very best way to present it so that everyone in the room will be able to understand it and be able to grasp what's going on and be able to be a part of a discussion about it because it's not like you're yelling and screaming and okay, now that's the solution. No, others are getting ready to speak too. So loud isn't it.

17:33 I really just don't know how many times to say it's not the answer. No, it's not the answer. And just because you're loud and you're dominating the room doesn't mean that you're, you're, giving your company, your business the best possible outcome for what they want to achieve. Right. And you might believe that you're dominating the conversation or you're dominating the room, but it's not the domination you want to be known for. Right, right. You don't want to be known as the one that's rude and unreasonable and obtrusive.

18:16 Right, right. There's no respect in that. It's a team. If you're working with other people and you have to learn how to work with people so that you can accomplish what you want together, there's no I in team. That's right. Imagine that. even in your own business, entrepreneur doesn't have an eye either. You need your whole team to be a part of it because everybody, everybody doesn't know everything because all those different experiences are necessary to come up with the right solution, to be able to resolve it, to be able to go forward. Because if we only think of, the results based on one person's input and they being domineering, then what kind of leadership are you going to have if you are the leader in this business meeting, this board meeting or solutions meeting?

19:30 What are you going to do going forward? Be loud and obnoxious? Or are you going to treat everyone as if they're part of the team? And their thoughts are important. Their input is necessary. Their staying on the job is required. I know. Well, I mean, I don't know if we should even go there, but it can create a toxic environment. It really can. When other people are made to feel uncomfortable in their workplace, it really does create an environment that you just don't want to go to. Right. Right. We spend so many hours there every day. It's so unnecessary.

20:15 You should be able to enjoy that, you know, being able to talk with each other freely. Yes. Always have an open door. Always be willing to listen to what others have to say. Like I said, no one knows everything, even when you've worked as long as I have. You don't know everything. And then there's even if you do and you have a lot of years, things have changed. You need new ideas. You need refreshing. You need new input. You need new blood. So that you're able to go the next 20 years. But you can't go the next 20 years with your old style.

21:00 Not that your style wasn't good. But you got a new generation that's got a whole new attitude about how things are. And they're the ones that's going to be the future. And especially with the adoption of AI, everything's changing. Everything's evolving. Yes. And it's, yeah, if we're to keep up with the changes, then we have to look at different strategies and listen to what's working for each other. Because what's working for someone else might work for us too, but we couldn't hear it because they were so noisy that nobody could hear anything, you know, that white noise.

21:44 Yeah, yeah. And see, and what's interesting about what's going on, because of the fact so many people have spent their careers trying to be louder just to survive, right? Because we had that competitive dog-eat-dog kind of environment. I don't know who came up with that. They don't understand community. But that's how a lot of people survived in their jobs. And to kind of now change to a collaborative environment, it's going to be a little daunting for them to be able to do that. Because it means... Like you said at the beginning, like disciplining your personality so that you can.

22:39 It's not impossible. It is not impossible. You know, we're all capable of change. Yes. And evolving and developing and growing. And who doesn't want to be the best version of themselves? Mm-hmm. I find too, often people get scared that they might lose some success or they might be seen as less than around other people. But being louder doesn't make that fear go away. I think it only increases it.

23:20 Yeah, yeah, it really does. And like I said, a lot of them, that's how they have, scaled the ladder that because they were louder, they were seen more, they were more obnoxious or whatever. I'm not, you know, I have to watch what I say here. It all depends on the environment that the leadership is trying to develop. If you're trying to develop an environment where, you know, your teammates are, intimidate one another instead of coming together and collaborating with one another, then maybe we need to have a conversation with leadership. It's like, how do you lead Are you someone that just wants to come in and scream at people? I mean, like I said, again, I refer back to TV. Most of the movies we see, the ones that are leaders, they are rude. They are obnoxious.

24:29 They're yelling. They're screaming. They're threatening people's jobs. That's not leadership. You can write a different script. Yeah. Yeah, and we should remember that they're movies as well. Yes. You know, these fictional depictions of that's how you win isn't true. It's not. Because you look at real life stories and you say the opposite is true. Right, right. Look at the way that Nelson Mandela handled himself when he was in prison.

25:09 Yes, yes. Okay, with that calm, with that control. Now, he might have had the keys, but he had control of himself. And that's what quiet power is about. It's that strength, exercising that control and being very intentional and respectful. And look what he went on to achieve. Yes, absolutely. Absolutely. And in fact, it boggles the minds of those who are more of the intimidating type because they can't understand why you're not reacting, why you're not responding, why you're not becoming what they're really trying to get you to become.

26:00 And as soon as you do, you lose the game. I mean, one of the clearest examples I had of this was I was a football umpire. So in Australia, it's Aussie rules here. So in football, I was in the centre of the field and I had, you know, 22 young men around me. But the thing is, I didn't have to shout to be in control. And as soon as you start shouting and you want to argue, you know, you've got the sidelines screaming at you and you can have people on the field screaming at you. As soon as you argue with that, you lose control. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. And as soon as you're playing someone else's game, you've lost. Yeah.

26:46 Yeah. And then, in fact, once you did it, you not only lost it once, you've lost it for a long time because now you have to go back and rebuild your past. reputation with what people are now saying, because the first thing they're going to do, of course, with social media, they're going to be taking pictures, start sharing it all around. Look at her. She used to think she was so quiet. Now look at that. And so now you've got all of this to overcome. Just keep that disciplined demeanor. Yes. Yes. It's just incredibly important.

27:28 Yeah, it's forming those habits, developing that skill and practicing them. Mm-hmm. Yeah, go ahead. I'm sorry. Go ahead. Applying it not just at work, but outside of work, whether you're at the supermarket or whether you're at home with your family. Right. It's taking it everywhere you go. It's a life skill. An actual remake of... Who you are. Like you said, we can always reimagine ourselves. Yes, we can. Yeah. You can reimagine yourselves. If you feel like you're forced to behave that way, then you're being outside of yourself.

28:15 Prepare yourself for something where you can really be you and not be this, you know, grizzly bear. Yeah. In their work environment, when you could be someone that actually can share, encourage, be someone that is respected, be an example for maybe some new hires. I mean, there's so many other things you can be doing with your life. And there's openings everywhere. Did I say that? Yes. There's opportunities everywhere. And in fact, you can create your own opportunities when you have the skills and you have the confidence.

29:00 Confidence is the most important thing. You know, most people prepare for meetings by thinking about what they're going to say. How does a quiet power leader prepare differently? Well, I think I prepare for meetings the same way I prepare for life. I look at the outcome I'd like to achieve and I imagine it the same way as you might imagine Michael Jordan taking a goal. You can do the same thing. This is the outcome I want to achieve. Then you can work backwards from there and say, okay, these are maybe, maybe the points that might be raised how i might handle these things and then you let it go so i think it's important not to get too attached to your point of view or how you want to achieve something but have that flexibility present And it's okay to take a deep breath from time to time. You know, things can get a little bit heated. So if you need to take a little deep breath in between, hit a pause button, close your eyes, whatever you need to do, then the conversation can go very differently because you don't want to destroy your relationships. Right.

30:23 Right. And this is what... I think a lot of people don't understand. They almost feel like they're on an island by themselves and doing their own little thing. Oh, I'm an influencer. I'm so powerful. Look at me. I get 200,000 hits, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. But who are you as a person? Influencer is what you do. Who are you? And I don't think anyone's taking the time to find out who they are So that they know what their personality really is. They're becoming this caricature that does influencing. And you're grabbing all kinds of data and moving it on. And it may not even be you.

31:13 It's just what you do. Don't confuse what you do with who you are. You are something totally different. Be you. Do you. And you can still do that. But don't become that. Yeah, because what's your identity without your followers? What's your identity without an algorithm? What's your identity without chasing the next most popular thing? Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. And do you even like yourself? That is... a whole show. Self-love. Do you love yourself? Yeah.

31:59 Yeah, I might need to come back to that show. Yeah, because a lot of them are being loud because maybe they're in a household or in a relationship where they're never heard. No one ever gives them the attention that they're desperately striving for so they feel like they're always having to fight to be seen fight to be heard fight to be you know believed and this that and the other so they're fighting fighting fighting fighting fighting but take that breath like you said yeah. And that validation that validation that hunt for the validation it can be so empty it really because they achieve Whatever, let's say, follow a number that they want. And then what?

32:51 Yeah. Yeah. What do you do from there? What does that say that you are? I do podcasts. I do a lot of other different things. I do things. But Angela is a totally different being all by herself. Yes. I just do these things, but that's not who I am. And some people probably mistake that. It's like, no, that's just what I do. But who I am as a person, you have to actually become close enough to actually find out who I am. And that's who, you know, our younger generation, I think you're chasing something. the algorithms, chasing the likes, chasing the views, and you're not chasing you.

33:48 What do you really love and enjoy? What makes you whole inside when you have completed your task? What makes you feel like you're making a difference in the world? Not marketing, but what are you doing that makes a difference in the world? Find you. It's so important. And when you spend so much time talking, you're not listening to yourself. And you always go back to the fact that we've got two ears and one mouth, so we should spend twice as much time listening. Right. Right.

34:28 Absolutely. Yeah. You know, I think, you know, I'd like to say it. I like the idea of quiet power. It's easier to maintain if you just, you know, like I said, you're disciplined. You've done your work. You're confident. You're prepared. Yes. You're always prepared and ready. And you take pride in the work that you do. You just don't get something done. You make sure that you feel it. It's excellent. And there's no one else that can provide that information but yourself.

35:15 Always work towards excellence. When you're doing that, spending time developing you and working towards excellence, you'll have time to be angry and yelling. But like I said, that's all that noise. And it's causing a confusion in the communications that happen, you know, in everything. You don't have to. be angry and loud and different things like that just to get your point across. You can be very quiet. In fact, guess what? If you're more quiet, they actually stop and really listen. When you're busy, they're just getting into all the semantics and and all of that stuff they didn't hear what you said you think they heard what you said they didn't hear what you said.

36:01 I didn't hear anything you often find you've got more space as well to be playful and to have some fun and to have a laugh. I'd love to laugh I used. To and people that are having a laugh are a joy to be around you want to be people around around people like that. Oh, yeah. In fact, laughter was my superpower because, as I mentioned, I've been in business a long time. And when I first started in finance and especially the tech world, I was the only woman, not only a woman, but a minority woman. And so the guys would be in there just talking and talking and, you know, puffing up and challenging one another like, you know, guys do. And I just sit there and watch this, you know, thing going on. And then I would break out in a joke.

36:59 And I would always say, boy, don't you feel important? Let me tell you a secret. You get hit by a bus, they already have 250 resumes prepared to replace you in the next two seconds. You're not that important. Get over yourself so we can get some work done. And they all just kind of looked. So that helped me to be able to cut through so that I could get an opportunity to share my thoughts. And from there, the confidence and the capabilities pushed me over the moon and back. But it was a fight at first. But there was the guys there because they felt that she's a woman. She can't possibly know anything. Oh, no, she doesn't have any experience. She probably doesn't know anything. But they learned. And then they all start calling me and asking me, what do you think I should be doing?

38:05 And now you get to share your wisdom with other women. Yeah, that's my goal now that I'm at the point of retirement. I'm not looking for, you know. work i'm looking to make a difference for the next generation to help the next generation get their feet on the ground i'm i'm everybody's grandma right now i am. Beautiful and you know i've heard it described not as retirement but as refirement because you're lighting a fire around you now.

38:46 All right. I'm taking that. I'm going to steal that. Yeah. Refire it. Refire it. Yeah. Yes, absolutely. So that, because I would, if, if I would, you know, have an opportunity to be in there to train someone that can do the work that I would be doing, I would, be involved in that, but to come in and do the work? No, I've gone past that stage. It's now time for me to pass the baton and help the others understand what they're working with so they can be successful too. And so that's where my mind and goals, and that's what we all should be doing, helping one another, reaching out. And like you said, when you have that quiet power, You know, like I said, it's not weakness. It's actually discipline.

39:52 Yeah. How do you maintain an authoritative, powerful presence in a digital community when they perceive you as being soft or passive? I know nobody's perceiving that right now. Well, look, I don't know that I could say that I'm perceived as soft. I... I strive for honesty. I'm pure and I'm real. Sometimes I'm soft, sometimes I'm strong. The message can still be powerful. You don't need to be the loudest in the room, but controlling your thoughts, your words, the way you think, what you say and what you do, has the greatest impact and the strongest influence on your life and the lives of everyone because it's a ripple.

40:50 Effect yeah yeah it is it's like the stone in the water it ripples out yeah you're right it is yeah just starting it and watching it just ripple out to others that's That's why I had to have you on here. Let's get a new movement so we can stop the yelling and actually start using our analytical and communication skills to get something done because we really need something done. Yeah, well, a lot of people crave silence because they hear so much noise. Yes.

41:35 Yes. But they don't, they're not listening to themselves anymore and they want to listen to themselves. They're so disconnected with what's important to them. Sometimes they're so busy working and going through the motions of life that they're really not enjoying their life at all. Yeah, yeah. We all kind of slip back into noisy or reactive habits under pressure sometimes or when we're confronted. Find yourself losing your center. What is a personal reset that you can go back to to get discipline again, to get back to your quiet power?

42:27 I have developed an awareness for when I feel I'm getting a little bit too... heated or a little bit emotional you know something sometimes someone says something and it can be a little bit triggering i recognize i recognize as soon as that happens to me and i give myself a few seconds to really feel the impact of that and then i close my eyes and i just think we're not playing for sheep stations i mean i'm from australia so i'm down under so it's just Not taking everything personally. Right. Respecting yourself, respecting people around you. You don't have to win every argument. And losing a few sometimes, it can save you in the long run. So having that pause button, taking a moment. If you close your eyes, breathe in and breathe out, and it's almost like it's okay now.

43:31 Yeah yeah that that's what those are some of the things that i do. Yeah yeah it's that it's that re-centering yourself in that moment you recognize okay it doesn't have to hit me that hard i don't have to react to this. Yeah yeah yeah definitely you're you're making me think about maybe some responses that I can handle better. And I think we all can. I really do. And I know sometimes you can say something in the heat of the moment that you can't take back and you wish you hadn't said it. And you don't want to be that person. Yeah.

44:21 So if there was one thing you wanted our listeners to walk away with regarding their own potential and managing their their power, what would it be? I want everyone to know that they have an inner strength, that they're very powerful, and they have this inner strength, but it doesn't have to come out in this loud noise. It's about controlling what you say and what you do and being very intentional. Mm-hmm. So that the people around you experience the beautiful person that you are. You create the relationships that you want to create from a place of safety. Because everyone around you should be winning. And you want to encourage that.

45:18 You want to support that. And the best way to do that is through healthy communication. Knowing that you've got this strength, holding on to that strength, And that will create the freedom in your life that you want for the things that matter to you. Yes, and help someone else too. Absolutely. Yes. Where can the audience find out more of your work and connect with you? Okay, so I'm on LinkedIn. My name, Veronica O'Donnell on LinkedIn. Or I also have my company, Quiet Power. Quiet Power, okay.

45:59 I am solely on LinkedIn at the moment because I like to keep things simple in my life. Yes. Well, I'm encouraging everyone to contact you and just even your demeanor is quiet and you can sense it. You can feel it. It's just incredible. And I think we all need to rethink how we do communicate so that you can be heard and everybody can be heard and can all participate I was just thinking this is probably new to a lot of people because you know you hear and see so many of them doing the shouting and the angry images and even the the little animals and stuff, you know, just the anger and the noise and things. You know, if there was, is there maybe something that they could start today, like one little thing they need to do that they could start today, moving into a more disciplined lifestyle? you know, demeanor and have that quiet, quiet power.

47:33 Sure, yeah. Well, I think one of the best places is before you go to sleep at night. Before you go to sleep at night, imagine all the beautiful things that you'd like to have happen tomorrow. And I like to reflect on beautiful things. And that way, when you wake up in the morning, you've got something positive to look forward to, And just try and keep yourself open and recognize the person you want to be living through your day. Imagine yourself being able to communicate in a way that other people can really hear you. But for people to hear you, you have to listen to them and you have to be able to keep your peace.

48:20 Yes. Yeah. Absolutely. Absolutely. I just want to remind everyone that the strength within us is abundant. Yes. Yes. And if I could add, like, just one other thing to this, for those of you that are, like I say, fighting and struggling and babbling in your work environment, you don't have to be aggressive. Make sure you've checked everything. Make sure that your analytics are solid. Make sure you understand your product or whatever else that you're supposed to be preparing and providing. Double check it, triple check it, be prepared, be confident, and you won't have to come in there screaming you can sit there quietly they'll give you all the time you need if you are quietly presenting your thoughts and ideas they're a winner they would be a winner.

49:36 And and remind yourself that no one else determines your work Yes. Regardless of how loud they are, regardless of whatever they say, nobody else determines your worth. Yes. Yes, absolutely. Well, I want to thank you. Yeah, I want to thank you for being here today. And I want to thank our audience for joining us, learning about quiet power. This is A Sharp Outlook. We are here every Monday at 8 a.m. Pacific Time, 11 a.m. Eastern Time. We are here to provide information and knowledge so that you can be your best self. You can be startup business. You can be your best self in your entrepreneurship. You can be the best leader in your company.

50:32 We're here to make things better for you. And the one thing I always like to say is, whatever you do, just stay informed. I want to thank you for joining us on A Sharp Outlook. We have been informed and energized to take the next steps. We have posted links to websites and videos to learn more on today's topics. Please join us again next week for another thought-provoking conversation right here on K4HD Radio and Talk4TV. Listen to the podcast on all the podcast apps. And until next week, stay informed.