By Jelena Poulopoulou
In every room, there’s often one thing left unsaid. It lingers—felt but unspoken—because no one wants to be the one to challenge the obvious, disrupt the consensus, or risk being misunderstood. But there’s power in being the person who says the thing no one else will—when it’s said with intention, humility, and purpose.
Let’s be clear: there’s a difference between speaking up to be provocative and speaking up to create movement. If I speak from the stance of “I’m right and you’re wrong,” I almost guarantee resistance. It shuts doors. It triggers people. And it does very little to move a conversation forward.
The alternative? Let go of the need to be right. Be genuinely curious. Lead with “I don’t know” instead of “Here’s the answer.” Not as a performance—but because we rarely know the full picture. What we can offer is a perspective. A different way of seeing. A possibility.
And that starts with a question: “Are you willing to consider something else?”
When that kind of energy is shown—not defensive, not combative, but curious—I’m no longer a disruptor for disruption’s sake. I’m a contributor. I’m someone who sees another way and invites others to explore it with me.
But timing matters too.
There are times where I stay silent for a long time. Not because I’m holding back, but because I’m listening. I’m asking myself: Is what I have to say going to move this conversation forward? Or am I reacting to something that touched an old nerve?
That kind of self-awareness is a discipline. It’s not always easy. Sometimes what I want to say is fuelled by emotion, not clarity. And when I speak from that place—when it’s about proving I’m right—it rarely lands the way I intend.
But when I bide my time, ground myself, and speak from a place of service—not ego—I’ve found that’s when the room truly listens.
Saying the thing no one else will say isn’t about being loud. It’s about being intentional. It’s about choosing the moment, choosing the words, and choosing the mindset that says: “I’m not here to win. I’m here to move us forward.”
And in that space, something powerful happens: the room opens. Conversations shift. And the thing no one dared to say becomes the doorway to what’s possible next.