Leading as an Introvert with Jennifer Kahnweiler

Are you an introverted leader struggling to lead? Are you stuck having this extroverted ideal leader in your mind? Are you, as an introvert, being limited because of your workplace or because of the biased ideas of our society on what a leader should be?

Most introverts, specifically our female leaders, tend to swallow themselves in this bias idea that in order for you to become a great leader, you must be extroverted. These biased ideas should be erased and discouraged because introvert leaders have their own way of leading, even if it may not be as loud or as “out there” as extroverts.

Jennifer Kahnweiler Ph.D. is an author and global speaker. She has been hailed as a "champion for introverts.” Her best-selling books The Introverted Leader, Quiet Influence, The Genius of Opposites, and her latest book, Creating Introvert-Friendly Workplaces have been translated into 18 languages and have helped to shape the conversation about introverted leadership.

In this episode, Jennifer shares her insights on how introvert female leaders struggle to keep up with the idea on how a successful leader should be- an extrovert. She also tells us how introverts lead in their own way. Her experiences also helped her gain insights and realizations on ways introverts can face these challenges.

What you will learn from this episode:

Discover ways you can succeed as an introvert leader in the extrovert world Learn the importance and impact of having and being in an introvert-friendly workplace Know more about how you can lead as an introvert despite the biased extroverted idea of society on what a leader should be

 

“Be curious and observe.”

- Jennifer Kahnweiler

Valuable Free Resource:

Answer Jennifer’s Introvert-Friendly Workplaces Quiz. Visit: https://jenniferkahnweiler.com/introvert-friendly-workplaces-quiz/

 

Topics Covered:

02:30 - The extroverted ideal of introverted leaders: the challenges introverted female leaders encounter in a biased society and in business

03:31 - Lack of visibility, the impact of negative impressions, bias encounters: the common symptoms introverted leaders face in that challenge

07:26 - One free and actionable tip you can do to address the challenges faced by introverted leaders: Be curious and observe

12:14 - One valuable free resource to see if your workplace is introvert-friendly: Jennifer’s Introvert-Friendly Workplaces Quiz. Visit: https://jenniferkahnweiler.com/introvert-friendly-workplaces-quiz/

14:08 - Q: How can women be allies for each other? A: Bring up the lack of female diversity every chance you get. Number two, refer and recommend other women for positions of influence, for opportunities that you hear coming up, and just have that on your radar.

 

Key Takeaways:

“It's so powerful when we just look around and select those people who we admire and adopt some of the behaviors and actions that they incorporate and that they exude.” -Jennifer Kahnweiler

“I refer other women and bring senior women into the conversation, and I think that would be the positive steps to take.” -Jennifer Kahnweiler

 

Resource Mentioned:

Quietly Leaning In: An Introvert's Guide to Leadership: https://leanin.org/news-inspiration/quietly-leaning-in-tips-for-the-introvert

 

Ways to Connect with Jennifer Kahnweiler:

Website: https://jenniferkahnweiler.com/

 

Ways to Connect with Sarah E. Brown

Website: https://www.sarahebrown.com Twitter:  https://twitter.com/knowguides LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahebrownphd