Jennifer Kahnweiler is an international speaker, bestselling author, and world-recognized authority on introverted leadership capacity…but here’s the kicker: she’s an extrovert! While I make it a rule to invite only introverts on the show, in Jennifer’s case, I’ve made an exception – and you’ll soon discover why. Tune in to learn her personal and professional reasons for developing an interest in the power of introverts, her strategies for introverts who want or need to excel at leadership, and the improv mantra you need in your back pocket.

Introversion and Leadership: The Perfect Pairing

Whether you’re an introvert who’s actively pursuing leadership roles, or if you’ve suddenly found yourself leading a team and are feeling a bit of panic, take heart. There are many highly successful introverts in leadership, management, and C-level positions, and there’s absolutely no reason you can’t be an outstanding leader yourself. Jennifer’s extensive research has shown that, for an introvert, transitioning into a leadership role is not nearly as difficult as you might imagine – provided you go into it with a strategy that leverages your strengths. And these are the same strengths that allowed you to excel in your functional skill; you simply need to apply them to your new role as a leader. Leadership requires careful organization, good listening skills, and preparation, all of which come naturally to introverts – giving you an edge. The secret is to be able to “flex,” and bring these strengths to the leadership areas that tend to be more challenging for introverts, such as communication and professional relationships. It’s not about forcing yourself to be an extrovert; it’s about doing what you do best – analyzing, planning, and applying a clear strategy.

The 4 P’s as a Leadership Strategy for Introverts

Based on her years of research and interviews with highly effective introverted leaders, Jennifer has created “The 4 P’s” as a go-to strategy for introverts who want to develop their leadership capacity. Applying the 4 P’s is a simple way to drastically increase your confidence and nurture your skills as a leader. And best of all, it draws on the strengths you already possess.

• Preparation: Introverts don’t really like to wing it. Instead, we come with questions, ideas, analysis, and reflection. Having a plan for that meeting or conference call will make you feel much more comfortable than trying to go with the flow.
• Presence: When you’re prepared, you’re more able to be truly present, allowing you to connect to the people you’re speaking with.
• Push: Growth comes from pushing ourselves to do the things we might be afraid of. Push yourself just to the point of being a little uncomfortable; you’ll get through it and you’ll be stronger for it.
• Practice: Have a disciplined plan to hone and refine your skills.

We all have our strengths and weaknesses; just remember that your “weaknesses” are not necessarily negatives; they’re opportunities to grow in both skill and confidence.

Some Questions I Ask:

• As an extrovert, how did you become interested in the topic of introverts as leaders? (3:08)
• Do introverts have to “act” extroverted to be successful leaders? (5:10)
• What strategies should introverts employ if they are interested in becoming leaders? (8:15)
• Do extroverts have to work on refining “introverted” skills as well? (14:13)

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• How extroverts can better understand the introverted personality (3:40)
• The misconceptions about introverts and leadership roles (4:30)
• How introverted skills can be leveraged for effective leadership (6:20)
• The four “strategy buckets” for introverted leaders (8:50)
• Why preparation is so important for introverts (9:09)
• How being truly present helps introverts connect with an audience (10:19)
• Finding the right balance in pushing yourself (10:47)
• Why practicing your skills is key (11:35)
• Why it’s ok to feel you’ll never be 100% comfortable in “extroverted” situations (13:05)
• Why you should look at introversion/extroversion as a spectrum and not an either/or (15:20)
• Why behaviors are more important than labels (16:40)

Resources Mentioned in the Show

• Quiet Influence
• The Introverted Leader
• The Genius of Opposites
• Jennifer’s website

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