What do leaders do differently to create participation, ownership, and trust?

In this episode of Women Leaders on the Move, Selena Rezvani, President, NextGenWomen LLC sits down with host Natalie Benamou to talk about how leaders shape their teams through everyday actions. This conversation focuses on what leaders say, how they listen, and what they do to involve others in the work.

Selena shares examples from her bestselling book, ‘Quick Leadership: Build Trust, Navigate Change, and Cultivate Unstoppable Teams’ and from her work inside organizations.

Together, Natalie and Selena discuss how meetings are run, how responsibility is shared, and how leaders influence engagement by inviting people into the process.

This episode is for leaders who want their teams to participate, contribute, and lead as equals

3 Takeaways from ‘Quick Leadership’:

• Leaders invite participation early. When people are included from the start, they stay engaged and contribute more consistently.
• Leaders ask before they answer. Pausing to hear others builds ownership and strengthens accountability.
• Leaders share responsibility. Giving others a role in leading meetings and decisions creates confidence and momentum.

Memorable quotes from Selena Rezvani

• “If your meetings are silent, your people are managing you.”
• “It’s not your job to have all the answers.”
• “Leadership shows up in small, everyday moments.”

Try This One Thing: The "First 5 Minutes" Rule

The Insight: If people are silent at the start of a meeting, they often stay silent until the end. Selena shares that research shows if someone speaks in the first 5 minutes, they are significantly more likely to contribute later.

The Action: Open your next meeting by asking everyone to answer a simple, low-stakes prompt before you dive into the agenda.

What to Say: "Everyone, we’re here to talk about [Topic] today. Before we start, I want to hear from each of you: What is one word that comes to mind when you think of [Topic]?"

Why It Works: It breaks the "lecture" dynamic immediately and signals that this is a space for participation, not just listening.

Keep shining your light bright. The world needs you.

Selena Rezvani helps people show up, speak up, and shake up the way work gets done. A Wall Street Journal bestselling author and LinkedIn Learning instructor, Forbes named her "the premier expert on standing up for yourself at work."She equips leaders to build confidence and cultures that lift everyone’s voice. Today we're discussing her new book, Quick Leadership: Build Trust, Navigate Change, and Cultivate Unstoppable Teams

Connect with Selena:

• Website: selenarezvani.com
• Book: Quick Leadership: Build Trust, Navigate Change, and Cultivate Unstoppable Teams
• LinkedIn: Selena Rezvani
• Instagram: @selenarezvani
• TikTok: @selenarezvani
• YouTube: Selena Rezvani Official

Natalie Benamou is Founder of HerCsuite®, women's leadership network and portfolio career company. She also serves as President and CEO of HER HEALTHX, a nonprofit bridging the care communication gap and improving health outcomes for women.

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