The price of speaking up
Is standing out for daring to speak up worth the trouble? I think it is.
Gary Bloomer | SHAKING THE TREE # 327
In my last piece, we talked about what happens when you decide to stop running with the herd, control your inner dialogue, and actually open your mouth.
But let’s be entirely honest for a moment.
Sticking your head above the parapet isn’t a walk in the park.
It often comes with a price tag.
And sometimes, that price tag hurts.
When you decide to challenge the status quo—when you look at a room full of people nodding along and say, “Hang on, why are we doing it this way just because we’ve always done it this way?”—the universe doesn’t usually reward you with a standing ovation.
No, what you usually get is the corporate cold shoulder.
You get the immediate, crushing weight of rejection.
You watch your ideas get shot down before they even hit the table.
Or worse, you suggest a fresh, bold direction and look across the conference room only to see your manager give you that slow, deeply discouraging raised eyebrow.
You know the one. It’s the look that silently says, “Get back in your box.”
It’s uncomfortable.
It makes your stomach churn.
It’s the exact reason why most people choose the path of least resistance: silence.
They choose to blend into the background because compliance is safe, cozy, and rarely gets you a talking-to.
But here is what I want you to understand: comfort is the enemy of impact.
Yes, speaking up has a cost.
But let’s look at the upside, because the return on investment for courage is astronomical.
First of all, when you speak up, you instantly separate yourself from the echo chamber.
The world is drowning in bland, safe, middle-of-the-road conformity.
The moment you voice an original thought, you become noticeable.
You become a data point of one. Even if your idea is rejected in the moment, you have just signaled to the room that you are awake, that you are thinking, and that you have the backbone to care.
Leaders might act annoyed by a raised hand, but secretly, the ones worth working for are desperate for people who aren’t just echo chambers.
Second, speaking up builds your creative and professional muscle.
Every single time you weather a raised eyebrow, a dismissive sigh, or a flat-out “no,” you realize something profound: you didn’t die.
Your skin gets a little thicker.
Your resolve gets a little stronger.
You stop letting the fear of other people’s opinions dictate your output.
And finally, there is the law of averages.
If you stay silent, the probability of you changing anything is exactly zero.
But if you keep shaking the tree, if you keep pushing past the initial rejection, eventually a piece of fruit is going to fall.
One of those ideas will land.
And when it does, it won’t just change a project—it will redefine your trajectory.
So, the next time you have a burning insight and the fear of getting shot down starts creeping into your head, slap it down.
Let them raise their eyebrows.
Let them say no.
Pay the price, clear your throat, and speak up anyway.
Because the alternative—fading into the safe, quiet background of mediocrity—is a far higher price to pay.
As always, thanks for reading.
—Gary
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Next time on Shaking the Tree: Unicorns and rainbows and wishes, oh my!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Originally from the U.K., Gary Bloomer is a writer, branding advocate, marketing specialist, and an award-winning graphic designer.
His design work has been included in Creative Review (one of the UK’s largest design magazines). Since 2009, he has answered over 5,000 marketing and business questions in the Know-How Exchange of MarketingProfs.com, placing him among the top 3% of contributors. He lives in Wilmington, Delaware, USA.