The Room Matters More Than the Role; What Great Leaders Do When No One’s Watching; Curiosity Is Only Powerful If You Do This First; and More
Ryan Patel
Global Business Executive | Board Director | CNN Contributor | Keynote Speaker | Webby Award Nominee | Host of "The Moment with Ryan Patel" Filmed at The HP Garage | Making Complex Topics Simple | LinkedIn Top Voice |
Welcome to "Ryan is Curious" Headlines, your monthly roundup of business conversations that piqued my interest across all topics and industries. Don't forget to subscribe and click the 🔔 bell icon on my profile to ensure you don't miss anything! Let's jump right into it:
The Room Matters More Than the Role
Most people chase roles. The best leaders focus on the rooms.
That’s something I’ve realized over time — not from a single moment, but from sitting in rooms where titles didn’t matter… and influence did.
The role gives you a title. But the room shapes the conversation.
That’s where direction gets set, decisions are made, and impact actually happens.
It’s easy to focus on moving up. But real growth comes when you get clear on where you want to contribute — and why.
📍Back at LinkedIn HQ in the Empire State Building. Every time I walk through the lobby and see that logo, I think about where I’ve been — and where I want to go. So we shot this out in the open.
Yes, people walked by wondering what I was doing — and yes, I was wearing LinkedIn socks 😉
What’s a room you’re aiming for — and what will you bring into it?
Love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
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What Great Leaders Do When No One’s Watching
Leadership doesn’t start on stage. It shows up long before you’re handed the mic.
Speaking to a full room is always an honor. But the truth is—what really matters happens off stage.
What you don’t see in this photo:
→ The hard decisions behind the headlines
→ The off-record conversations that shape someone’s path
→ The hours spent listening, not just talking
Being handed the mic is a moment. But leadership? That’s a practice. A daily one. Every time I speak, it’s not about the spotlight—it’s about sharing what I’ve learned in the field. Because leadership doesn’t just happen in boardrooms. It happens in hallway conversations, in the quiet prep, in the follow-up no one sees.
The spotlight is nice. But the real impact happens long before and long after it fades.
👇🏽 Tag a leader who shows up even when no one’s watching. They deserve the mic.
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Curiosity Is Only Powerful If You Do This First
Curiosity isn’t soft. It’s strategic.
Last week, SXSW Sydney shared a clip of my analysis — and it’s a message I’ve seen play out in boardrooms, startups, and leadership teams around the world.
👉🏾 The people shaping the future aren’t waiting to be invited into the conversation. They’re preparing for it — long before it starts. Because by the time the meeting is called, by the time the opportunity shows up, 📉 it’s too late to start learning.
Here’s the shift: Curiosity only becomes power when it’s backed by proactive research and consistent preparation. It’s not about having all the answers. It’s about building just enough of a foundation to ask the right question — the one that moves the conversation forward.
💡 One practice I recommend: each week, pick one business challenge or emerging trend you don’t fully understand. Identify two trusted sources — it could be a podcast episode, a research report, or a colleague. Set aside 30 focused minutes for a deep dive, free from distractions. Then write down three questions or ideas that came from your learning, and bring those to your next team meeting or client call. This turns curiosity into deliberate action, helping you contribute meaningfully when it matters most.
📌 It’s not about who speaks first. It’s about who’s already ready.
What are you preparing for right now — before anyone asks? Love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
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It’s been a busy month, no doubt — sharing just a few behind-the-scenes shots from live TV and others
LinkedIn Community Shoutouts!
In each newsletter, I will highlight one (or some) of the comments made by LinkedIn community members on my posts. As always, there are so many great (and fun) comments that it is hard to narrow them down! But this one is a little longer as usual!
Shoutout to Wendy Davidson Saira Malik Fields Jackson, Jr Jonathan Dunnett Mel Sanford Quincy Olatunde Sanjay Mohan Amy Komins Debra Nasipak, MA Andrew Seaman Jim Lampassi Dr. Joseph Santhosh Anvesh Perada 🧿 Gina Riley Simon Hodgkins Mateen Hamza Ken Saita Stanley Florence Sr Pauline Pongrass Dondi Black Benita Lee, B. Mgt., CCS, N. America . Robyn Hatcher, CSP Shawnette R. Marc Agar Courtney Graham Denise Patrick, PhD Deepinder Singh 😃👏🏽
Ryan Patel is a global business executive, board member, TV news contributor, and host of "The Moment with Ryan Patel" filmed at the iconic HP Garage
Check out his Linkedin Learning Course: "Cultivate a Global Entrepreneurial Mindset in a Remote Working World"
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Founder & CEO at Advizehub.com | UCLA MBA
1wI was drawn toward this one: "The Room Matters More Than the Role: The real power moves aren’t in job titles, they’re in the rooms where direction gets set."
Now this is the conversation we need more of. “The Room Matters More Than the Role” is a power truth. The real influence happens before the keynote, before the reorg, before the press release—it’s in the closed-door moments where vision is challenged and direction is set. Also, the take on curiosity? Couldn’t agree more. Curiosity without action is just theater. The people who know how to channel it into strategic motion? They’re the ones shifting industries. This edition is a must-read. 🔥 Well done, Ryan Patel you are raising the bar as always.
Chief Executive Officer at IFFCO Professional I Global Executive I Board Member
1wLove the take on the room that matters more than the role…. Hit me hard as Ibhave seen so many people to speak just to speak or chase titles but impactful and thoughtful words mean much more than just speaking or titles. ❤️💪
Aspiring Entrepreneur 🇺🇸 | Whispers of Wisdom | A Voice of the Unspoken | Forging Inner Revolutions with Kindness, Stillness, and Sacred Simplicity | Presence Over Performance | Creating Infinite Echoes Beyond Applause
1wDeep gratitude, Ryan, for the luminous mention and heartfelt shout out in this sacred unfolding of “Ryan Is Curious.” Your reflection on choosing the room over the role is more than leadership—it is remembrance. It honors not just what we do, but who we become when no one’s watching. These words breathe with the spirit of service, drawing us back to intentional presence as the deepest form of influence. Your journey—from SXSW Sydney’s pulse to quiet moments in the Empire State—echoes a truth I hold close: that the path of the curious is also the path of the compassionate. Thank you for holding space for invisible narratives and inviting us to reflect not on our titles, but our touch. This newsletter is not just a window—it’s a sanctuary. I look forward to weaving its essence into dialogues that center story, stillness, and sacred reach. May your voice continue to stir what lies quietly waiting to be named.
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1wThoughtful post, thanks Ryan as always you deliver! We appreciate your insight for engagement! Engagement that allows us to learn & participate in topic you display! Thanks I don’t take your acknowledgement for granted!🙏🏽