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I didn’t say much in meetings, if I didn’t have to.
I knew social events were important, but were anything but fun.
My hands would shake if I even thought about asking a question in a town hall.
Ugh. Being visible is a key part of leadership… but I just don’t like it.
Is there any way to lead and not have to rely on these painful experiences?
The answer is Yes!
"The trick for introverts is to honor their styles instead of allowing themselves to be swept up by prevailing norms."
There is a super power to the quiet ones. We think. A lot.
And we can connect lots of information together, often creating really great ideas.
Now… having really great ideas is not enough. Those ideas have to come out of your head.
That’s where the uncomfortable stuff starts. Just thinking about sharing an idea in a big meeting is enough to raise your heartbeat.
But it doesn’t have to be uncomfortable.
Instead… share your idea with a friend.
Then share it with another colleague.
Then share it with a teammate.
Share your idea, in a one-on-one conversation, again and again.
We quiet ones often love smaller conversations. This gives the opportunity to share your ideas informally. Less pressure.
And even better, the smaller conversations allow you to gather feedback to make your idea even better.
Once you gain more confidence in your idea, and you’ve talked to most people individually in your team about the idea, now it’s time to share it in a meeting.
Ok, sharing it may still feel a bit uncomfortable. But this time you have supporters. You know how each person responded individually. And you’ve built in their feedback.
You increased your likeliness of the idea moving forward by talking to each person separately. And even better, you’ve also increased the connection each person has to the idea. If you built in their feedback, they now feel like they are a part of this idea too.
Your didn’t have to shout or take a stand.
You just had to be yourself. Quietly moving your idea forward. Increasing influence.
Quiet influence is a powerful thing.
– Laura @ Mindtap
“The trick for introverts is to honor their styles instead of allowing themselves to be swept up by prevailing norms.”
– Susan Cains
American writer and lecturer
