“It’s very important that we not try to continually adapt to extroverts. It is the time for introverts. Let me just say, each one of us has that within us, so it’s in all of our best interests to tap into some of those strengths.” – Jennifer Kahnweiler
On today’s Finding Brave, we’ll be discussing the powerful leadership qualities of introverts, and the challenges they undoubtedly face — and can overcome successfully — in their organizations. Our guest today is a unique expert in the field and study of introverts in that she is not an introvert herself, but a champion for them.
Jennifer B. Kahnweiler, PhD, Certified Speaking Professional, is an author and global speaker hailed as a “champion for introverts.” Her bestselling books The Introverted Leader, Quiet Influence, and The Genius of Opposites have been translated into 16 languages and have helped introverts throughout the world expand their leadership capacity.
Jennifer deepened her knowledge and appreciation for introverts through her work as a learning and development professional contributing to leading organizations like General Electric, FreddieMac, NASA, Turner Broadcasting, the US Centers for Disease Control, and the American Management Association.
Jennifer has been invited to deliver keynote speeches and seminars in Australia, Vietnam, Japan, Germany, the Netherlands, and Paraguay. Her presentations include her characteristic humor, poignant stories, and practical tools. She has also been featured in Fortune, Forbes, Time Magazine, The New York Times, The Huffington Post, and The Wall Street Journal.
Join us as Jennifer shares revealing new content, tools and what she has learned about introverted leadership in the last decade, as we now witness what she refers to as “the rise of the introverts.”
Highlights from this Episode:
- The characteristics to look for in order to identify an introvert [10:24]
- What can happen when introverts don’t get their space from others [12:14]
- Some techniques that work when communicating with introverts [13:44]
- How different cultures view introverts [15:36]
- Why introverts are sometimes viewed negatively in corporate roles, particularly in sales [16:14]
- What quiet influencers can do now to unlock even more success [19:34]
- The various strengths that introverts possess [20:08]
- What is “engaged listening” and why it’s so important to be aware of [27:19]
- How introverts can use social media effectively [33:09]
- The big idea that Jennifer wants readers to take from her latest book [35:39]
For more information:
http://jenniferkahnweiler.com/
https://www.facebook.com/JKahnweiler
https://twitter.com/JennKahnweiler
https://www.instagram.com/jenniferkahnweiler/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/JenniferKahnweiler
Resources Mentioned:
Jennifer’s Books
Her Quizzes, The Introverted Leadership Skills Quiz, Are You a Quiet or Expressive Influencer and Genius of Opposites Quiz
Kathy’s Forbes Post, I’m Sick Of Our Culture’s Bias Against Introverts — And I’m Ashamed To Admit I Share In It
To Sell Is Human: The Surprising Truth About Moving Others by Daniel H. Pink
Arianna Huffington’s Thrive Global
QUOTES:
“Like any diversity issue, if we think we know what it’s like to be somebody different than us, we’re fooling ourselves.” [8:43]
“That’s the prevailing Western society expectation. That you emote and that you talk, and that you express.” [15:36]
“Introverts take their time to express their thoughts, and writing is a sweet spot (for them).” [18:19]
“The people that we know who are the contributors and really make a difference in our companies are the people who bring thoughtful, well-crafted responses.” [20:59]
“Overuse of a strength is a weakness.” [34:54]
“You can actually become extremely successful, however you define success, by building on what you do beautifully already.” [35:55]
I found this particular episode via Twitter. I’m not even sure who had posted, I just saw the word introvert and I clicked to listen. Loved the conversation and I found that a lot of what was said really did resonate as it validated my own experiences. The one question that I do have – I’m one of those who expresses myself best through writing, but I find that many people don’t have the patience or lack the attention required to 1) read emails properly and respond appropriately and/or 2) just don’t have the patience (and possibly, time) to get through something that is more than a few lines long. As a result, they either don’t respond at all or they give a very perfunctory response that does not really address what I have written about. I”m not sure if that is an extrovert only thing. 1) But I would love suggestions on how to make sure that I can still use my preferred way of communicating (ie writing) and still make sure that I am ‘heard’?