Summary Of The Book 'The Introverted Leader'
The Introverted leader by Jennifer Kahnweiler, is a handy guide for those who have a presence in the business world, but struggle to succeed because of their quiet and reserved nature. The main focus of this book is explaining to the reader how to embrace and enhance the natural talents of introverts, while also moving past any fears, reservations or difficulties this personality type often faces. In this paper, I will give a brief synopsis of the books content, I will connect common themes between The Introverted leader and material covered in our class, and will close with personal thoughts on the book as well as how it influenced me. The Introverted Leader starts by defining common challenges introverts face in the workforce, such as giving off a negative impression or succoring to people exhaustion. Once these issues are discussed the book finds its foundation in what Kahnweiler refers to as the “4 P’s Process”, the four P’s being, preparation, presence, push, and practice. Each chapter focuses on a subject related to leadership within an
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organization, such as public speaking, meeting attendance, managing projects, and so forth. Then in the context of each of these chapters, the topic of focus is broken down using the 4 P’s Process. Then for each step of the process, the author uses testimonies from either her life, or the lives of professionals she has interviewed to explain ways they can implement the step, and how it will improve their ability to lead. This way the reader has real world examples and advice, so they themselves can employ this process and understand how it can help them push past social anxieties, maximize interactions with their higher ups, and put their natural strengths as introverts into action. Kahnweiler also discusses important aspects of leadership, some of which we have discussed in class. One of these content overlaps occurs in chapter 5- Managing and Leading, when the author discusses that in order to prepare for a management or leadership role you must first and foremost, know yourself. This moment in the book really stood out to me, as the concept of “know thy self” has been said to be the most important take away from our class. She explains that knowing yourself allows you to optimize the way you lead by understanding how to build on your strengths and work against your weaknesses. Another concept that we have learned in class that was also prevalent in The Introverted Leader, was the idea that leadership is communication. Kahnweiler, in chapter 9- building relationships, talks about how important it is to communicate effectively with your subordinates, coworkers, and even superiors. She makes it clear that in order to be a successful leader, you must also learn to be a successful communicator. She explains that interactions don’t have to be surface level or take place in large groups, and in fact sometimes speaking to coworkers in a more relaxed and personal setting can improve and create meaningful relationships. This leads to the last similarity I will discuss in regards to this book and our course material, the emphasis on leadership styles. Although The Introverted Leader does not specifically talk about specific leadership styles, the book definitely promotes and cautions readers about certain qualities that effect their leadership. For example, in chapter 1- Four Key Challenges Kahnweiler discussed how, as an introvert, it is common to come across as unapproachable or distant, even if that is not ones intent. In context of our class we could describe this as being cautious of becoming, or being perceived as, a Laissez Faire communicator. The book also talks discusses that as an introverted leader, it is important to draw on the talents and ideas of those who are under you which may require encouraging other introverted coworkers to share their thoughts, which sound quite similar to our description of a democratic communication style. In terms of my opinion, I found this book to be quite helpful, but also not as specific to introverts as I had hoped.
I feel that the information covered in the book was generic leadership information and there were few introvert specific elements or tips. I felt like Kahnweiler also over- simplified the challenges of introverts and her methods of overcoming those shortcomings were lacking a bit. Although the prepare, present, push, and practice steps were helpful and made some headway in overcoming the challenges of introverts, it didn’t quite crack the surface. However, I also feel that the books layout was helpful and I enjoyed the way each chapter was broken into the 4 P’s process. The addition of personal experiences from a variety of leaders also gave the book some needed credibility and entertainment value. Also, I found the discussions about public speaking and company meetings were of most value to me,
personally. As an introvert, I could relate to a lot of the issues being discussed in this book on a personal level. I myself am terrified of public speaking, I dread large group interactions, I struggle to be visible in most business settings, and I have a hard time initiating conversations with potential contacts. The fact that the book acknowledged the benefits of being an introvert and explained how to use some of those traits to your advantage was probably the best thing about it. The tone of the book was reassuring, supportive, and encouraging. Kahnweiler made it clear that being an introvert is not a bad thing and that, in fact, introverts attention to detail, desire for substance, and cautious approach to leadership can set them apart. This was inspiring to me, to know that I have the ability to lead effectively, if I keep striving to fight past the instinct to lay low and avoid conflict. Even though the book wasn’t perfect and was a little cliché for my taste, it was helpful and isn’t a bad read for anyone looking to improve their leadership skills.
organization, such as public speaking, meeting attendance, managing projects, and so forth. Then in the context of each of these chapters, the topic of focus is broken down using the 4 P’s Process. Then for each step of the process, the author uses testimonies from either her life, or the lives of professionals she has interviewed to explain ways they can implement the step, and how it will improve their ability to lead. This way the reader has real world examples and advice, so they themselves can employ this process and understand how it can help them push past social anxieties, maximize interactions with their higher ups, and put their natural strengths as introverts into action. Kahnweiler also discusses important aspects of leadership, some of which we have discussed in class. One of these content overlaps occurs in chapter 5- Managing and Leading, when the author discusses that in order to prepare for a management or leadership role you must first and foremost, know yourself. This moment in the book really stood out to me, as the concept of “know thy self” has been said to be the most important take away from our class. She explains that knowing yourself allows you to optimize the way you lead by understanding how to build on your strengths and work against your weaknesses. Another concept that we have learned in class that was also prevalent in The Introverted Leader, was the idea that leadership is communication. Kahnweiler, in chapter 9- building relationships, talks about how important it is to communicate effectively with your subordinates, coworkers, and even superiors. She makes it clear that in order to be a successful leader, you must also learn to be a successful communicator. She explains that interactions don’t have to be surface level or take place in large groups, and in fact sometimes speaking to coworkers in a more relaxed and personal setting can improve and create meaningful relationships. This leads to the last similarity I will discuss in regards to this book and our course material, the emphasis on leadership styles. Although The Introverted Leader does not specifically talk about specific leadership styles, the book definitely promotes and cautions readers about certain qualities that effect their leadership. For example, in chapter 1- Four Key Challenges Kahnweiler discussed how, as an introvert, it is common to come across as unapproachable or distant, even if that is not ones intent. In context of our class we could describe this as being cautious of becoming, or being perceived as, a Laissez Faire communicator. The book also talks discusses that as an introverted leader, it is important to draw on the talents and ideas of those who are under you which may require encouraging other introverted coworkers to share their thoughts, which sound quite similar to our description of a democratic communication style. In terms of my opinion, I found this book to be quite helpful, but also not as specific to introverts as I had hoped.
I feel that the information covered in the book was generic leadership information and there were few introvert specific elements or tips. I felt like Kahnweiler also over- simplified the challenges of introverts and her methods of overcoming those shortcomings were lacking a bit. Although the prepare, present, push, and practice steps were helpful and made some headway in overcoming the challenges of introverts, it didn’t quite crack the surface. However, I also feel that the books layout was helpful and I enjoyed the way each chapter was broken into the 4 P’s process. The addition of personal experiences from a variety of leaders also gave the book some needed credibility and entertainment value. Also, I found the discussions about public speaking and company meetings were of most value to me,
personally. As an introvert, I could relate to a lot of the issues being discussed in this book on a personal level. I myself am terrified of public speaking, I dread large group interactions, I struggle to be visible in most business settings, and I have a hard time initiating conversations with potential contacts. The fact that the book acknowledged the benefits of being an introvert and explained how to use some of those traits to your advantage was probably the best thing about it. The tone of the book was reassuring, supportive, and encouraging. Kahnweiler made it clear that being an introvert is not a bad thing and that, in fact, introverts attention to detail, desire for substance, and cautious approach to leadership can set them apart. This was inspiring to me, to know that I have the ability to lead effectively, if I keep striving to fight past the instinct to lay low and avoid conflict. Even though the book wasn’t perfect and was a little cliché for my taste, it was helpful and isn’t a bad read for anyone looking to improve their leadership skills.