7 Meeting Habits That Separate Managers From Leaders

Strong meeting habits turn good managers into great leaders. When Jamie Dimon recently went viral for calling out people who check their iPads during meetings, telling them to "close the damn thing," the internet erupted in debate. Some called him old-fashioned. Others said he was spot on. His message went beyond technology. It was about respect, attention and what separates managers from leaders. The difference between managing and leading often shows up in small moments. Nowhere is this more apparent than in meetings, where your team watches what you say and how you show up. After observing hundreds of effective leaders, I've noticed the most transformative ones don't run very different meetings. They practice habits that shift the focus from transactional management to inspirational leadership. Here are the top seven. 1. Leaders Give Meetings Their Full Attention Dimon's viral moment was about respect. As he put it, "When I go to a meeting, I've done the pre-reads, and you get 100% of my attention." Managers check Slack during presentations. Leaders close their laptops and make eye contact. When you glance at your phone during someone's update, you signal that something else is more important. And your team notices. Worse, they mirror it. One executive checking email gives everyone else permission to do the same. The fix is simple: devices closed, notifications off. If something truly urgent interrupts, step out. Otherwise, prove through your presence that the people in front of you matter more than your texts. MORE FOR YOU Try this: At your next meeting, put your phone face down in your bag or leave it at your desk. Notice how much more you absorb and how your team responds when they see you’re fully present. 2. Leaders Ask Questions Instead of Giving Answers When a challenge arises, resist the urge to solve it immediately. Instead, ask what the person has already considered or what they would do if they had complete authority. This habit generates better ideas and encourages problem-solving. The next time someone brings you a problem in a meeting, pause before responding. Use that time to craft a question instead of an answer. You'll be surprised how often your team already knows the solution. They just needed permission to own it. Try this: Keep a running list of your favorite probing questions. Start with these three: What solutions have you already explored? What would success look like? What's the biggest obstacle, and who could help remove it? 3. Leaders Protect the Quiet Voices In every meeting, there’s a high-potential introvert with valuable insight who won't volunteer it. Managers let the loudest voices dominate. Leaders create space for everyone. Watch for body language, like someone leaning forward, then retreating. Or a team member who starts to speak, then stops. That's your cue. "Jordan, you looked like you had a thought a moment ago. I'd love to hear it." This recognizes that the best ideas often come from unexpected places and that psychological safety is a priority. Try this: In your next team meeting, use the "1-2-all" technique. After posing a question, give everyone one minute to think individually, two minutes to discuss it with one other person, and then open it up to the full group. This ensures that even the quiet thinkers have a voice. 4. Leaders Make the Meeting's Purpose Clear "Let's sync up" is manager language. Leaders are explicit about why everyone's time is being invested. Before any meeting, complete this sentence: "By the end of this meeting, we will have _____." "We're here to decide between options A and B" is fundamentally different from "We're here to generate ideas" or "We're here so I can share context you'll need next week." When people know the destination, they can help you get there. When they don't, they're just passengers. Try this: Send a meeting agenda 24 hours in advance that includes the purpose and whether you'll decide, discuss or inform. Mention what success looks like as a specific outcome and what you need from attendees. Then watch engagement increase. 5. Leaders Share Credit Openly Managers say, "We accomplished." Leaders say, "Maya discovered, Jordan built and Alex drove this forward." When sharing wins, be specific. Describe contributions, connect individual efforts to outcomes and show you’re paying attention to both growth and results. Great leaders make sure every success story has heroes. Try this: Create a "wins" standing item for your team meetings. Make it a rule. You can only share wins accomplished by others. Be specific about what they did and why it mattered. You’ll build a culture of recognition from the ground up. 6. Leaders End Meetings With Commitments A summary tells people what happened. A commitment tells them what happens next. Managers recap discussions. Leaders create clarity. "So, we agree. Alex owns the client outreach and will send the proposal by Thursday. Jordan will loop in the product team by Tuesday. I'll clear the budget approval by Wednesday. Anything I'm missing?" This habit transforms meetings from conversations into momentum. It also creates accountability through public commitment and mutual support. Try this: End every meeting with a "commitment round." Go around the table (or Zoom room) and have each person state their one commitment, deadline and who they'll update. Document these action items in a shared space. No commitment is too small. 7. Leaders Treat Meeting Time Like Company Money Most managers underestimate how costly meetings really are. Ten people in a room for an hour equals ten hours of productive work you’ve just spent. Leaders treat that time like money. They start on time even if people are missing, end early when the goal is met, and cancel when a meeting no longer serves its purpose. They ask, “Does everyone here need to be here?” and “Could this be an email with a 24-hour response window?” Your team is always watching how you value their time. When you protect it, you send a clear message that their work matters, and you won’t waste it. Try this: At the 25-minute mark of a 30-minute meeting, ask if you've accomplished what you came for. If yes, end early. If not, identify exactly what's left and who needs to stay for it. Let everyone else get time back. The Shift Is Simpler Than You Think None of these habits demand charisma, authority or a corner office. They take intention and the awareness that managers build leadership skills in the small moments when they choose to elevate others instead of themselves. Start with one habit. Practice it in your next meeting. Then add another. Within weeks, you’ll notice something shift in how your meetings feel and how your team shows up. They’ll take more ownership, speak up more often and start modeling these habits themselves. That’s when you know you’ve made the leap. Leaders create more leaders. Enjoyed this article? I share weekly cheat sheets, tools and inspiration to help professionals escape burnout, make confident career changes and design work that feels purposeful. 👉 Join 10,000+ professionals building freedom and fulfillment at work Editorial StandardsReprints & Permissions