When is an illusion healthy?

When is an illusion healthy?

I remember years ago reading a book by a cognitive psychologist, who said, “It is the goal of every good therapist to dispel his patient’s illusions.” I was horrified: I love illusions and fantasy, believing they make our lives richer, more creative, and somehow...
Quiet Charisma

Quiet Charisma

Is charisma always highly-charged behavior that draws immediate attention, or is there another way to achieve that special “glow” that draws people, warrants admiration, and results in a tribe of loyal supporters? Quiet people everywhere, who often feel they are...
Humility

Humility

Humility is one of the top traits of successful CEOs, according to the CEO Genome Study of 2018. What does humility look like, as practiced by a top leader? I pondered this as I interviewed a new coaching client. A mid-level leader in his organization, he had applied...
“Brain Buzz” in the 21st Century

“Brain Buzz” in the 21st Century

Do you sometimes feel as if you have invisible gnats buzzing around inside and outside of your head? Are you so overwhelmed by possibilities that you start to work on one task, then set it down and switch your attention to another, and then another? Welcome to the...
Confidence Leads To Courage

Confidence Leads To Courage

Confidence leads to courage.  I used to believe that. Master a skill, figure out exactly what to say, and you will act. Trouble is, those skills take a long time to find and master. In the meantime, you are frozen in time. An incident at a conference a few years...
Five Time Expansion Tips for Introverts

Five Time Expansion Tips for Introverts

Introverts often feel harried, trying to rush towards that time when they can kick back and relax, freed from all social – and other – obligations. This is especially true when the introvert works in a busy organization where much of what happens is not under the...
Is introversion a diversity topic?

Is introversion a diversity topic?

According to figures collected by Myers-Briggs over a ten-year period, introverts are roughly 51% of the population. Interestingly enough, they constitute about 15% of leaders at the lowest levels, such as supervisors, and about 2% at the top (CEOs). Does this...
Greetings to my Tribe

Greetings to my Tribe

It’s been a long time since I’ve corresponded with you, during which I have been immersed in writing a new book. You see, I spent the last twenty years or so devising ways to help introverts develop skills to become visible and valued in a world that typically...
It Is Possible For Introverts To Be Persuasive

It Is Possible For Introverts To Be Persuasive

Is “Persuasive Introvert” an oxymoron? Or are we doomed to be low-key shadows on the periphery? Actually, the writer who contacted me on LinkedIn asked, “Is it common for introverts to lack talent in persuasion?” The question arose because, after a presentation for a...