The HIPPO Effect: When the Highest Paid Person's Opinion Dominates the Room

Meetings have become the time and place where decisions are made and work gets done. Yet too often, they fall short of being the creative, collaborative spaces they could be.

If we want meetings to be a melting pot of ideas and perspectives, we need to set them up in a way that encourages idea-sharing and ensures everyone feels psychologically safe to speak up.

Sometimes, though, we find ourselves in a meeting where one person's opinion seems to carry more weight than everyone else's. Not necessarily because they are sharing the best idea, or asking the most insightful questions that allow us to shift our perspective, but because of their job title or salary.

This phenomenon is known as the HIPPO effect; the Highest Paid Person's Opinion, and it can quietly, but very quickly, diminish collaboration, innovation and engagement within teams.

What does the HIPPO effect look like?

You might recognise it when:

• Discussion stops when the HIPPO speaks - The conversation is flowing, ideas are being explored and different perspectives are being shared. Then the most senior or highest-paid person gives their opinion and suddenly the discussion changes. Instead of exploring ideas, people start justifying or agreeing with the HIPPO's view.

• People stop asking "why?" - A healthy discussion needs curiosity and challenge. If people aren't asking questions, offering alternative perspectives or respectfully disagreeing, it might be because they don't feel safe to do so.

• Groupthink sets in - When a dominant voice is present, people can default to agreement rather than critical thinking. You might hear: "We have always done it this way." or "Let's just go with that again." or "If that's what they want, we'll do it." And when this happens, valuable insights and perspectives from other team members are lost. Projects move forward without the full benefit of diverse thinking, and teams miss opportunities for creativity, innovation and better decision-making.

So what can leaders do?

The answer isn't to stop senior people from having opinions.

It's to create an environment where seniority doesn't automatically make an opinion more valuable.

Human-centric leadership doesn't require us to have all the answers. It requires us to create the conditions for the best answers to emerge from the group.

That might mean:

• Holding your own opinion lightly. If you're the most senior person in the room, consider sharing your view later in the discussion rather than setting the direction immediately.

• Actively inviting challenge. Don't just ask, "Does everyone agree?" Ask, "What are we missing?" or "Who sees this differently?"

• Creating space before asking for a response. Not everyone thinks out loud. Giving people time to consider a question can create space for perspectives that might otherwise be lost.

• Noticing whose voices you hear most often. Are you consistently turning to the same people for input? Who might you be overlooking?

• Role modelling disagreement. If leaders can say, "I'm not sure I agree, can you please tell me why you see it differently," they make it safer for everyone else to do the same.

  
  

What happens when we get this right?

The goal isn't for everyone to agree. In fact, quite the opposite.

The best meetings aren't necessarily the ones where everyone leaves in agreement. They are the ones where people have been able to think, challenge, contribute and influence the outcome.

A question to take into your next meeting

If you are leading a meeting this week, ask yourself:

• Am I making room for every voice to be heard?

• What behaviours am I role modelling that encourage people to speak up?

• Am I holding my own opinions lightly enough to allow new perspectives to shape the outcome?

• Who haven't I heard from yet?

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Creating psychologically safe teams isn't about making everyone feel comfortable all of the time. It's about creating an environment where people feel able to contribute, challenge and disagree without fear of being dismissed or punished for doing so.

And that starts with the behaviours leaders model every day.