Conversation - Quietly Powerful

Spot and develop your hidden talent to advance Meritocracy…

The concepts of meritocracy and diversity are sometimes perceived as being at odds with one another. Some people believe that a focus on merit is not inclusive, nor does it achieve diversity, while others feel that D&I initiatives dilute merit-based decisions. This thinking has created divisions between those who have supported D&I efforts and those who question it.

Don’t assume that a person being quiet is an…

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:

Do You Create Space to Think Before Hitting Crisis…

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:

Surprise departures of key team members
People burning out without leaders noticing and realising
Individuals feeling alone in bearing heavy responsibilities and expectations
Tension within and across teams as heavy workloads and constant change mount
Change initiatives slowed down due to conflicting priorities between multiple initiatives
Risks not being addressed despite being raised several times

“Just be yourself” is not helpful

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.

True Humility: A Sign of Self-Esteem

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.

Psychological Safety is not the same as being comfortable

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.

Is Your Leadership Team Having Productive Disagreements?

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’.

Not All Introverts are Great Listeners All the Time

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:

The long-lasting and wide-ranging impact of racism and microaggressions

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.

When the pursuit of efficiency becomes inefficient

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.