Are you a high-performing introvert who's crushing your role but still not getting the recognition and the promotions that you have earned?
Welcome back to Speak Up, the podcast for high performing introverts, including you social introverts. where we reveal the charisma and communication secrets of A-listers so that you get the recognition and the opportunities you have earned.
I am your host, Laura Camacho, your magical executive presence coach, godmother, and strategist.
By the end of today's short episode, you will know three research backed superpowers that introverts bring to leadership and social settings. how you can show up with sincere confidence in any boardroom, networking event, or even a casual barbecue.
And despite our superior performance, the key reason introverts struggled to break into executive roles and how to fix it without Changing Your Personality So sometimes we introverts can be like these massive icebergs where people only see the very tippy top, but the vast majority of the structure or in our case, the value added is not easily visible.
So what is it that introvert actually bring to the tables?
I want you to get super duper clear that the reason you may have been overlooked for a leadership role is not that you're not competent, right?
We bring exceptional leadership talent, and skill.
So the first advantage, exceptional listening skills.
Introverts are wired to listen more than they speak, which creates a ripple effect of benefits.
In executive leadership, this means encouraging team members to share ideas freely, fostering innovation and buy-in.
Plus, when you're listening, you're learning.
Research from Harvard Business School shows that introverted leaders excel at leading proactive teams because they listen carefully and implement other people's suggestions, which leads to higher performance.
Actually in one study, More introverted managers outperformed extroverts when employees were idea generators as introverts created space for those voices to shine.
So if you're in a creative space that's highly and if you're not, it's still valuable.
So translate that to any social occasion, like a dinner party, a networking mixer.
When you listen intently, people feel valued and they open up more, which they absolutely love.
And that builds trust effortlessly. Plus, as the listener, you're gathering insights that others miss and you can actually turn small talk into meaningful connections.
In her book, Quiet, The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking, I believe it came out in 2008.
So it's been out a while. It's by Susan Cain.
If you're an introvert, you haven't read it, I highly suggest that you get a copy.
But she highlights how introverts' preference for depth over being superficial folks it allows them or us to learn from conversations and which gives us an edge in understanding the dynamics that extroverts might overlook.
So the next time you're in a meeting or at a cocktail hour, lean into your listening, lean into your asking questions.
That's not being passive, it's being strategic.
Moving on to the second advantage, we think before we speak.
You may see people that speak up immediately to answer a question, but it takes them a while to land the plane because they haven't thought it out.
That is what makes us introverts surprisingly more effective at public speaking.
We seldom wing it. And the downside is though, that you may be overthinking, but we have dealt with that in other episodes.
So this might sound counterintuitive. Often public speaking is seen as the extrovert's playground.
But that's not for real. The introvert's habit of processing thoughts internally lead to a more clear perception more impactful, more interesting, and even a funnier presentation.
We rehearse mentally, we organize our ideas, avoid filler words.
And that turns out to be an excellent presentation.
A Forbes article on silent leadership notes that introverts can take more time to process information, yes, that can feel awkward, but that can lead to more thoughtful responses that resonate with really smart executives.
In social occasions, so we may not be the life of the party, but we can be the one who drops the insightful comment. that makes people go, whoa, that shifts the conversation rather than dominating it.
And research supports this too, that introverts often excel at public speaking. because we're attuned to the audience's needs.
We're listening for feedback cues and adjusting on the fly, which makes us appear more genuine and connected.
Susan Cain also emphasizes this in her book and I've seen it in my 20 years of coaching that Introverts tend to be fabulous presenters or public speakers.
There can be some shyness or other obstacles, but once we get going, we are unstoppable.
All right, the third advantage, keen observation skills.
We're like Sherlock, we're masters at watching and analyzing.
We pick up on subtle cues that others breeze past.
In executive leadership, this means spotting team tensions, market shifts or unspoken needs before they escalate. which facilitates smarter decisions.
A Yale University study found that introvert are better than extroverts at observing and understanding social behaviors in group settings. which gives us a leadership edge because we are better at reading the room.
And again, there was a study from Antioch University of introvert strengths, which comes from our focus on depth and detail, which allows for empathetic insights that build stronger teams.
And now in the social arena, it's gold because we know this body language and we have this radar that helps us be better conversationalists because we're not just going on and on and on and on about ourselves.
But so we bring all this to the table. That's what I want you to get super clear on.
It's not that you're just good enough, but you're actually supremely.
You're offering supreme value. There's just one problem, that despite all these incredible advantages that introverts bring to leadership, the listening, the thoughtful communication, the sharp observation skills.
We often face a significant hurdle getting beyond mid-level in the food chain of any organization because we don't like to talk about ourselves.
We don't like to be braggadocious and we really focus more on work than internal networking, which is a critical driver of career advancement in a competitive corporate environment.
So research from the Journal of Organizational Behavior, it's not just Laura telling you this, highlights that introverts are less likely to engage in proactive self-advocacy or build visibility with senior stakeholders, which can overshadow our contributions.
Frankly, we find that boring and annoying, but there is a way to do it.
Unlike our extroverted counterparts who naturally thrive in spotlighting their achievements, Introverts may focus on doing the work rather than showcasing it, missing opportunities. to forge connections that lead to executive roles because there has to be a buzz about you.
You have to have an arsenal of allies to make it to senior leadership and be successful there.
So this failure to develop that creates a perception gap And your value can be under-recognized.
And if your value is under-recognized, that can keep you out of the C-suite despite your strategic strengths.
So to wrap this up, recap. Introverts bring game-changing advantages to leadership and social scenes. through one superior listening that empowers others and makes you learn more to thoughtful speaking that elevates your impact and three sharp observation that could uncover hidden opportunities these are not weaknesses to overcome they are strengths to leverage Make sure your contribution is being recognized.
And I have lots of tips and even a coaching program designed to help you do that.
I'm not going to talk about that today, but I highly recommend that you get on my email list by visiting my website at www.speakup.com. with laura.com there's a pop-up stick your email address in there and you'll get a drip dose money wednesday friday a quick communication tip to help you get the visibility so that you get the recognition and opportunities you have earned.
In any case, have a delightful day and I will catch you on the next episode.
