If you assume that someone who is quiet is an introvert, you could completely miss the opportunity to create an environment where they can flourish and contribute their best. Of course, it is very possible that the person 𝘪𝘴 an introvert. But introverts are not always quiet, and not all quiet people are introverts! People can be quiet due to:
Read more “Don’t assume that a person being quiet is an introvert”
A consistent theme we see in today’s fast-paced, high-pressure work environments, is leaders and teams reacting to challenges rather than proactively anticipating or addressing them.
Even as the year begins, we are hearing concerns about:
These are early signs that leaders and teams need to pause, take stock and have the important conversations, and not let them get lost in the prevailing busyness.
Read more “Do You Create Space to Think Before Hitting Crisis Point?”
In my previous article, I shared that ‘Many of us underestimate what we are capable of.’ This talked about the ‘competence gap’ and how for many people, their level of confidence is below their level of competence.
Part of the reason why we underestimate ourselves is we often hear the comment: “Just be yourself.”
While this may sound good and helpful, it may hold you back from becoming who you could be. My feedback to people is to be yourself AND who you are becoming.
Read more ““Just be yourself” is not helpful”
In a world where assertiveness and charisma are still seen as prerequisites for success, humility might seem like a weakness. But true humility is far from self-effacing or submissive; it is, in fact, a profound demonstration of self-esteem. Having interviewed 50+ successful Quietly Powerful leaders, humility stands out as one of their leadership strengths.
Read more “True Humility: A Sign of Self-Esteem”
There’s a difference between being safe and being comfortable, whether physical or psychological.
When you’re training to run a marathon, there’s no doubt there will be some discomfort while training. There will be a certain point where, if you overtrain, it becomes unsafe, but it’s further along than the point at which you become uncomfortable.
Read more “Psychological Safety is not the same as being comfortable”
The best leadership teams make the most of diverse expertise, knowledge and perspectives to make informed and considered decisions, particularly in complex situations. All too often, leadership teams are unable make high-quality decisions because they either avoid disagreements or clash due to differences in views. Many fear that disagreement represents conflict and, as such, may be potentially destructive. Some see it as a waste of time and energy. Others opt for a debate and end up creating tension and conflict. The opportunity being missed is ‘productive disagreement’.
Read more “Is Your Leadership Team Having Productive Disagreements?”
Introverts are often stereotyped as quiet, reserved individuals who are excellent listeners. While this may be true for some introverts some of the time, not all introverts are great listeners.
I am indeed an introvert and can come across as a good listener, as I may not say a lot or be economical with my words when I do. But I have had to work on improving my listening, because while I may look like I’m listening, I may:
Read more “Not All Introverts are Great Listeners All the Time”
Have you ever stopped to think about the long-lasting impact of racist comments and microaggressions? I recently had a coaching client who opened my eyes to the lasting impact of these types of incidents.
I hesitated to share this but when my coaching client gave me permission, I felt it was important to share. She hoped that it would help others to feel that they are not alone.
Read more “The long-lasting and wide-ranging impact of racism and microaggressions”
With the pressure to perform, do more with less and get things done quickly, efficiency and productivity have become very much a goal for many people and organisations. Have you noticed, though, that in the pursuit of efficiency and productivity, we end up rushing everything and don’t do anything very well?
I felt this effect towards the end of last year, with so many things to get done ‘before Christmas’. Unfortunately, as much as I tried to be efficient and get through my tasks, I noticed that there were some things that simply could not be rushed in the pursuit of efficiency.
Read more “When the pursuit of efficiency becomes inefficient”
In a recent “Listening Masterclass” with senior leaders, we asked: “What are the benefits of poor listening?”
You may be thinking “What? There are no benefits, are there?” Perhaps the leaders thought the same.
The logic driving this question is that most people agree that we experience poor listening in the workplace often. If there were no benefits to poor listening, this wouldn’t be the case and we wouldn’t do it, would we? So there must be some perceived benefits.
As the group explored this question, a number of different answers came up.
Take a look at these benefits and see if there are reasons why you might not listen as well as you could.
Read more “Benefits of Poor Listening”