When sexist or homophobic remarks are made in meetings, one behavior stands out: silence.
There are good ways to step in — without indignation, without wounding.
And if you look more closely, the silence is often not agreement. It is shame. It is uncomfortable, and many people themselves don't know how to handle it.
They freeze.
Macho posturing, demeaning comments, racist "jokes" at the leadership level are not expressions of strength.
They are expressions of the immaturity of a person who is masking their own insecurity. Just as they are an expression of the shame about a lack of composure.
What gets transmitted is the shame, which freezes everyone. Emotional contagion, one could call it.
The resulting problem: when everyone stays silent, the system runs on.
There are good ways to step in, without indignation, without wounding. But with a clear stance.
As a leader, you can make a particular difference here: you can name a consequence if the behavior doesn't change.
That is not a threat, as many claim. That is clarity and responsibility. And both are exactly what these situations need.
In the video I show what this can look like in practice. And why this is the moment in which real change begins.