It has been over four years since I did my TEDx talk, ‘Introverts Make Great Leaders Too’, and there have been many new subscribers to this newsletter since I last shared it. If you haven’t watched it yet, you can watch it below.
Introversion continues to be viewed less favourably in many workplaces, and many introverted leaders face challenges as a result of this. Thankfully, some employers are becoming aware of this/have become aware, and are doing something to address it.
I am increasingly being asked to speak to senior leadership teams about how they can be more inclusive towards introversion, and to their employees about how introverts can thrive in the workplace.
If you haven’t watched my TEDx talk yet, you can watch it here ↘️
The video is 12 minutes long and if you don't have time to watch it all now, save the link and watch it when you can. I have set out here, key points in the video:
00:42 - 01:35 Misconceptions about introversion
01:36 - 04:06 - 73% of introverted women who are senior leaders surveyed said they experienced self-doubt. This often arises from childhood experiences that led them to believe they were not good enough because they were introverted. Something we still see happening with children today.
04:07 - 06:27 - Historically in many parts of the West, extraverted traits have been associated with good leadership, and the corporate environment is very much geared towards extraversion. Whereas Nordic countries and certain Asian countries such as China and Japan embrace introversion as a leadership quality.
06:28 - 10:41 - Understanding what introversion is, the differences between introversion and extraversion, and some of the strengths introverted leaders are well known for.
10:42 - 11:03 - Embracing difference makes organisations dynamic and when organisations are looking at diversity and inclusion, they need to consider diversity of thought and personality as well.
11:04 - 12:03 - Final thoughts for you to think about if you are an introverted leader; an extravert who appoints leaders; or the parent, carer, or teacher of an introverted child.
If there are people in your organisation who would benefit from watching it, share it with them.
