Quiet

On a more functional level, I am reading Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking, by Susan Cain, mostly because I'm finding that as I get older my inner introvert is becoming more prevalent. I've been quite good at faking extroversion but I now need how to best leverage my true nature. :)

I read Quiet recently and it gave me an instant feeling of comfort in myself, how I'm wired and my personality. It made me feel confident about aspects of how I approach things which I previously saw as a weakness. It helped me discover some of my true strengths. I'm an introvert. This book helped me realize that the core difference between introverts and extroverts is the way that they recharge. It helped me to make sure that I get my solitude so that I feel sharp and alert, and so that I have the time to reflect.

Probably half the world is introverts.

Maybe more. It’s not an easy life to live.

I sometimes have that feeling in a room full of people, “uh-oh. I just shut down. I can’t talk anymore and there’s a lock on my mouth and this crowd threw away the key.”

Do you ever get that feeling? Please? I hope you do. Let’s try to lock eyes at the party.

“Quiet” shows the reader how to unlock the secret powers that probably half the world needs to unlock.

Leaders needn’t be the loudest. Leadership is not about theater. It’s not about dominance. It is about putting the lives of others before any other priority. In Quiet, Cain affirms to a good many of us who are introverts by nature that we needn’t try to be extroverts if we want to lead. Simply being ourselves is more important — and more effective.

There hasn’t been one single book that changed my career, nor my life in general. But, if I were to name a book that made me question things in my professional life, it would have to be Quiet by Susan Cain. It is in this book that I first read a criticism to a practice that has been used and abused throughout my corporate life: teamwork. It was refreshing to read about the power of working alone and to be reminded that most of the ideas that shaped our world did not come out of a brainstorming session.

I will be honest and say that the book in itself was only the final step in a process that took me years. This helped me understand a lot of things about myself and others, why I am acting the way I am when alone or in social events. So, the book in itself hadn't had the biggest impact on me nor my career, but was part of the journey to dive into myself and understand how my brain works. This helped me gain confidence in myself and yielded great results.

A good book I’d recommend is “Quiet” by Susan Cain.