33voices interviews Jennifer Kahnweiler, speaker, coach and author of The Introverted Leader.
Quiet Influence
In 1991, I hired one of the best professionals whom I’ve ever worked with. He was a young liberal arts graduate, who caught my attention because he wanted to ‘find a mentor who cared’. His name was Doug, and I vividly remember my first impression – I was drawn to his character, intellectual curiosity, and a rarified energy that I had been yearning for. Doug and I had a lot in common, but, it was our big ambition that, without a doubt, brought us together. The first few month were challenging, as with any transition, but what made it particularly tough for us, was the lack of support from senior management. You see, they felt that Doug was ‘too quiet’ to succeed in sales; ‘too shy’ to build relationships, and way ‘too fragile’ to withstand adversity. On the surface, they had him pegged, but what I saw that they didn’t was that Doug was clearly an introvert, and the only way that we were going to tap that greatness was to harness it. Jennifer Kahnweiler understands the power of introverts and in – Quiet Influence – she tells you how they thrive —