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Put yourself out there
I identify as an introvert. I think it’s something that early in my career I realized was holding me back. Business is a very extroverted arena. It’s people putting themselves out there. I’m shy, I’m reserved, and they’re slightly different than introversion. I thought Susan Cain, in her book Quiet, did a world of good for people like me with this notion of quiet. So introversion means you sort of have to pull your energy in. When you’re out putting yourself out there it expends a lot of energy, so you get tired. It’s physically draining. I think if you’re not introverted you have no idea what I’m talking about. Because of the shyness, there’s also an awkwardness. You’ll say something, and you’re imagining the thought bubble in someone else’s head when you’re saying that. I’ll be saying something, and I’m imagining in your thought bubble you’re saying, “Why did she wear that jacket today? It’s like 90 degrees outside, why is she wearing that jacket?” And you’re sitting there thinking I’m saying, “Why is she wearing purple? I can’t believe she chose purple today.” Meanwhile neither of us is thinking that, we’re just sitting there in our own moment, overthinking. I’ve had to struggle with those kinds of issues to get out of my own way.
I started to realize that in an extroverted arena of business, being quiet has its benefits—and I’ll come back and talk about that—but it can hold me back. It meant that for a long time I wouldn’t speak up in a meeting. I would go to an event, and maybe I’d introduce myself to someone, but rarely, and then I’d leave. I always did great work. I could always be counted on for really good work, but work also means showing up and putting yourself out there. When I started to realize that people who actually spoke up in meetings or showed up at events and met people were getting ahead, and I wasn’t, I said I have to do something about it.
I created a set of challenges for myself. Again, simple behavior modification that I think all of us know how to do. Say to yourself, okay, next time I go to that boardroom meeting or that conference room, I’m going to come prepared with a question. I should know what the topic is in advance. Pick something that I’m comfortable with—don’t try to be a mathematician when I’m not, and try to ask about some financial formula. Ask a question, or try to synthesize the meeting. I became a person who would ask good questions or synthesize, sort of stand back and be the last one, and say, what I heard everyone say is this and here’s I think the point we leave here with.
I started to find my role with that introversion, but it all came from just a little challenge. You go to a networking event. Many people, if you’re not introverted, you just dig right in. You can’t wait to meet people. I’m the person by the chip bowl. I’m standing there, and then I’d go home. Instead I’d say, okay, I’m going to meet one person. I’m just going to go up and say “hi”, as awkward as it is. Next time I’m going to do two, and so on. Those are the things I think for anything, whatever your fear is or whatever you’re awkward about, you have to sort of push yourself out of it.
So as much as I think introverts are beneficial in the workplace—they’re quiet, they synthesize, they’re thoughtful, they’re good observers—it can also hold you back.
Appreciate your strengths
Part of when you’re building your career, I think part of any good business strategy is know your strength and not just focus on the weakness. As I had identified introversion as a weakness I was also coming to appreciate the strength of it. It allowed me to see that I was a really good observer. That combined with my curiosity. In fact, if anything I leaned into my curiosity because it was a way to differentiate myself. It gave me a confidence. I could say, look what I found! Isn’t this interesting? So it wasn’t about me and me putting myself out there, it was about a new discovery.
That put me on a path of being the person who was always looking to the outside for trends, understanding what’s next, and then this inevitable role of translator. Being able to be objective enough so you see what’s happening on the outside, and you translate it so it makes sense on the inside. So this “outsider inside” concept, which I love, is something that helped me build my career because it was true to my nature. Throughout my career, whether it was at NBC, or at GE, they’re often weren’t enough people who were spending time outside and so it was a need that I was able to fill.