Tips for Introverted Leaders (And Those Who’re Not!)

The beginning of the New Year has brought a lot of transitions for me, some of them pretty challenging, while the others are super exciting. I will send out more updates about what is going on in my personal and business journey – so stay tuned. I would also like to remind you that I shared a couple of videos with tips for introverted leaders early this year that may help, whether you’re one of those introverted leaders struggling to speak with confidence or are trying to handle those hard conversations we all deal with now and then.

In episode 22 of my video series for heart-centered, compassionate leaders, I went into some detail about how introverted leaders can overcome issues with being confident about expressing themselves.

Is it OK for You to Be an Introvert?

First, it’s important to understand it’s OK to be an introvert. And, if you are an introvert, this episode will especially resonate with you. In it, I show you how to leverage your strengths and elevate yourself from being perpetually silent in a meeting to become a recognized and admired presence! You’ll learn how to manage your energy to access assuredness and conviction; formulate your thoughts in concise logical expressions, and shine during meetings – even if you feel like you don’t have much to contribute or feel awkward and unfit.

Let’s address the “introvert” misconception. Many assume that you need to be high on the extroverted scale to be able to position yourself strongly and effectively among your colleagues, team, and management. This paradigm is misunderstood. The introvert/extrovert paradigm is more about energy management; specifically, how one recharges and re-energizes.

Those who are higher on the extroversion scale re-energize when they spend time with others. In contrast, people who are higher on the introversion scale re-energize when they spend time on their own.

This does not make introverts socially awkward or lacking communication skills. Rather, you are thoughtful, able to create deeper connections, and more attuned with yourself, spending a lot of time alone in self-reflection. You simply need to be mindful of your energy limits and protect them with the same passion and commitment you apply when tending to someone in need.

Optimizing your energy and training your mind to stay alert and focused while facing an endless flow of information is critical for your self-expression skills. When you’re emotionally overwhelmed, the part of your brain that’s responsible for putting your thoughts into words isn’t operating well.

Handling Difficult Conversations with Compassion

Challenging conversations arise in virtually every situation and every relationship. Be it at work with someone more powerful than you or in your personal life where individuals can stew and smolder, becoming bitter and resentful because you have not talked it out. Those are truly scary, aren’t they?

In episode 23 of my series for heart-centered, compassionate leaders, I offer tips for dealing with these situations.

When you’re initiating a difficult conversation with someone, you’re employing humility, vulnerability, courage, authenticity – wonderful qualities of compassionate leadership. Yes, it takes courage to initiate this dialogue, but at the end of the day, these efforts pay off because you don’t spend energy overthinking and aren’t bogged down by the onerous emotions of anger, frustration, or resentment. In contrast, you’re stepping up and acting from a place of empowerment.

Here is how you can prepare yourself for that challenging conversation, by creating an outline based on:

• The facts of what happened, not your interpretation of the facts or your judgment.
• What’s your understanding and interpretation of these facts and what impact did they have on you?
• Questions that ask for the other person’s perspective.
• One request: a simple step that you’d like this person to do differently next time, which should be very pragmatic.

So, how do you know when you’re ready for the conversation? You’ll feel more peace and calm within yourself, and, as you recall this event, your emotions will have subsided. It means that you’ll be ready to hold a space for conversation when you’re at your best and act according to your values.

Needless to say, there is more to share about these subjects, and others. If you visit my YouTube channel, you’ll find an entire menu of subjects I address; subjects and situations that are especially important to those of you who lead from the heart, with compassion, empathy, and emotional intelligence.

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