The Free-Spirited Introvert

All it takes is a shift in perspective for introverted leaders to shine without having to be extroverted. When we lead from purpose rather than our limiting ego we can have such a great impact in our organization and industry. Check out our video on how to elevate your personal brand as an introverted leader by having purposeful impact in just 3 weeks: https://lnkd.in/gNwyARSm #leadership #IntrovertedLeader #IntrovertedLeadership #coaching #ExecutiveCoaching #LeadershipDevelopment #PersonalBrand #talent #TheNewCharisma #TheFreeSpiritedIntrovert

Introverts, did you know your biology equips you with remarkable leadership strengths? Let’s break it down: 🌟 Strategic Innovators With a highly active prefrontal cortex, introverts excel at deep thinking, asking "What if?" and making thoughtful decisions. 🌟 Masters of Focus The anterior thalamus filters out distractions, making sustained mental effort and reflective practice second nature. 🌟 Expert Mentors An active hippocampus sharpens memory, learning, and recall—enabling introverts to mentor and lead with expertise. 🌟 Emotionally Intelligent Leaders The parasympathetic nervous system fosters calmness under pressure, helping introverts tune into others’ emotions and build strong connections. 🌟 Purpose-Driven Achievers Heightened dopamine sensitivity motivates introverts from within, aligning their work with values and meaning. Introverts are uniquely wired for leadership! Which of these resonates with you? Follow TheFree-SpiritedIntrovert for more insights around leaning fully into your introverted superpowers, and elevating the talent of introverts in the workplace. #leadership #introverts #IntrovertedLeaders #inclusion #EmotionalIntelligence #talent #TheFutureOfWork #Personality

As an introverted leader and advocate, this article gave me goosebumps ... Sage’s CEO on Learning to Lead as an Introvert The Business Leader Magazine https://lnkd.in/g9NKjM6M Particularly the idea that Steve Hare thought he wouldn't make a good CEO - his teams busted that myth for him! Here are the key learnings Steve gained in his journey as an introvert to taking on the top job at Sage. 💡 Embrace the Challenge: Initially, Steve found the CEO role overwhelming, but he learned to manage his time effectively and become more aware of his impact on those around him. 💡 Focus on People and Culture: Creating a supportive environment for employees is crucial. Steve prioritized people and culture, knowing that these start with the person at the top. 💡 Learn from Setbacks: Steve's experience at Marconi, where he faced tough challenges and was told he'd never work in the City again, taught him resilience. He rebuilt his career, leading him to Sage. 💡 Seek Mentorship: Advice from a mentor helped Steve focus on the essential aspects of his role and delegate tasks effectively. 💡 Understand Your Nature: As an introvert, Steve recognized how his natural tendencies under pressure could impact his team. He worked on improving his empathy and awareness. 💡 Stay Adaptable: Embracing change and digital transformation is vital. Steve values input from younger colleagues to stay updated on digital trends. 💡 Discover Your Leadership Passion & Purpose: Steve is passionate about supporting small and medium-sized businesses, advocating for better access to capital and a supportive ecosystem in the UK. Steve Hare's journey speaks to my 3 mindsets essential to succeed as an introverted leader: - own your gifts - lead with purpose - be visible. #Introverts #Leadership #IntrovertedLeadership #Resilience #DigitalTransformation #SmallBusinessSupport #SageCEO #SteveHare #CareerGrowth #EmotionalIntelligence #Coaching #PersonalityTypes #Inclusion #Diversity #TheNewCharisma #TheFreeSpiritedIntrovert #LeadershipDevelopment #talent #HR #TalentManagement #TalentDevelopment #Learning #LearningAndDevelopment #TheFutureOfWork #InnerWork #PlayBigger #QuietBrilliance

A further thought… have you considered that your organization may have biases towards introverts as leaders? This can show up in your talent management and development practices. It can also impact your pay equity data. Research suggests introverted leaders can earn up to 25% less than their extroverted counterparts. Add another diversity into the mix such as gender, race and/or neurodivergence, and intersectionality becomes a factor too.

In his book 'A Whole New Mind', Daniel Pink describes how we are moving into the Conceptual Age which requires a new leadership focus based on what he calls ‘high touch’, ‘high concept’ capabilities. This leadership approach will focus on empathy, understanding people, aligning with a deeper purpose, detecting opportunities, and connecting the dots. Here are 6 left-brain and right-brain skills introverted leaders have that will become essential as we move deeper into the Conceptual Age. What others do we have that talent leaders need to elevate for the #FutureOfWork? LEFT-BRAIN SKILLS Critical Thinking: Introverts’ natural inclination towards introspection and reflection allows us to deeply analyze information and consider multiple perspectives before making decisions. We enjoy taking the time to delve into the complexities of a problem rather than opting for quick, surface-level solutions, which leads to more thorough and well-reasoned conclusions. Connecting The Dots: Our keen observational skills and deep listening abilities allow introverts to notice subtle patterns and relationships that others might overlook. We like to take the time to absorb and process information thoroughly, which enables us to see connections between disparate ideas and concepts. Solutioning: Our reflective nature enables us to question the status quo and think outside the box, This deep thinking combined with our focused creativity, and a willingness to explore unconventional ideas, makes introverts exceptional at developing innovative solutions. RIGHT-BRAIN SKILLS Observation: Our innate ability to listen and pay close attention to details enables introverts to be more tuned in to the subtleties of human behaviour, such as body language, tone of voice, and facial expressions. This heightened sensitivity to non-verbal cues gives us to deeper insights into people's emotions and motivations. We see you. Empathy: We prefer meaningful, one-on-one interactions over superficial conversations, and are often great listeners with a strong ability to pick up on subtle emotional cues that others may miss. This fosters a genuine sense of compassion and concern, and creates an environment where others feel truly valued and heard. Trust: Our genuine, thoughtful and consistent approach to interactions means introverts are often reliable and trustworthy.  We also invest time and energy in understanding and supporting those around us, and we build trust by consistently demonstrating integrity, empathy, and genuine concern. You can read more about why introverted leadership is essential for the Conceptual Age in this blog post: https://lnkd.in/g9g4XSmg. #introverts #leadership #IntrovertedLeadership #IntrovertedLeader #Introversion #Diversity #Inclusion #coaching #LeadershipDevelopment #PersonalityTypes #EmotionalIntelligence #talent #HR #TalentManagement #TalentDevelopment #Learning #LearningAndDevelopment

Overlooked qualities of introverted leaders - here's my starter for 10. What other qualities would you add? #introverts #leadership #IntrovertedLeadership #IntrovertedLeader #Introversion #Diversity #Inclusion #TheNewCharisma #TheFreeSpiritedIntrovert #coaching #LeadershipDevelopment #PersonalityTypes #EmotionalIntelligence #talent #HR #TalentManagement #TalentDevelopment #Learning #LearningAndDevelopment #InnerWork #StandTall #PlayBigger #ShakeItUp #QuietBrilliance

Emotional intelligence is the difference between staying stuck where we are, and playing WAY bigger in a way that feels authentic. It enables us to embrace and work with our introversion, rather than be consumed and restricted by it. I know this from my own journey. Once I changed the way I saw myself and felt about me, my whole world changed. And that's what led me into the world of emotional intelligence in which I have been learning and leading over the last 25 years through my work as a leadership and executive coach, and facilitator of leadership development programs. The Applied EI model adds a deeper lower layer to developing our emotional intelligence. A healthy self regard means that I truly value myself even though I know I’m not perfect. It encompasses a healthy self-esteem, it encompasses self compassion, it is a fundamental belief that I am significant and that I have value in this world. The other side of the coin is that when I have a healthy regard for others, I recognize and truly believe that everybody on this planet has as much right to be here as I do. Therefore I truly value each person even though they may be very different from me, or they may make decisions and choices that I don’t understand or I don’t agree with. At a fundamental level I believe that everyone has as much right to be here as the next person. The Applied EI goal is to have a healthy dose and balance of each. Let's take a look at a high level, at what this means for us introverts. Here's a graphic I've put together to describe specific development opportunities we have within each of the six aspects of Applied EI. Which area is the one that it would be good for you to lean into right now? Self Regard - Owning your gifts; Self Awareness - Knowing your patterns; Self Management - Holding yourself accountable; Regard For Others - Seeing the gifts in others (such as the extroverts in our lives - they're awesome too!) Awareness of Others - Getting curious; Relationship Management - Seeking alignment with others to build satisfying relationships. #introverts #leadership #IntrovertedLeadership #IntrovertedLeader #Introversion #Diversity #Inclusion #TheNewCharisma #TheFreeSpiritedIntrovert #coaching #LeadershipDevelopment #PersonalityTypes #EmotionalIntelligence #talent #HR #TalentManagement #TalentDevelopment #Learning #LearningAndDevelopment #InnerWork #StandTall #PlayBigger #ShakeItUp #QuietBrilliance

Huh, is that a thing?, you might ask. Well according to the introverts I surveyed last year, it sure is. I asked them, "If you felt judged at work because you're an introvert, do you think your career would be enhanced if your introversion was truly valued, respected, and elevated?". The response was really disheartening. 51% of people who responded said yes, they think their career would have been enhanced if their introversion was truly valued. Another 32% said, maybe. And bearing in mind the general consensus is that the population is pretty much split 50/50 between introverts and extroverts - extrapolate those numbers and that could be a large portion of your employee base who believe their careers have been impacted negatively because of their introversion. To understand the needs of your introverted employees and leaders, it's important to understand what introversion actually is. It is a way of being. It is not a flaw. As Susan Cain concludes at the end of her book 'Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking: "Make the most of introvert strengths - these are the people who can help you think deeply, strategize, solve complex problems, and spot canaries in your coal mine." She also advises, "Don't mistake assertiveness or eloquence for good ideas.". Here are a few other suggestions for supporting the introverts in your organization: 1. Provide opportunities for introverted leaders to engage in reflective exercises, case studies, and group discussions that highlight the effectiveness of deep reflection in decision-making and problem-solving processes. 2. Ensure cross-functional project teams comprise introverted and extroverted leaders to leverage diverse perspectives and approaches to problem-solving. 3. Highlight success stories and case studies that demonstrate the impact of introverted leadership styles on driving organizational growth, fostering innovation, and achieving sustainable results. 4. Provide training and resources on active listening and empathy-building to promote mutual understanding and respect among introverted and extroverted leaders and employees. 5. Identify ways to audit the introvert experience from the introvert's perspective. #introverts #leadership #IntrovertedLeadership #IntrovertedLeader #Introversion #Diversity #Inclusion #TheNewCharisma #TheFreeSpiritedIntrovert #coaching #LeadershipDevelopment #PersonalityTypes #EmotionalIntelligence #talent #HR #TalentManagement #TalentDevelopment #Learning #LearningAndDevelopment #InnerWork #StandTall #PlayBigger #ShakeItUp #QuietBrilliance

Who are those awesome introverted leaders that are overlooked in your organization? They're in the High Performance / Low-Medium Potential boxes in your 9-Box, and never move out of them (which I need to flag does suggest a flawed process). I'm also hearing from senior introverted leaders who have done well in their careers that sure, they can play the extroverted game, but boy is it exhausting. It's exhausting because it's inauthentic. When we're asked to be something we're not, we can't sustain it. And if we try to, it creates its own set of problems, usually to the detriment of the introverted leader's mental and physical health. So what's the solution? Let's use PROSCI's ADKAR change management model to unpack this. Awareness: Check your talent data from performance management, succession planning and career conversations. Conduct a confidential pulse survey (actually ask your introverted leaders what their experience is). Desire: Assuming your culture and process doesn't support introverted leaders to be authentic and successful (and according to a recent survey this is a likely state), what's your desire for change? How inclusive is this? Knowledge: It's ok, there's more and more known about introversion today. Consider 'introversion' as another diversity in your D&I strategy. Ability: If asking introverts to be extroverts doesn't work, then what does? Find support and programming that addresses the specific needs of introverts, and that enables them to fly high in their quiet brilliance. You won't regret it! Reinforcement: Establish metrics to measure your progress. Provide educational materials and inputs for everyone across the organization - introverts need to understand extroverts too! Click on our website link in our header to find out how we can help you at The Free-Spirited Introvert. #introverts #leadership #IntrovertedLeadership #IntrovertedLeaders #Introversion #Diversity #Inclusion #TheNewCharisma #TheFreeSpiritedIntrovert #coaching #LeadershipDevelopment #PersonalityTypes #EmotionalIntelligence #talent #HR #TalentManagement #TalentDevelopment #Learning #LearningAndDevelopment #InnerWork #StandTall #PlayBigger #ShakeItUp #QuietBrilliance

Check out my complimentary 4-part video that explores: - Introversion: What It Is, and What It Isn’t - Leadership for the 21st Century - The 3 Essential Mindsets for Introverted Leaders - How Organizations Can Develop Their Introverted Leaders https://lnkd.in/gv_DeYzG #introverts #leadership #IntrovertedLeadership #IntrovertedLeaders #Introversion #Diversity #Inclusion #TheNewCharisma #TheFreeSpiritedIntrovert #coaching #LeadershipDevelopment #PersonalityTypes #EmotionalIntelligence #talent #HR #TalentManagement #TalentDevelopment #Learning #LearningAndDevelopment #InnerWork #StandTall #PlayBigger #ShakeItUp