The Introverted Leader: Building on Your Quiet Strength

By: Jennifer Kahnweiler

Narrated by: Tiffany Williams

Length: 4 hrs and 7 mins

Publisher's summary

"Finally, a book that recognizes the immense value that introverts bring to the workplace." - Daniel Pink, author of Drive and When

A prevailing myth is that a big, vibrant personality is needed to succeed in the workplace, but often, the quietest people have the loudest minds. Unfortunately, in our extroverted business culture, introverts can feel excluded, overlooked, or misunderstood. Jennifer Kahnweiler shows that introversion is a source of strength. Just look at Arianna Huffington and Mark Zuckerberg, two introverts who have learned to be themselves and thrive in type-A work environments.

This revised and expanded second edition draws on new research, interviews, and insights from thousands of introverted leaders, including fresh information on the unique challenges faced by introverted women; how leaders can shape a more inclusive, introvert-friendly workplace; the brains of introverts; and the correlation between introverted leadership and company performance.

Kahnweiler lays out a well-tested, progressive four-step strategy called "The 4 Ps Process" for succeeding in the workplace by building on your natural quiet strengths. First, preparation: carefully devise a game plan for any potentially anxiety-provoking situation. Then, presence: knowing you're prepared, be completely focused on the present moment. Then, you can push - go beyond your comfort zone. And finally, practice, practice, practice.

A newly revised quiz helps pinpoint where to amplify your quiet strengths and when to consider flexing your style. Kahnweiler shows exactly how to apply the 4 Ps in areas that can be particularly challenging for introverts - including networking, making presentations, and handling meetings. Aspiring leaders will be able to contribute more fully to their organization while staying true to themselves and serve as models and mentors to others as they move forward in their careers.

©2018 Jennifer Kahnweiler, PhD (P)2018 Jennifer Kahnweiler, PhD

The advice

I like that although the author wanted us to be ok with being an introvert, she addressed how some of the behaviors of an introvert isn’t always acceptable and provided tips on how we can move pass some of those behaviors.

Torn about this book.

Any additional comments?

I'm torn about this book, some parts of it, including some of the suggested tips and models (The 4-P's or GROW for instance) may very well help and be beneficial for both introvert leaders and also extrovert leaders who are trying to work with/understand introverts.

However there are several passages that were, to be honest, quite uncomfortable and not easy to listen to, not due to the narration, but due to the conveyed text.

For instance, the author goes a bit overboard in the beginning, with her praise of what an introvert person may be able to achieve.
Additionally, while I am sure that some of the suggestions may work in certain work environments... they might not work in every work environment and can therefore potentially be detrimental to your career. It's worth to first scour the overall company climate to see if you can get away with applying these suggestions or not.

Despite the uneasy listening (again only content-wise, the narration was clear and fluent and pleasant to listen to) of this book, I'm thinking of buying the kindle or paperback version to easier check back/look up some of the passages that do offer interesting advice.

Review

Great job with describing the details of the characteristics of an introvert. I will be trying the 4P’s soon!

Introverts as leaders and managers

I liked the book very much. It gives an introverted person a framework to become a successful manager and leader by recognizing and working on the strengths of an introverted personality. The self assessment was eye-opening and clearly points out the areas you have to work on. There are a lot of real life examples of introverts succeeding at work and suggestions you can use to help yourself.

The book uses broad strokes however; it covers a lot of ground with all the things to consider and can overwhelm the introvert. The author points out an introvert at times has to behave like an extrovert; yes you still have to speak up, be present, and engage even if it is not natural for you. By being aware of your introverted self, you can practice and prepare to make such situations less of a ‘crisis’.

I think the important point here is introverts don’t have to change completely to succeed at work, ie become an extrovert. Introverts have their own unique strengths and insights and can be effective leaders and managers. They can also work together with extroverts and be an important member of the team.

Not a leadership book in my opinion...

My take away was chapter 1 repeated for 4 hours. sounded more like "Extroverts working with introverts". There was maybe 1 thought process I was able to take away from this after literally forcing myself to finish this book and at the time of writing this I can't remember what it was..

This book was way off target.

As an introvert this book was hard to finish. This should be titled An Extroverts Guide to Understanding Introverts.

Listen to the beginners

A good starter book for the newbie who wants to uncover and leverage on their introverted characteristics. Not ideal for an introvert who has done some serious self-reflection and work already.

Introvert self help by an extrovert

If you are really struggling to succeed as an introvert and are failing at life this may help. It may not as well. For s very successful introvert in a public role this book is a farce. Read Quiet and embrace your values. Don’t bend to the noise.