Lindsay Rosenthal

Founder | Creator | Strategist | Building AI, Leaders, & Ideas That Move Markets

For sponsorships + booking + speaking: hello@cred.marketing
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I build AI, leaders, products, and ideas that move markets.

As a founder, creator, and strategist, I’ve taken products from concept to market, scaled sales engines, built teams, and created campaigns that drive both revenue and cultural relevance. Deeply integrating AI in every step of the way. 

My experience spans SaaS, AI, B2B, and beyond, working alongside the companies and executives shaping tomorrow’s most important industries. (Would love to work with yours!)

I operate where innovation meets execution. 
Blending the reach of a creator, the precision of a strategist, and the perspective of an AI founder who has built and scaled from the ground up. 

The result: content, campaigns, AI, and go-to-market strategies that cut through the noise and position brands at the forefront of their markets.

Founder

1 month of content in 1 hour

Attended a dinner with top SF founders and VCs.
What top teams are actually betting on for AI in 2026:
(reframed my entire AI roadmap.)

I asked everyone one question:
“One word to describe AI in 2026.”

The answers were telling:
Unpredictable. Essential. Explosive. Pervasive. Vertical agents!

When you zoom out, a few patterns become very clear.

Here’s what actually matters for 2026:

1. AI becomes invisible, but unavoidable
Winning tools aren’t all about the AI AI AI.
AI will just be baked into workflows, decisions, and daily work.

2. Most teams are still using AI wrong
Oh so many teams had shallow AI applications.
And leaned in hard for the branding and buzz words.
Real gains come from deeply integrated systems that compound.

3. Vertical > generic
Vertical agents only win when paired with real domain expertise.
Otherwise, it’s just thin wrappers.
2026 is for AI depth and real applications.

4. Enhancement beats replacement
The strongest founders weren’t chasing “AI replaces X.”
They’re building for human amplification:
better judgment, faster execution, fewer bottlenecks.

5. Humanness becomes a differentiator
As AI gets more powerful, taste, trust, narrative, and leadership are everything!!

If you’re planning for 2026, these are the words I’d build a roadmap around.

Huge thank you to Emma Greenwald, Mahir Kumar Singh, Ricky Marton and the whole HubSpot For Startups team for such an incredibly curated, high-signal room!

everyone is asking how to win on LinkedIn in 2026.
don’t copy the wrong playbook.
copy mine here:

we’re entering the era of AI-generated sameness.
and that’s exactly why founders who sound the most human will stand out.

(thanks Audrey Chia for the great question here!!)

if your content could have been written by a model, it won’t win.
your unfair advantage is your unique, human, point of view.

background. 
lived experience. 
actual opinions from building.

so treat your LinkedIn like a media company.
don’t copy trends, but deliberately do the opposite.

you don’t even need a traditional tech background to do this.
teachers, nurses, operators, founders from any industry all have a lane.

all you have to do is find yours.

be deeply personal. 
unmistakably you.
and build media around that.

that’s how you stand out when everyone else sounds the same.

most founders say they’re “data-driven”.

so why are they still avoiding the hardest decisions?

i teamed up with Alyona Mysko to share with you our top tips for making data work for you, not the other way around. 

ultimately, the problem isn’t lack of data.
it’s lack of decision systems.

data only works when:
1. you know what decision you’re trying to make
2. you’ve set limits before emotions get involved

otherwise it’s just expensive noise.

swipe to see the full breakdown!

Top 2 Tips For Turning Data Into Decisions As a Founder

Come with me for a day in the life!
Building at the center of the B2B creator economy.
(And a sneak peek of what’s next.)

1. Morning at the SF LinkedIn offices.
Unpacking what’s actually coming in 2026!

2. Back-to-back convos with teams building next gen B2B tools.
So fun to hear top insights driving 2026 roadmaps.

3. Burmese lunch between meetings 
(highly underrated, btw)

4. Filming new content, stay tuned!

5. Waymo rides across the city.
Filmed before this week’s Waymo shutdown, lol

6. Closed the day at an invite-only HubSpot for Startups dinner.
Packed with awesome SF founders and operators.

7. And of course, getting to hang w/ the one and only @Katie Wrathall

A few signals I keep hearing from leaders across LinkedIn, HubSpot, and top B2B builders:

- B2B creator economy is shifting from “influencer” to infrastructure
 Content isn’t the output anymore.
Distribution, trust, and repeatable systems are.

- Founder-led media is becoming a core GTM channel.
 Especially on LinkedIn, where credibility compounds.

- 2026 is about depth over volume
Winners go all in on what’s working.

- Lines between product, marketing, and media are collapsing
 The best teams (and creators) are building all 3 together.

Days like this remind me why I’m bullish on where B2B creators are heading next.
And why I’m investing more into behind-the-scenes access, IRL convo, and building in public.

More to come soon in 2026!!
Happy Holidays to you all!

the upgrade you need to your 2026 cold email plans:

(how to basically print meetings!!)

most cold email campaigns fail because emails never land in the inbox.

so i really had to rethink my process here for sending emails.

i switched to Maildoso and my reply rates jumped almost immediately.

here’s why it works:
1. mailboxes are built for deliverability, not just sending. 
2. 98%+ of emails land in the primary inbox (even to outlook)
3. self-healing mailboxes rotate + replace burned addresses automatically, so campaigns never stop.

they also just rolled out Google Workspace accounts. 
so you can get high-deliverability SMTP mailboxes + fully legit workspace inboxes directly inside Maildoso!
(+ they’re priced lower than anything else out there)

plus setup is effortless (no dread!!) 
hundreds of mailboxes ready in mins, domains included, no manual config needed.

and somehow the cost is 50% cheaper than gmail/outlook mailboxes??

if your outbound campaigns feel stuck, this is the playbook you need to hack reply rates at scale.

STOP and do this one thing right now:

(before you adopt any more AI tools)

everyone wants to jump straight to AI.
they buy the latest tools and start running experiments.

but the truth is, AI can only be as good as the data it sees.
without a 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵, you get conflicting outputs, misaligned decisions, and wasted time.

a single source of truth is:

 • one place where all data is accurate and up-to-date
 • standardized definitions across teams
 • clear ownership of information

why it matters:

 • AI trained on messy or duplicated data produces unreliable answers
 • teams spend more time cleaning output than using it
 • decisions made from inconsistent data hurt credibility and speed

think of it as the less exciting, but critical, bottleneck to plan for.
(before you start automating or scaling with AI)

the companies who do this first, build reliable workflows and get lasting leverage from AI.

why “AI will replace jobs” is the wrong frame

(+ the reframe that will completely transform your workflows)

everyone keeps asking which jobs AI will replace.
but that’s the wrong question.
AI doesn’t replace 𝘫𝘰𝘣𝘴, it replaces 𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘬𝘴.

every role is a bundle of tasks.
(some routine, some creative, some relational) and AI picks off the routine ones first.

example:
a marketer might spend time writing briefs, analyzing campaigns, pitching ideas.
AI can handle the briefs and analysis.
but the pitching? still so human!!

the better question is:
which tasks in my job are predictable enough for AI to do consistently well?
because that’s where the shift starts.

the future isn’t “AI vs humans”
it’s “humans who redesign their job around AI” vs those who don’t.

Connector of Talent and Success 💼 | Empowering Businesses to Thrive through People | Culture Growth Strategist | Coach | Writer | HR leader | #1 LinkedIn Belgium | Top #150 LinkedIn 🌍

Who I help: Ambitious introverts and people-first companies

Problems: Visibility without burnout, quiet leadership, culture that enables deep work

Outcomes: Promotions, role transitions, retention, high-trust cultures

STRATEGIC HR LEADER AND COACH WITH HANDS-ON APPROACH AIMING FOR THE BEST EMPLOYEE/BUSINESS EXPERIENCE - INTROVERT ADVOCATE

International HR Executive passionate about the link between employee experience and business dynamics. Combining a strong focus on strategic thinking and planning with a structured and factual hands-on approach. A positive well connected team coach with a natural sense of empowering team members in a spirit of challenge, learning and mutual recognition. Sound decision making capabilities based on critical reflections within companies focusing on innovation, change, digital transformation and learning.

A. Group HR Director Alter Pharma (200 FTE - BE/IRL/US) – private equity backed firm defining & implementing HR strategy (from strategy to operations) including definition of mission/vision/strategy & values.
B. Global HR Business Partner BU Kerley international/Tessenderlo Group (+/-300 employees - 11 countries) developing/transforming key HR processes (talent resource planning, talent acquisition, performance management, competency management, learning, reward,..) - HR project lead new factory Rouen, France. 
C. Global HR Executive SWIFT (+/- 3.000 employees in +25 countries) transforming/coaching business and HR into new ways of (digital) working/thinking to improve the employee and business experience 
D. Global Head of Reward Tessenderlo Group (+/- 5.000 employees in +25 countries) - strategic development/transformation reward strategy
E. Development new holistic performance management framework for Tessenderlo Group, including full implementation recognition stream.
F. HR Project Manager : move of the Chiquita EME Headquarters from Belgium to Switzerland (social plan negotiations, c&b setup, recruitment, mobility, new policy/process design,...)

Professional coaching certification Better Minds at Work               2018 - 2019
Centre for Creative Leadership - senior leadership program           Q1-2 2018
Management Development Programme Vlerick (17 days)		  2010 - 2011
Strategic Compensation & Benefits Management, Vlerick 		  2007      
Master degree in Law&Taxation, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven    1997 - 1998

Steven Claes

My boss hired someone smarter than all of us.
Then said 9 words that rewired how I lead.

I watched it unfold 10 years ago.
Sarah brought in someone who outclassed us all.
Even her.

Half the team panicked.
My stomach dropped.
Was she replacing us?

She just smiled:
"Perfect. Now we can finally build something that matters."

That moment rewired everything.

As an introvert, I'd spent years:
• Pretending I had all the answers
• Hiding when I didn't understand
• Competing instead of collaborating

It was exhausting.
And it kept me small.

Ten years ago, I flipped the script.

My first hire: a tech genius I couldn't keep up with.
My second: a strategist who saw what I missed.
My third: an extrovert who connected where I couldn't.

Each hire bruised my ego.
Then made me unstoppable.

What nobody tells you:
Introverts make the best talent magnets.
We listen. We observe. We create space.
We don't need the spotlight.
We need the results.

The paradox is this:
The more brilliant people you bring in,
The more brilliant you become.

Not because you know more.
Because you build more.

Weak leaders want to be the smartest.
Strong leaders build the smartest room.

Your legacy isn't your brilliance.
It's how brilliant others became because of you.

When did you stop competing and start collaborating?

♻️ Share this if you believe in ego-free leadership
📩 Join here for free weekly introvert career tips → https://lnkd.in/e7xQPNtn

They said I was too much.
Turns out they were too limited.

A brilliant CHRO told me recently: "Steven, I've spent 15 years toning down my opinions, holding back, pretending shallow conversations were enough when depth is all I've ever craved."

I understood immediately.

I've lived it too.

Softened my directness to seem "diplomatic."
Smoothed my edges to appear "approachable."
Pretended small talk satisfied me when I was hungry for real connection.

And I ended up feeling like an outsider.

Because I WAS an outsider in places where I'd shrunk myself just to belong.

The pond people have labeled me:

→ Too quiet (meaning: you're hard to read, and that unsettles me)
→ Too direct (meaning: you skip the performance, and I can't handle that)
→ Too intense (meaning: you make me think, and I'd rather not)
→ Too ambitious the "wrong way" (meaning: you chase impact, not just visibility)

But two decades as a CHRO taught me this: Every time you shrink yourself, you train people to expect less from you.

When you're constantly making yourself smaller:
→ You attract relationships that require you to stay small
→ You master the art of being less than you are
→ You construct a career that fits everyone but you

I once believed the introvert advantage meant networking like an extrovert. Speaking louder. Being more visible.

I was wrong.

The true advantage? Recognizing that your need for substance IS your value.

When I stopped apologizing for choosing depth over surface, everything shifted.

1️⃣ You stop dimming your light so others feel comfortable in their mediocrity.

2️⃣ You surround yourself with people who see your intensity as integrity.

3️⃣ You discover your tribe. The ones who view thoughtfulness as strength, not a flaw to fix.

The teams needing someone to navigate complexity? They relied on me.
The cultures hungry for authentic leadership? They found me.

But only because I showed up fully. Not the diluted version.

Not everyone can handle you at full strength.
That's not yours to fix.

The people meant for you? They'll swim out to meet you in deep water, even if it scares them.

The rest will stay on shore, insisting the ocean is "too much."

Let them.

If you're an ocean, stop shrinking yourself into a pond.

If you're built for depth, you don't have a career problem.
You have a boundary problem.

The moment you address that, everything transforms.

As 2026 starts: Which boundary will you finally protect in the year ahead?

💾 Save this & ♻️ share if you're an ocean refusing to become a pond

📩 Join Weekly depth in The A+Introvert Newsletter: https://lnkd.in/e7xQPNtn

li_at

JSESSIONID

Talks about #hr, #culture, #strategy, #leadership, and #management

Last week, my quietest team member apologized for joining our call from her kid's soccer practice.

She'd delivered three brilliant solutions that morning. 
From the sidelines. 
In complete silence.

I had to pause.

Have we really created workplaces where people apologize for living their lives while delivering great work?

What makes a team truly unstoppable?
It's not watching the clock.
It's removing the nonsense that blocks good people from doing their best thinking.

Let me be clear:

• I don't track when you log in
• I don't mind if your kid crashes our video call
• I don't care if you work from a coffee shop

Why?

Because I hired you.
Not your schedule.
Not your location.

Not your ability to sit still for 8 hours.

What I actually care about:

↳ The value you create
↳ The results you deliver
↳ The problems you solve

Traditional leadership still defaults to:
❌ Clock-watching
❌ Demanding face time
❌ Micromanaging every minute

What works better:
✅ Focus on outcomes
✅ Trust from day one
✅ Clear expectations

My 5 rules for high-performance teams:

1/ Hire for attitude
→ Skills can be taught. Character can't.

2/ Trust immediately
→ Do not make people "earn" basic respect.

3/ Protect deep work time
→ Introverts produce their best thinking in uninterrupted focus. That's where real solutions live.

4/ Provide resources
→ Give people the tools and context to win.

5/ Measure impact
→ Obsess over outcomes, not activity.

The reality?

Great work can happen anytime, anywhere.
Especially when introverts get space to think without performative presence.

Leaders do not just create followers.
They create more leaders.

Trust your people.
Give them space.
Watch what happens.

What's your take on trust-first leadership?

Curious to read your view in the comments.
—
♻️ Repost this to inspire better leadership
➕ Follow me (Steven Claes) for more on ambitious introverts

Kieran McKeever

Years ago, I watched HR let someone go for being "too quiet."
I was once that quiet person too.

The official reasoning?
"Lacks energy."
"Not aligned with our culture."

But after twenty years leading teams, I've learned what genuine enthusiasm actually looks like:

Arrives prepared.
Delivers excellent work.
Communicates with clarity.
Elevates others.

That's what deserves recognition.

Yet too many organizations still reward:
• Volume over substance
• Reaction over reflection
• Perception over results

I've been in those performance conversations.
I've read the carefully worded feedback.
I've watched exceptional people walk away because they weren't loud enough.

Excellence doesn't require a spotlight.
Impact doesn't demand a stage.
Results outweigh small talk every time.

We get it wrong when we:
• Label quiet as a weakness
• Treat extroversion as the culture standard
• Mistake personality for capability

Genuine enthusiasm shows up as:
✓ Reliability
✓ Craftsmanship
✓ Steady presence
✓ Measurable impact

The strongest teams don't pick between energy and depth.
They embrace both.

They need you. Whether quiet or loud.

Stop penalizing quiet excellence.
Start tracking what actually matters.

As we step into 2026: What will you measure differently this year?

💾 Save this & ♻️ share if you believe quiet work deserves loud recognition

📩 Weekly insights for ambitious introverts in The A+Introvert Newsletter: https://lnkd.in/e7xQPNtn

They told me to fix my introversion.
I redesigned my environment instead.

As one year ends and another begins, this feels worth repeating:

We're introverts. Not broken. Just wired differently.

I spent two decades as a CHRO watching the same cycle repeat.
The loudest voices got attention while the deepest thinkers got overlooked.

Quick reactions earned praise. Thoughtful strategies got buried in the noise.

That's when it clicked.

We don't compete on volume. We compete on depth.

We form fewer bonds but stronger ones.
Not because we struggle to connect widely, but because we choose connection intentionally.

We restore in stillness.
We discover power in pause.

This isn't weakness. It's strategy.

We're not hiding or hesitant.
We're preserving our energy for what truly matters.

The data confirms what we've always sensed:

• Introverted leaders achieve significantly higher team retention because we listen more than we speak
• We excel in complex problem-solving because we reflect before we act
• Our deep work generates far more innovation because we prioritize substance over speed

Depth outperforms width. Always.

What I want you to understand:

➡️ Your need for constant stimulation isn't our burden.
➡️ Your discomfort with silence isn't our crisis.
➡️ And your definition of success isn't our roadmap.

If we let you in, you've earned it.

Not through persistence or pressure,
but through respect.
Through substance.
Through recognizing that our boundaries aren't walls. They're filters.

➡️ We're not antisocial. We're selectively social.
➡️ We're not slow. We're thorough.
➡️ We're not cold. We're intentional.

In a world drowning in noise, that's not a limitation.

That's an edge.

Stop trying to fix us. We were never broken.

As you step into 2026: What boundary will you protect to honor your energy this year?

💾 Save this & ♻️ share it if you're proudly wired differently

📩 Start the new year with one insight per week in The A+Introvert Newsletter: https://lnkd.in/e7xQPNtn

She outperformed everyone on her team.
They fired her anyway.

The reason?
"Lacks enthusiasm."

I've been labeled the same.
Quiet. Consistent. Easy to overlook.

After 20 years in leadership, I've decoded what "lacks enthusiasm" really means:

You don't perform your passion.
You just deliver excellence.

Real enthusiasm looks like:
• Showing up consistently
• Delivering work that matters
• Communicating with clarity
• Supporting without fanfare

Companies say they want this.

Then they promote:
• Volume over value
• Speed over strategy
• Visibility over results

I've watched talented introverts pushed out.
Not for missing deadlines. For missing happy hours.
Not for poor performance. For performing quietly.

The coded feedback always sounds reasonable:
"Needs more executive presence."
"Could be more vocal in meetings."
"Should network more actively."

Translation: Be someone else.

Truth is:
Excellence doesn't need to shout.
Impact doesn't chase attention.
Consistency beats charisma.

We lose our best people when we:
• Mislabel quiet as disengaged
• Require extroversion for advancement
• Confuse personality with contribution

Real engagement shows up in:
✓ The bugs you prevent that nobody notices
✓ The systems that run smoothly because of you
✓ The depth of your thinking
✓ The crisis you prevented in silence

Your quiet colleague who ships exceptional work every week?
More engaged than the one dominating every meeting.

The introvert who sends thoughtful follow-ups?
More useful than the one working the room.

Smart companies are catching on.
They measure contribution, not volume.
They value depth over performance.
They recognize different styles of excellence.

Still waiting for yours to catch up?

Your quiet strengths aren't the problem.
The system that can't see them is.

Don't shrink. Don't apologize. Don't fake enthusiasm you don't feel.

Real work doesn't need applause.
It needs respect.

🔁 Repost if you believe quiet excellence deserves recognition

💌 Subscribe to The A+Introvert Newsletter for tools, insights, and proof that quiet impact scales (link in my profile)

The fastest way to lose your best people?
Oversee every decision they make.

You didn't bring in talented minds to monitor them.
You brought them in to lead, solve, and deliver.

But the moment trust disappears:
→ Motivation drops
→ Creativity freezes
→ They quietly start exploring options

🚨 Micromanagement damages more than output.

It corrodes culture from the inside.

What it actually does to your team:

• Drives your strongest performers toward the exit
• Creates resentment simmering under the surface
• Shuts down creativity before it starts
• Produces stress, then exhaustion
• Delays every single decision
• Swaps clarity for anxiety
• Fractures trust
• Kills loyalty
• Breeds fear

Now flip the approach.

When you choose trust over control:

✅ Energy rises
✅ Ideas start flowing
✅ Teams gain momentum
✅ Ownership begins to multiply
✅ Your culture becomes a magnet for talent
✅ Collaboration happens naturally and consistently

Great leadership isn't about oversight.
It's about belief.

Hire well.
Point the direction.
Then get out of the way.

As we head into 2026, a reflection worth carrying into the new year.

💾 Save this & ♻️ share it with a leader who could use the reminder

📩 Weekly leadership insights in The A+Introvert Newsletter: see link in my profile

Stop trying to fix introverts.

In 20 years as an HR leader, I’ve seen companies burn millions trying to turn quiet leaders into loud ones.

It doesn’t work. It pushes your best people out the door.

What introverts need is not what most managers think.

⬇️ Swipe through to see the difference.

💾 Save/Share this before your next 1:1.

📩 Join the Free A+Introvert Newsletter for weekly bite-sized career tips → https://lnkd.in/e7xQPNtn

What Workplaces Think Introverts Need (vs What We Need)

Burnout isn't about workload.
It's about performance.
And I don't mean your results.

—

A VP I worked with nearly quit.
Not because the job was too much.
But because the performance was.

She wasn't lazy.
She wasn't weak.
She was exhausted from being "on" all day.

That's not personality mismatch.
That's culture misfit.

Cambridge research confirms it:
Introverts who act extroverted to succeed
Pay for it with their well-being.

The painful twist?
It works.
They get promoted faster.
But the cost is massive.

You don't have to choose between success and sanity.

Five ways to protect your energy without sacrificing your career:

1. 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝗼 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴
→ Block a 1h slot daily as "Strategic Work"
→ No one questions strategy time
→ Use it to reset, not just to work

—

2. 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻
You don't win by being everywhere
You win by being essential
→ Choose 3 high-leverage meetings
→ Send notes for the rest
→ Stay visible without being present

—

3. 𝗦𝗲𝘁 𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆 𝗯𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺
Extroversion has a shelf life
→ Leave events at 80%, not zero
→ Walk for 5 minutes after calls
→ Say "I need to think on this" instead of answering fast

—

4. 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗹𝘆
If success requires acting
The system (and not you) is broken
→ Propose async updates
→ Document your wins
→ Let results speak louder than airtime

—

5. 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲
People with side projects report 30% higher well-being
→ Start the newsletter
→ Mentor someone who gets it
→ Build where depth beats volume

—

That VP?
She pitched a hybrid analyst role to her boss
Less client meetings, more strategic thinking
Same title, new structure

Six months later, promoted to SVP
Not for pretending
But for being seen doing what she does best

Her biggest energy leak? Weekly stand-ups.
Now she sends a Monday update instead.

You don't need to act to advance
You need systems that help you last

—

♻️ Repost or save if you're done trading performance for peace

 📬 Want more like this? Follow my newsletter for weekly energy and career strategies: https://lnkd.in/e2Yn259g

Most introverts are quietly killing their careers.
By trying to speak like extroverts.

The problem is not how you speak.
It is how you prepare.

I spent years forcing spontaneity. Faking confidence. Every presentation drained me for days afterward.

Then I stopped competing on extroverts' terms.

Instead, I designed public speaking around my energy.

After 20 years as a CHRO, this much is clear:
Introverts can be exceptional speakers - if they use a different playbook.

I've helped many through this shift. The ones who stopped performing and started designing their talks with intention? They speak with more power. Less burnout.

This carousel breaks down 9 strategies introverts use to speak powerfully.

Without burning out.

♻️ Loud isn't the goal. Intentional is. Share if you agree.

💾 Save this for the next time you've got a talk coming up.

Most Introverts Are Quietly Killing Their Careers

Kind leaders aren't weak.
They're strategic.

After 20+ years in HR, here's what the data actually shows about leading with kindness. And where most leaders miss the mark.

1. Balanced Care
✅ Caring for yourself to better care for others
❌ Self-sacrificing until you're drained
→ Well-rested leaders build teams with far less burnout.

2. Presence
✅ Creating safety through focused attention
❌ Avoiding hard conversations to stay "nice"
→ When people feel seen, oxytocin rises. Trust rewires.

3. Smart Support
✅ Challenging people to grow
❌ Solving their problems for them
→ Support without stretch weakens resilience on both sides.

4. Real Understanding
✅ Leading through shared experience
❌ Preaching from a pedestal
→ Empathy builds trust at a neurological level.

5. True Giving
✅ Acting from genuine generosity
❌ Helping out of guilt or pressure
→ Authentic kindness creates far deeper engagement than obligation.

6. Energy Boundaries
✅ Saying no to protect your yes
❌ Burning out through constant availability
→ Clear limits amplify leadership effectiveness.

7. Simple Truths
✅ Building trust through small, daily actions
❌ Relying on big gestures to fix gaps
→ Consistency compounds into culture.

8. Brain Chemistry
✅ Driving positive reactions through follow-through
❌ Using "kind" words without action
→ Kindness reshapes stress, performance, and trust.

The bottom line:
Kindness isn't softness.
It's a performance multiplier.

Which one made you rethink how you lead?

💾 Save this & ♻️ share it with a leader who needs to see this

The loudest voice shaped the room.
The quietest mind shifted the result.

And we still reward noise over what actually matters.

Here's the thing.

It is easy to see who talks the most.
Much harder to see who actually moves things forward.

Fast talkers set the agenda in meetings.
Quiet thinkers change the outcome after.

If you only track who reacts, who comments, who performs on stage...
you miss the people who unblock, refine, solve, ship.

So in your team:

👉 Look at what actually got done, not who kept the mic the longest.

🫶 Start giving credit to the ones who change the game quietly. They will not ask for it. Give it anyway.

♻️ Repost this for the quiet game-changers. They won't promote themselves, so we will.

Introverts aren't broken.
They're built differently.

This isn't opinion.
It's neuroscience.

Swipe through the data:
10 slides. 1 perspective shift. 👇

What resonates most?

Mine is Slide 5.
(The leadership stat changed everything for me.)

What's yours?

💾 Save this & ♻️ share it with an introvert who needs to see the science

📩 Want more like this? Subscribe to The A+Introvert newsletter (link in profile)

Your Brain On Introvert Mode (the shocking truth)

Introverts don't need fixing.
Your workplace culture does.

For 20 years, I watched companies try to "improve" their introverted employees.

They sent them to presentation skills workshops.
They placed them in open office layouts.
They nudged them toward noisy networking events.

But they missed what really needed changing.

Meeting norms that reward the loudest voice.
Brainstorms that drown out deep thinkers.
"Collaboration" that looks more like constant interruption.

When I was 32, a VP pulled me aside.
"You're too quiet. That'll hurt your career."

So I tried to become louder.
More visible.
More like everyone else.

Eventually I realized something important.

I wasn't the problem.
The environment was.

Today I'm a CHRO.
Still quiet.
Still thriving.

Not because I changed who I am,
but because I focused on changing the system.

If you're doing this:
❌ Telling introverts to speak up more
❌ Requiring constant collaboration
❌ Assuming quiet means disengaged
❌ Defining culture through happy hours
❌ Rewarding visibility over value

Try this instead:
✅ Send agendas in advance so they can prepare
✅ Start meetings with quiet time for written input
✅ Offer multiple ways to contribute, not just talking
✅ Create quiet zones for focused work
✅ Recognize the impact, not just who talks the most

The most innovative companies don't try to fix introverts.
They build environments where introverts can shine.

Quiet-friendly cultures boost productivity.
Written brainstorming surfaces better ideas.
And your next big idea might be sitting silently in the corner.

The companies losing top talent right now?
They're still trying to make introverts louder.

The ones winning?
They're creating spaces where every style can thrive.

If someone seems too quiet,
maybe the system is too noisy.

Stop trying to change them.
Start changing what's actually not working.

Because a culture that works for introverts
works better for everyone.

💬 What's one small change that could make your workplace more inclusive for quieter thinkers?

♻️ Share if you believe quiet leadership deserves more respect

📩 Join 100K+ ambitious introverts who get free weekly career tips: https://lnkd.in/e7xQPNtn

I'm a CHRO at a public company.
I'm also an introvert - and lots of people think that's impossible.

But after 20 years in the C-suite, I've learned something most leadership books miss:

Introversion isn't one thing.
It's four.

And most of us are a blend of them.

That mix? It gives you advantages most leadership advice never talks about.

Swipe to find your type.⏩
And the edge that comes with it.

Here's what the best leaders figured out:
They don't try to become extroverts.

They protect their energy like CEOs protect capital.

This framework changed how I lead.
Not just my introverted team members, but the extroverted ones too.

Why?

Because once you understand someone's type, you understand what fuels them.
And when you respect that fuel, you get their best work.

Simple as that.

Which type gave you a new lens on someone you lead?

🔁 Share or save this to revisit your type later
📩 Get more frameworks in the A+ Introvert Newsletter (link in carousel)

You're Not Just 'An Introvert' (Most Advice Is Wrong)

The loudest person in your meeting just killed your best idea.
Not on purpose. They simply spoke first.

For 20 years as CHRO, I watched brilliant introverts stay silent because the conversation moved too fast. 

By the time they processed the question, three extroverts had already answered it. We were only getting 20% of the room's intelligence.

The solution is counterintuitive.
Start every meeting in silence.

I call it the Write-First Rule.

Here is what happens:

You pose a question, then everyone writes their answer before anyone speaks.

No groupthink.
No anchoring to the first idea.
No performance pressure.

The result? 42% more original ideas in rooms where we tested this.

I break down the exact 4-step protocol and why it works in the carousel below. 👇

Swipe to see the method

💾 Save this to run your next meeting in silence

♻️ Repost if you believe in capturing 100% of your team's brainpower

The Loudest Person In Your Meeting Killed Your Best Idea

My manager and I were both right. That was the problem.

For two years, it felt like constant friction.

I thought he was shutting me down.
He thought I was being difficult.

Same situation. Different sides of it.

As an introvert, I'd come to every meeting overprepared.
Arguments rehearsed in my head.
Draining myself trying to be heard.

I didn't need louder words.
I needed a different question.

Help me see what you're seeing.

Those seven words changed my career.

I was protecting the project.
He was protecting the people.

Same end. Different direction.

That conflict wasn't toxic.
It was just incomplete.

I stopped needing to win.
I started wanting to understand.

Twenty years in HR, I learned something.
You don't need to be right to move forward.
You need to be willing to see the other side.

When did a question shift a relationship at work?

♻️ Share this with someone who sees things different than you do

They told me I needed to be louder to lead.
"You need to command the room," they said.

They were wrong.

Research shows introverted leaders often outperform extroverts, especially when leading proactive teams.
(Grant et al., 2011)

We've spent decades mistaking confidence for competence.
Promoting the loudest voice instead of the best strategy.

But while others are talking, quiet leaders are doing something rare.
They are actually listening.

Over 20 years, I've seen this play out in boardrooms again and again.
The extrovert projects certainty.
The introvert absorbs complexity.

The visual below breaks down why quiet leadership works.

What they do differently:

1️⃣ Active Listening
Quiet leaders don't just hear words. They hear intent. I've watched a quiet VP catch what three executives missed because she was listening while they were waiting to talk.

2️⃣ Focused Calm
In crisis, calm is contagious. I once saw a soft-spoken CFO steady an entire leadership team during a merger just by not reacting. Everyone else followed his lead.

3️⃣ Deep Trust
Loyalty is built in one-on-one moments, not by working the room. The introverted managers I've coached build teams that stay for years because trust compounds quietly.

And this isn't just theory.

Tim Cook: Led Apple through crisis with methodical focus.
Barack Obama: Built trust by listening first, responding second.
Bill Gates: Scaled Microsoft by going deep, not wide.

None of them fit the loud leader stereotype.
All of them led with impact.

So if you're the quiet one in the meeting today,
Don't try to be louder. Go deeper.

Your silence is not a weakness. It might be your competitive edge.

Which of these traits has helped you lead, even when no one noticed?

I'm partial to Focused Calm. It has saved my sanity more than once.

💾 Save this for the next time you need a reminder that quiet is powerful.

♻️ Repost to show that quiet leadership is powerful leadership.

Quiet leaders rarely get the spotlight.
But research from Harvard shows they lift team performance by 28% when their people take initiative.

As an introverted CHRO, I've witnessed what calm, focused leadership can achieve.

🔴 When introverts feel forced to act loud:
❌ Chasing visibility over substance
❌ Rushing decisions to appear confident
❌ Talking more, absorbing less
❌ Building wide networks without real connection
❌ Reacting quickly and missing the deeper point
❌ Filling silence because it feels uncomfortable
❌ Offering fast answers to seem sharp
❌ Prioritizing attention over understanding
❌ Overlooking signals from the team
❌ Burning out from playing a character

The cost adds up.
Leaders lose their sharpness.
Innovation stalls.
Morale fades.

That's not leadership. That's performance.

🟢 When introverts lead on their own terms:
✅ Staying grounded and leading with presence
✅ Deciding with clarity, not speed
✅ Listening before responding
✅ Cultivating deep trust
✅ Thinking first, acting second
✅ Leveraging silence strategically
✅ Making room for others to contribute
✅ Catching what others miss
✅ Remaining steady when pressure rises

This approach works.
Teams flourish.
Voices emerge.
Outcomes improve.

Extroverts bring momentum.
Introverts bring depth.
Both are essential.
But quiet leadership still gets undervalued.

I've led this way for two decades.
It works because it's real.

💾 Save this & ♻️ share it to remind others that quiet leaders belong at the table

📩 One introvert career insight per week in The A+Introvert Newsletter: https://lnkd.in/e2Yn259g

We promote the loudest voice.
Then wonder why teams burn out.

I've spent 20 years in leadership.
And I've watched brilliant introverts get overlooked again and again.

They didn't fall short.
They quietly pulled ahead.

Harvard and Wharton research tells us something most companies ignore. Introverted leaders drive:
➜ 28% higher productivity
➜ 84% more engagement
➜ 50% lower turnover

So why do we still mistake quiet for weak?

Because we've built systems that reward volume over value.
Visibility over results.
Performance over substance.

This carousel breaks down:
➜ What the data really says
➜ Why introverts make elite leaders
➜ How to lead with quiet confidence

The quiet ones in your meeting today?

They're not disengaged.
They're processing at a level most leaders never reach.

💾 Save this for your next leadership conversation.
♻️ Share if your culture still mistakes noise for leadership.

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