The Introverted Leader Book: An Overview for Introverts in Leadership

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[00:00:13] Today we will unlock the book, The Introverted Leader, Building on Your Quiet Strength.

[00:00:18] This book has been regarded as introvert's promotion Bible.

[00:00:22] Let's think back to when we have faced issues at work over the course of our careers.

[00:00:27] Some of us might have found ourselves in situations like this during a briefing or meeting,

[00:00:32] our colleagues enthusiastically report on their work progress and actively engage in the discussion.

[00:00:37] However, when it is our turn to share our progress, we begin to sweat and stumble over our words.

[00:00:44] Or, during corporate social events, while others chat happily and carry themselves with grace,

[00:00:49] we are overwhelmed and exhausted. All we want is to sit silently in a corner.

[00:00:55] At work, we handle the most tiring tasks that nobody wants to deal with,

[00:00:59] even the ones that are not our responsibility.

[00:01:02] Nevertheless, in the end of the day, we never receive promotion or a pay raise.

[00:01:07] If these scenarios sound familiar to you, then you are likely an introvert.

[00:01:12] Extroverted individuals often take the lead in today's workplace.

[00:01:17] They are energetic, involved and sociable.

[00:01:20] They showcase their talents and best qualities, which make them easily stand out.

[00:01:25] Introverted people, on the other hand, are quieter and withdrawn.

[00:01:30] Compared to their extroverted counterparts, their strengths stay hidden, resulting in their lack of

[00:01:34] presence. One way or another, they become invisible in the workplace. Considered this,

[00:01:41] one might assume that being an introvert is a bad thing.

[00:01:45] The author of the introverted leader, Jennifer Conwiler, disagrees.

[00:01:50] She states that there is no such thing as a good or bad personality.

[00:01:54] Most of the time, being an introvert has just as many advantages as being an extrovert.

[00:02:00] As long as introverts manage their personality and employ training methods that suit them,

[00:02:04] they can communicate or socialize with others effortlessly and grow their careers,

[00:02:08] all the while maintaining their quiet and introspective nature.

[00:02:12] Conwiler is a renowned human resources development specialist,

[00:02:16] dubbed the champion for introverts.

[00:02:19] She has worked with General Electric Company, NASA and several other prominent organizations.

[00:02:24] Her expertise lies in complex and effective leadership theories, which she puts into practice

[00:02:29] through easily understood approaches. While writing this book, she interviewed more than 100

[00:02:35] introverts from multiple industries and joined various conferences as well as training programs

[00:02:40] to seek introverted individuals with strong leadership skills.

[00:02:44] Then Conwiler documented her findings and took notes from many psychologists and

[00:02:49] philosophers unique takes on leadership. From these, she developed her own perspective on these

[00:02:55] subjects and ultimately penned this book. Now we shall dissect the essence of Conwiler's approach

[00:03:01] by dividing the introverted leader into three parts. Part one, an introvert can be a successful leader.

[00:03:09] Part two, the four-piece process and introverts guide to overcoming workplace challenges.

[00:03:15] Part three, turning introversion into an advantage in workplace scenarios with the four-piece process.

[00:03:22] Part one, an introvert can be a successful leader. Before we start, it is necessary to learn

[00:03:28] about the traits of introverted individuals and the challenges they face in today's workplace.

[00:03:33] Some career and personality assessments melt the differences between introversion and extroversion.

[00:03:39] Generally, introverted individuals are defensive and predominantly interested in ones in

[00:03:44] their world. Introverts like solitude and draw energy from quiet or alone time.

[00:03:50] They tend to be reserved, think before they speak and only share their private information

[00:03:54] with their close-knit groups. Once they become leaders, they are likely to behave modestly,

[00:04:00] keep a low profile and are very detail-oriented. Highly empathetic introverts prefer to lead by

[00:04:06] example and guide others through behaviors instead of words. Moreover, their strong observation skills

[00:04:13] can make a difference at work, indirectly influencing the team members' performance.

[00:04:18] While dealing with individual assignments or managing a small team, introverts might be able

[00:04:22] to handle the mental labor of their work. However, when they are asked to expand their business

[00:04:28] or when they take on more responsibilities, they might begin to feel overwhelmed and worn out.

[00:04:33] Unlike their extroverted counterparts, sudden changes pose great mental and emotional challenges

[00:04:38] to their introverted disposition. Conwiler discusses the four primary challenges faced by

[00:04:44] introverted leaders. Let us go over them one by one. The first great challenge is stress.

[00:04:52] Now, many of us might wonder, well, who isn't stressed out by work?

[00:04:57] Indeed, who isn't? Still, compared to the extroverts, introverted leaders experience a greater

[00:05:03] amount of stress partly due to our workplace culture. Conwiler explains her point with a specific case.

[00:05:11] Mandy was a hard worker. Shortly after she joined her team, she received

[00:05:16] commendations from her manager. But praise and approval came with more responsibilities.

[00:05:22] Because of her introversion, she was uncomfortable communicating her needs or turning down extra work

[00:05:28] or project invitations. She also worried that others would doubt her competence or dedication

[00:05:33] if she refused to take on more tasks. Therefore, she began working overtime and drove herself

[00:05:39] into the ground. Even so, she struggled to meet the deadlines

[00:05:44] and her hectic schedule affected her relationships with her loved ones.

[00:05:48] Many introverts have a hard time communicating and expressing themselves, meaning they have trouble

[00:05:53] saying no to others. As a result, they often bite off more than they can chew and are under a lot

[00:05:59] of pressure, both physically and mentally. Moreover, due to their fear of public speaking and face-to-face

[00:06:05] communication, introverted leaders are often stressed out by the pressure to speak in front of an

[00:06:09] audience and socialize with strangers. The second challenge that introverts face is miscommunication,

[00:06:16] or as Conwiler puts it, Perception Gap. It occurs when the intended message, attitude,

[00:06:22] and impression are different from what the receivers perceive. There is a saying that goes,

[00:06:28] Perception is reality. It means that whatever we perceive is our reality. Now, the key phrase is

[00:06:36] our reality. In many situations, one's perception of reality is not necessarily aligned with the

[00:06:41] others, especially in the workplace. For instance, picture yourself in a company meeting, during which

[00:06:48] everyone is arguing, as an introverted leader, you might prefer to stay silent while listening

[00:06:52] to others' opinions and ruminating on them before forming and delivering a carefully thought-out

[00:06:57] statement. But the subordinates might mistake your caution for indecision and ineptitude,

[00:07:03] or perhaps during a social event while everyone else is conversing and having a good time,

[00:07:08] you keep to yourself in a corner, worrying that you might embarrass yourself or offend someone

[00:07:12] with a slip of a tongue. But in doing so, the others might assume that you are a loof and

[00:07:18] unapproachable. These two scenarios prove that one's perception does not equate to objective

[00:07:23] reality. Introverted individuals are very private. They rarely reveal their thoughts and emotions

[00:07:30] to people they are not close with. Subsequently, their silence allows others to speculate their intentions,

[00:07:37] leading to perception gap and misunderstandings. The third great challenge is the difficulty of networking,

[00:07:43] one of the factors of career setbacks. Many introverts often wonder how do most extroverts get the

[00:07:49] opportunities they long for so easily? The answer is simple. Extroverts tend to be sociable.

[00:07:57] They are more willing to share information about themselves with strangers or acquaintances and

[00:08:02] sell themselves, so to speak. Hence, supervisors are more readily aware of their capabilities and potential.

[00:08:10] So when the opportunities arise and the organizations are looking for candidates for certain projects,

[00:08:15] these extroverts will be the first group of people they consider. As the extroverts take on more

[00:08:21] projects, they expand their professional networks and gain more experience, gradually taking their

[00:08:26] careers to the next level. On the contrary, introverts tend to avoid social occasions or interacting with

[00:08:32] others which prevents them from building and expanding their professional networks. No matter how

[00:08:38] hard they work, they are bound to miss certain opportunities that will contribute to their career

[00:08:42] progression. This brings us to the fourth and final challenge, invisibility in the workplace.

[00:08:49] This is actually a very common phenomenon in the corporate world. Some people work harder than

[00:08:54] their colleagues and throw themselves into their jobs, but they rarely get the promotions or pay

[00:09:00] raises they deserve. Why? This is because the managers mainly notice those who actively speak their

[00:09:06] minds and sell themselves. This is not how introverts typically operate. Their lack of presence makes them

[00:09:14] invisible in the eyes of their supervisors. Naturally, their strengths, capabilities and

[00:09:20] achievements are overlooked as well. One of the common traits of introverted individuals is their

[00:09:25] reluctance to express themselves or being the center of attention. But if we never put ourselves

[00:09:31] into the spotlight, we will not gain the opportunities we deserve. It's good to keep a low profile,

[00:09:37] but overdoing so minimizes our importance and presence in the team. As time passes,

[00:09:43] we will be gradually forgotten and become invisible. All four of the challenges are in introverts

[00:09:48] nightmare. However, as we have established earlier, introverted individuals can become

[00:09:54] excellent leaders because introversion is not a personality deficiency. This can be managed and

[00:10:00] utilized. Introverts can adapt just as well as extroverts if they know how. Here, the management

[00:10:08] of personality will not ask us to discard our introversion and force us to become an extrovert.

[00:10:13] What it needs us to do is to keep our character intact while adjusting our behavior and improving

[00:10:18] ourselves. This allows introverts to thrive in the extrovert-dominated environment. In another case

[00:10:25] study, we meet the introvert Sean who was recently promoted. The nature of his work remained the

[00:10:31] same despite the change in his role. He was still working with the same team and doing what he had before

[00:10:37] he received the promotion. One day, however, his boss came to check on him and stated what he

[00:10:42] expected from Sean in his new role. His boss wanted him to get out of the sandbox and focus on

[00:10:48] boosting his team's morale and efficiency. Taking note of his boss instruction, Sean began to

[00:10:54] delegate his old tasks to his team members to free up more time to meet his responsibilities as a leader.

[00:11:00] Most human behaviorists agree that once temperament is molded by both genetic and environmental factors.

[00:11:07] Our personality style and disposition are merely the results of the interaction between these

[00:11:12] influences. It's hard to change the genetic factors, but we can manage the environmental factors.

[00:11:19] Let us look back at Sean's story for a moment. He was quiet and reserved by nature.

[00:11:25] His working style was shaped by his past experience. Later on, when he got a promotion,

[00:11:31] his boss wanted him to change the way he worked. As his responsibility shifted,

[00:11:36] he began to pick up new habits and attitudes while retaining his personality.

[00:11:41] What he had to unlearn was not his introversion but his working style.

[00:11:46] This is the environmental factor we can change a part of the personality management process.

[00:11:52] Despite their reserved temperament, once the introverts are pushed out of their comfort zone,

[00:11:56] they can learn new skills and develop strategies to manage themselves.

[00:12:01] While doing so, they will reach their full potential and grow into leadership roles.

[00:12:06] That is all for part one. In this section, we learn about the personality traits and style of

[00:12:12] introverted individuals. They appreciate solitude, tend to think before they speak and are

[00:12:17] extremely private. Due to their introversion, they encounter four big challenges in the workplace,

[00:12:23] stress, perception gap, networking struggles, and invisibility.

[00:12:28] However, these obstacles can be overcome.

[00:12:31] Introversion is manageable. Your training and practice,

[00:12:35] introverted individuals can adapt to extra-verdominant environments and become excellent leaders.

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