Diversity and Inclusion - Quietly Powerful

Are you inclusive if you don’t listen to people…

When we talk about inclusion, we often focus on individual backgrounds and characteristics —such as culture and race, gender, religion, sexual orientation etc. — and creating spaces where everyone feels a sense of belonging. These are critical components of inclusion, but they are just the beginning. A deeper, often overlooked layer of inclusion is how we engage with people whose ideas, values, or perspectives differ from our own.

Listening to the person rather than the content-Ad Hominem…

Did you know that what you listen to or reject depends on who is speaking much more than the actual content of what is shared?

For example, you might:

Dismiss suggestions from a junior team member simply because they lack experience.
Undermine external experts because you think they don’t understand the company’s history, culture or norms.
Ignore internal experts because you believe they do not have broader expertise on the topic.
Interpret ideas of someone you dislike as being bad ideas, even if the ideas have nothing to do with what you dislike about the person.
Not listen to someone who does not appear ‘leader-like’ or confident, even if the content they are sharing is of high quality.
Reject a competitor’s strategy outright because of animosity rather than critically assessing its potential merits.

There are multiplying costs to undervaluing Quietly Powerful leadership

There is a multiplying cost to organisations, when they undervalue Quietly Powerful leadership.

I continue to hear from people in organisations that there is a bias towards more outspoken, confident appearing styles as what’s needed to be promoted into leadership.

The obvious cost of this bias is that quieter professionals are overlooked for leadership positions, even if they have the potential for leadership. This is the gap between leadership emergence and leadership effectiveness (to read more, read this article).

Sadly, there is still a stigma for being quiet

I wish I didn’t have to share this lesson 8 years after starting Quietly Powerful.

It has also been 12 years since Susan Cain‘s book, “Quiet”, and her TED talk went public, and there have been many other authors and coaches sharing ideas on quietness – whether it’s to do with introversion, cultural conditioning, power dynamics including silencing.

Despite all of this work, there still seems to be a stigma for being quiet. It’s a reality that can’t be ignored.

We need to stop trying to ‘fix’ people who…

If we want to advance DEI and lift the quality of leadership, we need to focus on upgrading the system, along with unlocking individual potential.

Maintaining the status quo and trying to integrate those who are not in the majority, is an easy trap to fall into. It is easier for the majority as they don’t have to do anything. However, the collective then misses out on growth and evolution.

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.

8 Quiet advantages that most of us tend to…

Quiet still gets a bad rap. I have never heard anyone say “Oh, she’s a bit quiet” with a positive tone. I hear about quiet achievers being great contributors who get overlooked or ‘used’ for their ability to deliver, rather than recognised as they should. It is only when prompted that people start to think about those quieter people who add a lot of value.

Reluctant leaders may be your best leaders

Having interviewed 26 quietly powerful leaders and reflected on what they told me, what struck me was that some were reluctant leaders.

They never thought of themselves as leaders initially. Someone – a mentor, a manager, a senior leader – saw something in them, encouraged and gave them opportunities to step into leadership.

7 reasons why we need more quietly powerful leaders…

My last article Quietly Powerful Leaders – who are they and why don’t we have enough of them outlined the key attributes observed in Quietly Powerful Leaders whom I interviewed and why we don’t have enough of them, based on conversations and research.