Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
Why Introversion Doesn’t Mean Shy (And Other Myths Debunked)  image

Why Introversion Doesn’t Mean Shy (And Other Myths Debunked)

E20 · The Visible Leader
Avatar
41 Plays1 month ago

In this episode, I chat with Stacey, an expert on introverted leadership, about the myths surrounding introverts in leadership roles and how they can excel in environments often geared towards extroverts.

Have a listen and discover how to truly embrace your strengths as an introverted leader!

Key takeaways include:

  • Introversion vs Extroversion: Stacey shares her thoughts on why it’s not a simple binary choice and how understanding these traits can help leaders play to their strengths.
  • Debunking Myths about Introverted Leaders: We explore the stereotype of being quiet and discuss why introverts can be powerful leaders.
  • Practical Tips for Introverts in the Workplace: From preparing for meetings to managing your energy, Stacey offers some brilliant, actionable advice to ensure introverts have their voices heard.
  • Influence and Contribution: We cover how introverts can influence and contribute without needing to be the loudest person in the room.
  • How to Ask for What You Want: Stacey gives great advice on how introverts can successfully ask for the promotion, recognition, or raise they deserve.

Stacey also shares a free “Meetings Playbook for Introverts” – you can download it from her website to learn more.

Resources:


Got a question for me? I'm just a message away on LinkedIn.

Click here to get your free copy of my Leader's Guide to Increasing Your Impact, Influence & Free Time

And if you enjoyed the Podcast please share with someone who might benefit and leave a rating and review.

Recommended
Transcript

Changing Perceptions of Introversion

00:00:00
Speaker
quiet, shy, or socially awkward. Those are words or phrases that generally have negative connotations to them. And that's a big challenge, I think, both for how introverts think about themselves and how other people think about introverts. I would love to flip the types of adjectives that are used to describe us from the negative to the positive. There's this myth that you have to be extroverted, you have to be outgoing and social, and all the adjectives we associate with extroverts but not with introverts, that if you're not that, you're not gonna lead.
00:00:32
Speaker
Welcome to the show. I'm Corinne Hines, and this is the Visible Leader Podcast.
00:00:40
Speaker
On this show, I take a practical approach to leadership, unpacking the art and science of leading
00:01:03
Speaker
The subject of introversion has become quite popular in recent years. You probably haven't escaped hearing people talk about it being a real superpower, and Susan Cain's book called Quiet really changed how we think about it. But that's the case, and we can see examples of great introverted leaders, yet introversion is still underrepresented in our boardrooms.
00:01:31
Speaker
I'm interested in this and I wanted to create an episode which had loads of insights, but really importantly, practical tips for all leaders. So this is whether you identify as an introvert or you just want to support people in your team that might be introverts too, you'll find something super valuable here.

Stacey Chazen's Introversion Journey

00:01:55
Speaker
Today's guest is Stacey Chazen. She's a coach with a background in organizational development And she totally focuses on helping introverts embrace who they are, helps them succeed without having to fit the extroverted mold. We will be digging into her journey and I'll be sharing some of my own challenges with this fascinating topic. I hope you enjoy.
00:02:25
Speaker
a oh Welcome to the Visible Leader podcast, Stacey. It's wonderful to be here, Corinne. Thank you. Well, it's a pleasure to have you. And this is a subject I'm super interested in. My first question to you, Stacey, is introversion.
00:02:44
Speaker
Some people I meet when they hear introversion, extroversion, they feel it's a little bit of a binary choice. And some people are like, yeah, sometimes I'm introvert in some situations and other times I'm extrovert. What's your take on it? Great question. I hear that a lot. So my take on it is that the way we are wired, we are wired primarily to be either introverted or extroverted. However, that does not mean that we always show up with introvert typical behaviors in every situation. So in Myers-Briggs speak, so i'm I'm certified as a Myers-Briggs type indicator practitioner, and for your listeners who might not know, Myers-Briggs or MBTI as it's known,
00:03:33
Speaker
The world's most commonly used personality assessment refers to introversion or extroversion as a preference. So it's how you're naturally inclined to show up in a space. And your introversion or extroversion refers to how you gain energy from the world.
00:03:51
Speaker
right So for introverts, we tend to gain our energy either when we're doing things alone or on a one-on-one basis or in small groups, and we like to recharge that way. Whereas extroverts, people who have a preference for extroversion, tend to get their energy by being in a larger room or group of people, more with the outside world. However, it doesn't mean that we introverts don't like to be in a large group or we don't like to be out in the world, engaging with a whole bunch of other people, it's just not typically how we gain our energy. So all of that is to say, we might show up leaning toward our extroversion or or leaning toward being fueled by others in certain situations. So you're always who you are. I have a preference for introversion. I consider myself an introvert, but there are situations and times
00:04:45
Speaker
where I act in more typically extroverted ways, but I still am who I am.

Understanding Introversion vs. Extroversion

00:04:50
Speaker
Great. I have a confession. I identified and as an extrovert for years, and I, like yourself, have done psychometrics with people about their introversion, extroversion preferences, ah so I knew it inside out. ah i I thought I did, and then in recent but the last five years,
00:05:12
Speaker
It's come to light that I'm actually have an introversion preference. And now I've, I know. I love it. How? How did how did that come about? Oh my God. So this is like therapy. I was actually doing a Myers-Briggs.
00:05:28
Speaker
um psychometric psychometric for somebody that was clearly an introvert. She identified it. It was really clear with her preferences and her and everything. I just happened to like read her profile at the end after we'd finished. I was like, cause I didn't feel like I had a similar personality to her at all, but I just read her profile and I looked at it and I thought, oh my God.
00:05:51
Speaker
Like I had never really settled with my profile for all the non-MBTI folks. I'm not going to go into MBTI on this podcast, but there is at the end of it, you get a profile which should feel like it reads your personality to some extent. And I never, ever settled on the one that was meant to be me. And I was always a bit, oh, which is it? What bit's not right? And I always thought it's more complicated ones.
00:06:19
Speaker
but it wasn't all along. I was this introvert living in a expected extrovert body. And it made everything click into place. Oh, I love that. And yeah, so for the last so five years I've been going, oh my God, that's why I had this thing go on at university. That's why I was like, that's cool. That's why I was like, that's my first job. So I've had this massive breakthrough.
00:06:46
Speaker
and Not to make this whole podcast about me and my breakthrough, although you know fine if that if that's what we need to talk about. I am interested in introversion, extroversion because I worry that people get limited by labels and I really don't

The Challenge of Labels

00:07:05
Speaker
like that. so I do actually pull back from using Labels with people because i think people have such complicated you know complex personalities that one box is not gonna be sufficient however i do still see value in understanding ourselves and looking through different lenses so the introvert lens.
00:07:27
Speaker
That's what we're going to focus on today. and I'd really like to explore what we get wrong about introversion. and Also, so what? so What if you're a leader and you you really recognize you're an introvert? What next? That's where we're going to generally take things. Does that sound like a plan, Stacey? Sounds like a great plan. Yes. Excellent.
00:07:53
Speaker
So the first thing that comes to mind is a slightly stereotypical introvert, which I really don't think exists, but we're going to pick on a version, which is somebody who is actually quite quiet. And when I say quiet, they are not interrupter. They're not somebody that's going to put their contribution ahead of everybody else and really make themselves heard. Does that stereotype sound familiar, Stacey? Absolutely, that sounds familiar. And if I could just jump back to something you said a couple minutes ago, I'm so curious about the fact that you you thought for all these years that you were extroverted, and then you had this revelation that you actually have a preference for introversion. And I think that is so connected to these myths, right? And the myths, not only that people have about introverts, but myths that introverts have about themselves.
00:08:48
Speaker
right And so there must have been something about the way you engage with others or felt good about yourself or worked that in your mind meant you were extroverted. And one example of that, a myth is that if you'd like to be with other people, that must mean that you're extroverted. right and And like I said earlier, you you absolutely can enjoy other people like other people like to be with other people, but just in different ways and maybe with different frequencies and with some more breaks in between than someone who is extroverted.
00:09:17
Speaker
And I think that term you used, quiet, there's a book written by an author named Susan Cain, who's really made such an impact on the world of introversion. And it's a wonderful, wonderful book. And so much of what she talks about is embracing who you are as an introvert and not trying to be something you're not.
00:09:35
Speaker
and that's my approach to when I work with clients I coach or when I teach. I love her writing and there's just sometimes when I hear that word quiet, however, I just don't love it because I think that you can be a quiet extrovert, right? You could speak at a lower volume or you cannot enjoy too much noise around you and still be an extrovert.
00:09:59
Speaker
to different degrees. But I think that quiet sometimes, I think people get tripped up on what that really means. And I think it's more about how you need to recharge, what types of environments allow you to be at your best and tap into your innate strengths and gifts as an introvert. So, yeah, if someone tends to speak up less in meetings and and you consider that, well, they're quieter in meetings, yeah, that applies, I would say. But I don't think it's a catch-all for describing introverts.
00:10:32
Speaker
Yeah, because I think we end up falling into the, my ah daughter's reception teacher gave us a recommendation of reading that book all those years ago. And that's what got me starting to really think about the subject because it is such a good book. There's a sense that shy and introvert are completely connected and it frustrates me because people will see my daughter can be a bit less backward and coming forward sometimes. Actually not shy. They're very different things. Yeah, they're different things. Yeah, socially awkward, social anxiety. They all get kind of grouped together, don't they? Maybe that's why I didn't early days sort of totally relate to it in my head because I don't feel like that. I'm confident. I can speak to anybody, give or take. I can speak into you know a big
00:11:27
Speaker
a group that doesn't bother me at all. So I kind of just in my head had just taken these identities and that to me, even though I was Talking to people about these differences, I still had taken the the the wrong bits of it and project was projecting that. so It isn't straightforward and it is a subject that's worth trying to unpick. I will say, if I may, that the words that use you know shy or socially awkward, but those are words or phrases that generally have negative connotations to them.

Redefining Introversion in Positive Terms

00:12:00
Speaker
And that's a big challenge, I think, both for how introverts think about themselves and how other people think about introverts, you know, not to equate that with something negative. And it's introspective and thoughtful and expert, right? We tend to go deeper with our subject matter expertise rather than going less deep in in more subject areas. So I would love to flip the types of adjectives that are used to describe us from the negative to the positive.
00:12:28
Speaker
Yes, let's do it. So I was thinking about contributions and how the workplace environment does seem to be set up to suit extroverts often. Yes. And I wanted to check in with you on how can a leader who has an introversion preference, how can they contribute in this extroverted workplace more effectively?
00:12:57
Speaker
Yeah, great question. and And what's interesting too when you ask that question is now, I don't know the statistic, but I think that a large number of workplaces are now either hybrid or are virtual, right? And so all people, including introverts, are presented with both challenges and opportunities related to how you are when you're working on site with others and how you are when you're working virtually.
00:13:20
Speaker
on a platform and and engaging with people over Zoom, let's say. And so I can offer a few pieces of advice. One, as an introverted leader, um you want to be recognizing your introverted team members ah as well. So what's important to do is both for yourself and for other members of your team, you want to set up opportunities for people to contribute in introvert friendly ways. And so what this means is when you're in a meeting, let's say,
00:13:45
Speaker
Extroverts tend to the expression think out loud, right? They come up with ideas immediately. They maybe don't give as much thought before they speak. So they're seen as the loudest or the most frequent voice in the room. So as an introverted leader, you want to set up opportunities for introverts to contribute their ideas in ways that align with the best of who they are. So that could be giving people opportunities to submit ideas in writing or via email. It could be meeting with people on a one-on-one basis to either give your ideas or solicit ideas from them. A wonderful tip is to make sure that people including yourself have a meeting agenda ahead of time. And that lets you prepare for what the discussion topics are going to be at the meeting. You might want to map out, I like to say, pick
00:14:35
Speaker
Three key points that you want to make sure you make at that meeting and jot down some notes about it. So that deep thought that you want to be contributing to the conversation, you have time to do that ahead of time. which can increase the value of what you're contributing. If I may, I actually have a guide that I created for introverts. It's called a Meetings Playbook. And it's ways that introverts can have their voices heard and their ideas shine at

Introverts in Extroverted Workplaces

00:15:00
Speaker
meetings. And it includes some other tips for how can you prepare for a meeting and show up as an introvert. And if folks go to my website, it's ifactorgift.com, they can just download it there.
00:15:12
Speaker
Great. Well, I'm going to put that in the show notes because onenie thank you any gifts from my lovely listeners. Lovely. and Other things that you can do is you can schedule your day and this this holds true for whether you're in person or virtual, set up your day so that you have time to recharge.
00:15:29
Speaker
Anyone who has back-to-back meetings throughout the day in person or virtual, it wears on you, right? I mean, you barely have time to grab a drink of water or go to the restroom. So for anyone, it's good to recharge. It's especially important for introverts. I know some companies, for example, have a ah guideline that they don't let a meeting be a full hour, have it end at 10 minutes before the hour so that you you have that built-in break for people to recharge just a little bit. You can build in some breaks on your schedule throughout the day where you can say this is my no meeting zone no one's allowed to schedule here you commit yourself to not scheduling there so that you know that you're gonna have that time to recharge and then be able to contribute your best ideas and do your best work.
00:16:17
Speaker
These ideas, I cannot think of one you've said so far that isn't just best practice for everyone, really. yeah i think yeah I think that's the learning, isn't it? Because thinking out loud does suit some people. When I'm coaching people, that's sometimes what they're doing. They're thinking out loud and that that's their thinking space and it's is a valuable way to process information.
00:16:40
Speaker
But if we're going to be in a mixed group, then the thinking out loud people will potentially silence some of the ideas and the innovation. And also the ideas are probably better if thinking time is given and then we get that chance to to think through out loud off afterwards. Yeah.
00:17:04
Speaker
And obviously, back-to-back meetings, they're just never a good idea, are they? I've not yet to meet a leader that's gone, yay for back-to-back meetings. Yeah. And I think that with people working from home, there's almost this assumption that, oh, or you have this additional flexibility, you're in your your home office or in a nook in your dining room, wherever you are. that you're able to engage more without those breaks. And yeah I think people feel the pressure to be on more. It's a lot harder to disconnect, I think, when you can always see your you know we see your computer in the corner for me. My home office shares a ah wall with my bedroom. And you know just knowing sometimes that that laptop is on the other side of the wall is a bit of a distraction.
00:17:51
Speaker
Hello, it's Corinne here. Before you get stuck into the podcast, I wanted to tell you about something I've been working on recently that could help you get better results with key leaders in your team.
00:18:04
Speaker
Perhaps they've been in post a while or they're one of your rising stars who you've promoted because they were great at the job they did before, but now they're not really getting the results you expected. Whatever the story, the knock on effect is you're getting dragged into decision making that really shouldn't involve you. And you're frustrated because you've probably said something already, but nothing is changing.
00:18:29
Speaker
If this sounds familiar, then my leading smarter program is for you. I run individual sessions for you both where I will create a roadmap to success. We'll look at where they are now, where they really need to be, and what's actually holding them back. And then, and I think this is where the magic happens, I bring you together and facilitate a joint session where we get really clear on what success needs to look like and how you're going to measure it.
00:18:58
Speaker
you'll both be clearer by the end. They'll be happier and more engaged, and you'll be able to put your efforts into the parts of the business that really need you, like growth planning or visiting key clients. If this sounds like something you need, I'm offering a free 30-minute discovery session where we discuss your specific situation and find out how the Leading Smarter programme can help you get better results.
00:19:27
Speaker
Find me on LinkedIn, search for Corinne Hines. Also, the link will be in the show notes and I look forward to speaking to you then.
00:19:40
Speaker
In this bias towards extrovert workplace, influence is something that I'm curious about. Who might have the upper hand on influence or actually, has it got nothing to do with introversion, extroversion? what's What's your take on it, Stacey? My take is that neither has the upper hand necessarily, but it does have to do with introversion or extroversion. So let me explain.
00:20:11
Speaker
Introverts generally will need to use different strategies to demonstrate their thought leadership and influence than extroverts do because if introverts try to pretend to be extroverts and they say, oh, I need to, I need to go to one conference every month and make sure that I'm. networking with people and I'm speaking and I'm engaging with people all day long so they can see my thought leadership, they likely are going to fail because when you try to do something that's not in a way that's not aligned with your strengths, it's generally not a recipe for success. So the idea is that as an introvert, you want to tap into the innate gifts that you have as an introvert when you're trying to have influence or demonstrate your thought leadership. So some ways you can do this, for example, are curate a blog
00:20:57
Speaker
like Create your own blog or write blog pieces that you propose for other people's blog platforms. ah Same is true for a podcast. So some way you might communicate best, you generally will because introverts tend to be strong writers.
00:21:13
Speaker
and writing a blog, either your own or contributing to someone else's, you have time to do that. It's not on the fly. So you can give it thought. You can tap into your subject matter expertise. That's a great way to showcase your thought leadership and have some influence. Another way is to look for speaking platforms. And I know this might surprise people, but introverts are actually very well wired to be strong presenters. The reason that's so is because When you think about it, right you're up on a stage in front of a big group of people, or maybe you're you're at the front of a conference room presenting to a group of 20, let's say. You've generally had time to prepare to present. right You're not doing it spontaneously, so that's the strength for introverts. You're able to tap into your your mind for analytics and deep insights when you're preparing your presentation.
00:22:06
Speaker
And one of the things I love about it is generally when you're presenting, you don't have to make small talk because you're up on a stage and maybe there'll be time for Q and A at the end, but you're kind of up there in your introvert bubble, so to speak, getting to demonstrate your thought leadership, your expertise, have influence on the room without the spontaneous engagement and on the fly thinking that generally happens in other environments. So it's tap into the best of who you are and figure out how you can use those strengths to really shine and show your show your leadership.
00:22:43
Speaker
I feel your answer justifies why my collaboration partner, Ben Simpson, he's really good at getting out there. I'm not saying he's necessarily an extrovert, but he has decided that that's what he's going to do. So he goes to, although he is presenting at events, so maybe actually that does suit him more, but he goes to events, he does networking, he's he sends me his invites to things and I'm like, Ben,
00:23:12
Speaker
I have got my own thing. I have my podcast. I have my writing. I have my home office. I can't leave it. I'm playing to my strengths here. This is not me shielding myself from things. I am going where I'm at my best. I am at my best doing these things. So I'd like to thank you. And Ben, if you're listening to this, that's the reason I'm not at that networking event. I've got permission from Stacy.
00:23:42
Speaker
period but But if you were at a networking event, right, there are ways you could do that, that are aligned with who you are, right? So you, you go to a networking event, donate to collect 25 business cards, right? Identify three, find three people and ideally i identify them ahead of time. If you know who's going to be there and say, okay, these are the three people I want to meet or the three types of people I want to meet, right? Someone who has a particular expertise or works for a particular organization and prepare ahead of time. What are the,
00:24:11
Speaker
What's your elevator pitch for them? what is your What are the three points you want to make sure you make or the three pieces of information or advice that you want to make sure you get? And for you, connecting with those three people deeply and meaningfully is going to be more impactful and fueling for you than maybe the way Ben does it.
00:24:28
Speaker
Well, this is good because I'm not scared to meet people. I love people. But what I tend to do is I look for the people that look the least comfortable because I think I'm going to come rescue you from your own little bubble. And I pick on them as my little technique. I love it. Introverts unite, right? Like look for the people who you think might be feeling the same discomfort that you are and they probably will appreciate you're approaching them.
00:24:56
Speaker
Brilliant. Okay. So you're leading a team and whether or not you have a preference for it introversion or extroversion, you know, your diverse team is going to have many different personality types on it.

Supporting Diverse Work Styles

00:25:13
Speaker
How can you make sure that you allow the introverted leaders and the extroverted leaders as well to to really shine?
00:25:23
Speaker
So one thing I think is incredibly valuable is for people to know who else is on the team with them. So if your company were to do a Myers-Briggs assessment, one of the ethical guidelines is you you can't force people to share their reports or their or their letters with other people. But what you can do, whether you do Myers-Briggs or not, is you could kick off a team effort or a project by asking people to share with one another, what do you need to be most successful on this team, on this project?
00:25:52
Speaker
who are you or what are the conditions when you're going to be at your best? What do you want other people around the table to know about you? And it gives people an opportunity to share how they're wired. And in in an introvert friendly way, you could invite people to do this in writing. You certainly don't want to put them on the spot and surprise them with it, but you could ask people to share with the team you know as you're getting started or when you're a new person on the team. Who are you when you're at your best?
00:26:17
Speaker
and What do you need to be most successful? What support do you need from the rest of the group? What do you think your key strengths are that you're going to be able to contribute to this team? So knowing who you're working with around the table, and this is best practice, I'd say for extroverts or introverts.
00:26:33
Speaker
And i like to say that you never want to have a team for the most part where everyone is the same type whether it's all introverted all extroverted or your home mix of myers breaks letters but that the beauty is really in that alphabet soup a team is gonna be most successful and productive when you have a mix of preferences approaches to work <unk> etc.
00:26:53
Speaker
The next thing you can do is make sure that there are avenues for introverts and extroverts to contribute in their best ways. So for introverts, again, giving them opportunities to make contributions, not necessarily in front of a whole group, um giving them advanced notice, allowing them to prepare so that they can tap into that strength and preparation and that that depth of expertise and insights for when they're coming to the table. And then the third thing I'd say is making sure that there is a pathway for your introverted team members, and the same is true for extroverts, I'd say, to give you feedback on how it's going for them. Let them know if there's something they're not getting from you as a leader or from the team that is not setting them up for success.
00:27:43
Speaker
that they feel comfortable coming to you with that. So you can be aware of how you can best support them to be successful. And imagine you're a parent of a 14-year-old girl. Like, there's going to be some people who still have got this. I mean, this isn't for me. I'm asking for a friend.
00:28:02
Speaker
Seriously, like if you are a parent and you you think, because i i I think about myself growing up not really connecting with that side of myself and thinking I was an alien. right I think everybody thinks they're an alien when they're a teenager. I'm hoping it will lose me. But what can you do for your teens or your pre-teens to help them connect with this without telling them what they

Helping Introverted Teens

00:28:24
Speaker
are? Because as part of MBTR, you don't ever tell people what their preferences are. there they're their preferences. so it's right But then you might suspect that they have a preference in a particular direction. So what would you advise? Well, I think that...
00:28:37
Speaker
And I was never the parent of a teenage girl. I have two grown sons, but what I would say is, and gosh, I wish when I'm coaching folks, there are so many things i I say and things that I've learned as an introvert that I say, Oh, I wish I, looked I wish I knew that when I was 10 or when I was 15. Right. And I think the biggest thing, and this is so hard for teenagers to get their head around is don't try to pretend to be something you're not. Right. Lean into who you are and find your people.
00:29:04
Speaker
So when I was growing up, like I was a reader. I didn't play team sports. I loved to do the crossword puzzle. I wrote for the school newspaper. you know I think reinforcing that when your child or teen is doing something that's an introvert-friendly activity or is deciding to stay in on a Saturday night or is likes to hang out with just one friend and and is is not trying to amass a huge group of friends to provide reinforcement, that that's great.
00:29:32
Speaker
there's no reason to to try to be something you're not. And I think the sooner people learn that lesson in all aspects of their life and as it pertains to any type of characteristic, ah the healthier they'll be. And and I'm not a ah psychologist or a therapist, but that's my belief as a coach and as an introvert who wished she had gotten that positive reinforcement earlier in life.
00:29:55
Speaker
Yeah, I hear you. I'm wholeheartedly agreeing. I'm not sure I'm not trying to be something else on occasion. I think we all still do it a little bit. I still want to be that popular extrovert. She's in me going.
00:30:11
Speaker
ah But it's interesting because society is set up for popularity and wide numbers of connections and friend requests and everything like that. It's really hard sometimes to switch away from it and realize that it's pretty meaningless, but it taps into something, doesn't it? Sometimes.
00:30:32
Speaker
Yeah, it does. And I think the older you get, hopefully the more freer you feel from all that stuff. But sure, I still do. Everyone still does. you know you Every once in a while, you might still have that inkling that you need to conform. Right. you want And the sooner you can let that go and and lean into who you are, it's freeing. And I see that um with people I coach, I see it with people I'm friends with. Right. As we've gotten older,
00:30:59
Speaker
I'm in my early fifties now and I wish I had had this this psychological freedom 20 years ago, 30 years ago. It saved me a lot of a lot of pain and angst and it's just wonderful to be able to to lean into who I authentically am right now and I love seeing other people do the same.
00:31:18
Speaker
Yeah, having said that we're set up for social media likes, I think there is much more around introversion as a power and Susan Cain's got a lot to answer for when it comes to that. Is there anything about introversion we think, but isn't true that we haven't covered already?

Introverts as Leaders

00:31:39
Speaker
Well, I think at a high level that introverts can't be powerful leaders, right? There's this myth that you have to be extroverted. You have to be outgoing and social and all and all the, all the adjectives we associate with extroverts, but not with introverts that if you're not, if you're not that you're not going to lead. And even though about half the population is introverted, only 2% of senior executives are introverted and This is something that, as introverts, it affects, I think, our own sense of what we're capable of and what we think we can ask for and achieve. So ah that's a huge thing that I'm trying to dispel. and Yeah, you are actually completely cut out to be a powerful leader as an introvert.
00:32:20
Speaker
Here are all the ways you can do that. here Here are all the reasons why, because of your empathy, because of your subject matter expertise, because you do take the time to think before you speak. You're very good at forming meaningful deep relationships with people you work with, which I think is an overlooked aspect of being a leader. So that is huge. And I think among extroverts, it's the same myth, right? So there's this extrovert bias that says that extroverts are much more likely to hire and promote other extroverts than they are introverts. and So to dispel that and and let extroverts see, now here are all the reasons that even though I'm not like you, I can be just as powerful and effective and inspiring as a leader. What question have I not asked you? you You've not asked me how can introverts ask for and get what they want at work? How can they get the promotion, the raise, the recognition? o Go and answer it.
00:33:16
Speaker
that that they know they deserve. And again, it goes back to not trying to be extroverted and pretend to be extroverted because the extrovert might feel a lot more comfortable tooting their own horn than we are as introverts. So tap into your introverted gifts. You're in eight expertise and strengths. And so that includes, for example, you know that you want a promotion by the end of the year.
00:33:38
Speaker
Spend the year that leads up to that, documenting your accomplishments, collecting emails you get from other people talking about your accomplishments, mapping out your goals and objectives, meeting with your manager on a quarterly basis, let's say. So you can say, here's where I want to be by the end of the year. What do I need to do to get there? Following up on those meetings with an email recapping what you talked about, doing the deep preparation that you need to do to meet your goals and route to that raise or that promotion.
00:34:09
Speaker
It's having these conversations on a one-on-one basis. It's supporting other people, gaining mentorship, gaining allies in your organization who can speak up for what you've done. And that's that's a one-on-one relationship that introverts are really good at cultivating.
00:34:24
Speaker
And be really clear in your mind, what is it that you're asking for? What's your ultimate goal, your ideal situation, and what's the minimum you're you're willing to accept? And how can you go into every discussion you have with your boss, with the ah HR manager, to be able to make your asks in ways that are going to make it really difficult for them to say no? Fabulous. What a great question I didn't ask, and I'm glad you've answered it.
00:34:53
Speaker
Stacey, it's been lovely talking to you about a subject I'm super interested in.

Connecting with Stacey Chazen

00:34:58
Speaker
Loads of tips and advice and a freebie that people can get in the show notes to help really make a difference here with introverts yourself or introverts in your team. Where can people find you?
00:35:13
Speaker
They can find me at ifactorleadership dot.com. The I is for introverts. So ifactorleadership dot.com. And when you go there, I have a daily productivity hacks for introverts. And it talks about some of the things we explored earlier in this call in terms of setting up your workday. setting up your workspace in ways that will allow you to be more productive, tap into your gifts and face less stress while you're doing it. And then I'm also on LinkedIn at iFactor leadership and would love to connect with anyone who's interested. Brilliant. Well, I will put all of those links in the show notes. Thank you again for a wonderful conversation. My pleasure. Thank you, Corin.
00:35:56
Speaker
Well, there you go. I knew there was a reason I'm not a big fan of churning through contacts at a networking event, but obviously there is a way I can engage with them without exhausting myself afterwards. So damn it, I have no excuse. I hope you've added to your thinking about personality and introversion and how you can help yourself and others thrive.
00:36:20
Speaker
I love creating this podcast. You can help me by sharing this with someone who might benefit, and of course, rating and reviewing this episode. Thank you.
00:36:41
Speaker
I'd love to hear what you think, so please leave me a