In today's episode, discover the science behind the feeling that the chatty people in the room are getting promoted, while your hard-earned expertise and tremendous work ethic keep getting overlooked.
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, Elora Camacho, your magical executive presence coach, godmother, and strategist.
And by the end of today's episode, you will know the science behind why introverted professionals often get passed over, even when they are more effective leaders.
Subtle communication, shifts that instantly increase your visibility and perceived authority, and ways to reframe your quiet strengths, such as reflection strategy, deep listening, all the things that HR is always training on into real leadership presence.
So you've got the credentials, you've got the expertise, you've got the performance reviews.
You've done the work.
Why does it sometimes feel like your voice is getting lost in the room?
Why does someone who talks less get seen less even when they know more.
It's an enigma-like conundrum.
And if this is your day-to-day experience, stick with me, because we're going to unpack the silent confidence gap that keeps high-achieving experts stuck while others rise.
So here's something research shows that in workplaces dominated by extroverted norms the norms of speaking up, dominating discussions, pushing ideas loudly
In those environments.
Introverts are less likely to emerge as leaders because they speak less often, not because they're less capable.
Most workplaces that I know about, they are dominated by extroverted norms because, just of the size of the organization, that's the way it ends up being.
Imagine you walk into a governance meeting and the loudest voice says is the one that everybody's listening to.
Is not that you're imagining that?
There is actually bias in the way leadership emerges.
I know a lot of you have given amazing presentations that are scripted, that you rehearse a lot, you deliver, you get the nods of approval but it may still sound robotic, may not resonate because of the rehearsal and the scripted aspect of it.
And that means you're not signaled as a senior leader or you're not indicated as somebody who can make it to the next level.
Because then what happens when the conversation turns unscripted, with QA or pushback?
Then you can start sinking and your confidence draining, your brain fogging, your confidence wavering, your voice doesn't come out like normal.
So that can often cause you to question yourself and beat yourself up.
Why didn't I say that better?
This is the emotional cost that all of this entails.
Researchers have shown that introverts actually excel when it comes to deep thought, active listening, careful decision making, and that leads to stronger team dynamics and better decisions.
But it's not giving you visibility.
Visibility is a product of executive presence.
Now, before I tell you some reframing tips, I want you to get that the worst thing is not that in any given meeting you're not recognized.
The worst is what happens to you.
You start internalizing The perceived disapproval or being ignored.
That causes you to second guess your instincts.
You may avoid certain meetings.
You may question like, well, maybe I'm not just cut out to be a senior leader.
It just causes you to hold back.
And if you do speak up, you're more guarded.
So it's eroding that confidence and that visibility.
Research also shows that introverted leaders can drive higher productivity and better outcomes, not despite being introverts, but because of our style.
And, in fact, studies comparing leadership styles.
Introverted leaders lead proactive, engaged teams that outperformed their extroverted counterparts by up to 28.
Yeah, 28%.
That's significant.
That's actually transformative.
But you can still be like a better leader with studies to prove it.
And it's still not giving you the visibility.
And in an irregular company, that ecosystem prioritizes flash over substance.
You can say it's not fair, but We have to deal with reality.
Some of the things you may be telling yourself are that you're shy.
English isn't your first language.
I'll speak when I feel more confident.
Now's not the right time.
So what I want you to get is that introversion.
Whether you have a little bit or a lot, that is not a barrier to leadership effectiveness.
Here's the paradox.
The very traits that you may think are holding you back your reflection, your overthinking, your listening deeply are actually leadership strengths that drive better outcomes.
But if your ecosystem rewards talk time, not thought time, you can feel invisible.
So here's the good news.
You don't have to become an extrovert.
Leadership research stresses two truths.
One Introverts can be extremely effective leaders, especially in environments where reflection, depth and empathy matter, which is everywhere.
And number two, the challenge is not your personality.
It is how your communication is perceived in extrovert-based settings.
So how do you make your message land?
All right.
So here's a quick tip that's worth.
You know, I have my 4A framework for answering questions, which works like magic.
But I'm not going to repeat that here.
I'll put a link to the show notes.
The fastest way to deal with a question that's got you is to restate it.
Hey, just to make sure I understand what you're asking is blah, blah, blah, blah.
Just restate the question.
That gives you time.
That sends your body a message to calm down.
Remember to sell it before you tell it.
That means to give people a reason to listen to what you're going to say.
Also use structure, you know, the rule of three, three reasons, three factors, three risks.
All of these things just sound better.
So the idea, especially with the way I approach executive presence for introverts, it's not to have more conversations.
It's to have the conversation's that you're having, they need to give more impact.
And that's how you shift perceptions without becoming somebody that you're not.
So if you're thinking yes, I deserve more visibility recognition, I am ready to learn some new skills so that I can show up with executive presence, I can answer these questions that annoy me, I can push back.
I can respond under pressure without blanking out.
You can own the room during that Q&A.
All of that is what I teach in the Executive Presence Mastery System.
The whole purpose of it is to equip high performing introverts to be successful senior leaders.
And there is a link in the show notes to set up time for us to talk about, to see if this program would be good for you.
In any case, Have a fabulous day and I will catch you on the next episode.
