How Companies Are Accidentally Training Future Leaders to Stay Quiet
HR Dive, Thursday, July 30th, 2026
Organizations that encourage employees to ask the questions AI can’t answer will thrive, writes SurveyMonkey’s CPO.
SurveyMonkey's Chief People Officer Becky Cantieri argues that organizations are inadvertently discouraging early-career employees from asking questions by creating cultures that reward confidence over curiosity.
Research shows nearly half of Gen Z workers feel pressure to already know answers, and many withhold questions from fear of seeming unprepared. As AI makes instant answers accessible, companies risk losing the collaborative learning and dialogue essential for developing leaders.
Cantieri emphasizes that admirable leaders ask questions regularly and create safe spaces for discussion, recognizing that asking tough questions and admitting uncertainty drives better decisions.