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

Every setback felt like proof I was too quiet to succeed.
Every win felt like luck.

At 32, my boss pulled me aside.
“You're too quiet for executive leadership.”

I replayed that conversation for months.
Every meeting I stayed quiet.
Every presentation I let others dominate.
Every networking event I left early.

The feedback stung because I believed it.

The lateral moves? I blamed myself for not being louder.
The passed-over promotions? Thought I didn’t sell myself enough.
The struggling projects? Maybe I was too introverted to lead.

I carried those stories for years.
Like stones in my pocket.
Getting heavier with each new challenge.

Then something shifted.

The promotions I didn’t get kept me learning.
Now I lead with knowledge, not just ambition.

The struggling projects taught me to listen for what wasn’t being said.
That skill transformed every team I touched.

What introverts do differently with setbacks:
 • We don’t bounce back. We build back.
 • We don’t forget feedback. We mine it for truth.
 • We don’t perform resilience. We develop it quietly.

What others saw as mistakes:
 → Avoided office politics (built trust through work)
 → Skipped self-promotion (let results speak louder)
 → Stayed in roles too long (mastered depth)
 → Took time to process (while others rushed to respond)

Today I’m CHRO.
Still quiet.
Those “setbacks” were my education.

Every introvert I’ve hired has a similar story.
Told they were too quiet.
Too thoughtful.
Too slow.

Now they’re running divisions.
Transforming cultures.
Leading quietly.

Your setbacks aren’t failures.
They’re data points.
Your quiet processing isn’t weakness.
It’s how you turn feedback into fuel.

That boss who said I was too quiet?
He was half right.
I was quiet.
But I was building.

💬 What feedback once hurt but later helped you grow?

♻️ Repost if you've been underestimated for being quiet
📩 Free Weekly career strategies for Ambitious Introverts -> hit the newsletter button under my profile

Some introverts are prisoners of their wiring.
Others are architects of their growth.

I’ve coached enough quiet leaders to see the split happen in real time:

The stuck ones hold on to: "I'm wired this way. I can't change."
The ones who thrive? They know wiring is where you begin, not where you end.

I worked with a senior manager who kept saying:
"I was raised to stay quiet and not make waves."

Fifteen years. That one sentence kept her invisible.
Passed over for promotions.
Watching louder colleagues move ahead.

And yet. In those same fifteen years, she'd:

-Led 3 projects that saved millions
-Built relationships nobody else could unlock
-Spotted problems that stayed invisible to everyone around her

Her quiet upbringing gave her the ability to observe. 
Deep listening became strategy. 
Her stillness earned trust.

The prison wasn't her introversion.
The prison was her story about it.

Evolution for introverts isn't about becoming extroverted.
It's about updating your story.

Instead of avoiding tough conversations 
→ Use email to drive decisions

Instead of dreading all meetings 
→ Own your 1-on-1s where depth wins

Instead of staying silent 
→ Put your thoughts on paper first, then speak

That senior manager I mentioned?
She stopped apologizing for how she works.
Started using her strengths.
Promoted six months later.

Same person. Different story.

Here's what this work taught me:

Your nature doesn't need fixing. 
Your story about it does.

Your past shaped you. 
Your choices reshape your future.

Your quiet traits aren't a limitation. They're data.

Stop waiting for permission to evolve.
Start choosing which parts of your wiring serve you.

Which story kept you quiet this week?

♻️ Share this with introverts ready to rewrite their story

📩 Follow me (Steven Claes) for introvert career strategies

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. And it pushes your best people out the door.

Swipe through for what introverts need vs. what people think we need.

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

P.S. What would you add to this list?

li_at

JSESSIONID

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

What Workplaces Think Introverts Need vs What We Need

omnia khfagy

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

We're introverts. We're not broken, just wired differently.

I spent 20 years as a CHRO watching the same pattern play out. 
The loudest voices got heard while the deepest thinkers got ignored. 

Quick reactions got rewarded, and thoughtful strategies got buried under the noise.

That's when I realized something.

We don't need to compete on volume. No, we compete on depth.

We build fewer bonds but stronger connections. 
Not because we can't connect widely, but because we choose connection wisely. 

While others drain themselves chasing validation, we recharge in stillness. 
While they mistake noise for progress, we find power in pause.

This isn't weakness. It's strategy.

We're not hiding or afraid. 
We're protecting our energy for what actually matters.

The research backs what we've always known: 

• Introverted leaders see 40% higher team retention because we listen more than we talk 
• We outperform in complex problem-solving by 74% because we think before we act 
• Our deep work drives 3x more innovation because we focus on substance over speed

Depth beats width. Every time.

What I need you to understand:

➡️ Your need for constant stimulation isn't our problem. 
➡️ Your discomfort with silence isn't our emergency. 
➡️ And your definition of success isn't our blueprint.

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

Not through persistence or pressure, 
but through respect. 
Through substance. 
Through understanding that our boundaries aren't barriers, they're filters.

➡️ We're not antisocial, we're selectively social. 
➡️ We're not slow, we're thorough. 
➡️ We're not cold, we're careful.

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

That's an advantage.

Stop trying to fix us. We were never broken.

What boundary have you set recently that protected your energy?

♻️ Share if you're proudly wired differently 
📩 Follow Steven Claes for more introvert truth

Research reveals the introvert paradox: 
More productive. Lower performance ratings. 

A 2024 study by SOAS University of London found: 
"Introverts are more productive despite displaying lower job performance than extroverts." 

I've watched this disconnect destroy careers. 

As a CHRO for 20 years, I saw the pattern repeat itself over and over again. 
Claire outperformed every metric. 
Yet her evaluation said "lacks presence." 

Thomas designed the entire system architecture. 
His review noted "could be more vocal in meetings." 

The quiet frustration builds. 
The talent gets overlooked. 

The problem isn't your output. 
It's the visibility of your output. 

Introverts lose in three predictable scenarios: 

1. The visibility trap 
Your deep work happens in silence. 
Your contributions lack witnesses. 
Your impact goes unrecognized. 

2. The documentation gap 
Your wins stay in your head. 
Your progress lacks a paper trail. 
Your patterns remain invisible. 

3. The credit vacuum 
Your ideas travel. 
Your name gets left behind. 
Your influence goes unmeasured. 

But smart introverts don't try to become extroverts. 
They create systems to show their natural strengths. 

Four systems that actually work: 
1. Create your visibility rhythm 

→ Monday: Share your weekly focus (3 bullet points) 
→ Friday: Send a 5-minute wins report to stakeholders 
→ Monthly: Connect your work to company priorities 

2. Build your evidence file 

→ Capture metrics from your deep work sessions 
→ Save positive feedback verbatim 
→ Track resources saved through your solutions 

3. Set deep work boundaries 

→ Block 90-minute uninterrupted focus blocks 
→ Create canned responses for interruptions 
→ Set "office hours" for questions/collaboration 

4. Use strategic presence 

→ Speak once early in every meeting 
→ Send one thoughtful follow-up after discussions 
→ Ask one question that shows your listening depth 

When I coached Sarah, an introverted finance director, she started sending a weekly "impact email" every Friday at 4pm. 
Five bullet points. 
Three minutes to write. 

Her boss forwarded it to the C-suite every single week. 
She went from "too quiet" to "indispensable strategic partner" in six months. 

The only thing that changed? 
Her system, not her personality. 

Your introversion isn't the problem. 
Your strategic approach is the solution. 

Want to advance without exhaustion? 

Get the exact templates, scripts, and systems that helped thousands of introverts without burning out in the free A+ Introvert Newsletter (link in featured section). 

💾 Save this for when your impact feels invisible.

🔁 Repost if you believe quiet professionals deserve loud recognition.

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

I spent 20 years watching companies try to "fix" introverts.

Presentation skills workshops.
Open offices.
Loud happy hours.

Meanwhile, they ignored the real problems:
• Meetings that reward whoever talks most
• Brainstorms that silence deep thinkers
• "Collaboration" that means constant interruption

At 32, a VP told me:
"You need to speak up more. This quiet thing is career suicide."

I tried to be louder.
Until I realized: the mold was broken, not me.

Today I'm CHRO.
Still quiet. Still succeeding.
Because I stopped fixing myself and started fixing the system.

👇 This carousel breaks down what actually works.

♻️ Share if you believe quiet leadership deserves more respect and save for later.

Introverts Don't Need Fixing (Your Workplace Culture Does)

I thought I was too quiet to lead.
Turns out, I was just introverted.

These 10 TED Talks helped me stop overthinking,
start showing up, and build a career on my terms:

Skip the Small Talk by Kalina Silverman
https://lnkd.in/dDJhrm_U
→ Permission to skip surface-level conversations

The Art of Being Yourself by Caroline McHugh
https://lnkd.in/dvqjsPzP
→ Stop performing. Start being.

The Secret Shame of Introverts by Monica Parkin
https://lnkd.in/ddgjTnk5
→ Why your quiet nature isn't a weakness

The Mind Behind Linux by Linus Torvalds
https://lnkd.in/dgnNDY-C
→ Proof that introverts build world-changing things

Stop Screwing Yourself Over by Mel Robbins
https://lnkd.in/dsVzu2MJ
→ The 5-second rule that bypasses overthinking

Your Body Language Shapes You by Amy Cuddy
https://lnkd.in/dayBXPnF
→ Power poses for when confidence feels fake

My Year of Saying Yes by Shonda Rhimes
https://lnkd.in/dUsR6Jxz
→ An introvert's guide to selective courage

Who Are You, Really? by Brian Little
https://lnkd.in/dF6Dp4Ks
→ Why acting out of character serves your goals

The Power of Vulnerability by Brené Brown
https://lnkd.in/dnVNdWnR
→ Leading with authenticity, not armor

The Power of Introverts by Susan Cain
https://lnkd.in/drHJYhyD
→ The talk that started a quiet revolution

After 20 years as CHRO, I know this:
Your quiet leadership style isn't the problem.
The world just hasn't caught up yet.

These talks taught me to stop apologizing for thinking before speaking.
To stop forcing extroversion.
To start leading from my strengths.

💾 Save this for later, and repost it to spread some value to your network.

📩 Follow Steven Claes for introvert career strategies that keep you authentic.

54% of employees are quietly breaking down.
You won’t see it until it’s too late.

Your best people aren’t quitting.
They’re not burning out.
They’re breaking. In silence.

And your quietest ones?
They’re drowning.

👉 Swipe to spot the signs before they disappear.

💾 Save this to revisit the warning signs.

♻️ Share it to support someone who's quietly cracking.

Warning Signs Everyone Misses (Means breaking)

Overthinking costs you more than you realize.

Not in time.
In opportunities you never take.

Introverts know this trap better than anyone. Analysis becomes avoidance.

Five ways to close that gap:

1. The 5-Second Rule

Mel Robbins nailed it. You have an instinct to move? Count down 5-4-3-2-1 and go.

Your brain will talk you out of it otherwise.
That window closes fast. Five seconds. Use them.

———

2. The Two-Minute Rule

Takes less than two minutes? Do it now.
Don't add it to a list. Don't schedule it. Don't think about it.

David Allen's point: tracking a small task takes longer than finishing it.
Stop managing. Start finishing.

———

3. Brain Dump Before You Decide

Too much noise in your head? Set a timer for ten minutes. Write it all down.
No filter. No structure. Just out.

Once it's on paper, patterns appear. Priorities get clear.
You can't organize chaos while you're drowning in it.

———

4. Externalize the Problem

Stop saying "I'm an overthinker."
Say "Overthinking is here again."

See the difference? You're not the problem. The thought pattern is.
You're not the storm. You're the one watching it pass through.

———

5. The "If-Then" Plan

Vague intentions don't work. Automatic actions do.

Try this:
"If it's 7am, then I write for 20 minutes."
"If I feel resistance, then I count 5-4-3-2-1 and start."

Peter Gollwitzer's research backs this. It doubles your success rate.
Pre-decide so you don't have to re-decide every time.

———

The truth more introverts need to hear:
Knowing what to do means nothing if you don't do it.

Your move.

♻️ Share this with someone who needs it.
👤 Follow me (Steven Claes) for more on ambitious introverts

A 23-year-old intern dismantled my entire hiring strategy with one question:

"But what if they're not comfortable talking about themselves?"

She was talking about introverts in interviews.

I'd been screening out brilliance for 5 years and had no idea.

I used to defend every view.
Debate every point.
Need to be right.

But that one quiet question changed everything.

It taught me something 10 years as CHRO hadn't:

Wisdom isn't about having the best answers.
It's about hearing the questions you never thought to ask.

Now when someone speaks, whether it's my CEO or my nephew, I do something different.

I pause.

Not to plan my response.
But to understand their world.

The 3-Question Framework I Use to Listen Deeper

1. What am I defending?
Before responding, name the ego or assumption you're protecting.
Then let it go.

2. What's their 10%?
Even if you disagree with 90%, find the 10% that's true.
There's always something. Start there.

3. What would I think if I were them?
Not with your experience. With theirs.
Not with your context. With theirs.
This is where breakthroughs live.

This shift changed how I lead:

→ I stopped mistaking volume for value
→ Started finding insight in silence
→ Learned that understanding > being understood

The data backs it up:

Teams with psychological safety where every voice matters are:

✔️ 76% more likely to engage
✔️ 50% more productive
✔️ 27% less likely to leave their jobs

But we still reward:

❌ Quick answers over thoughtful questions
❌ Confident assertions over curious pauses
❌ Debate winners over bridge builders

Your quietest team member isn't checked out.
They're checking angles you haven't considered.

That junior employee questioning your process?
Might be your next breakthrough.

Growth doesn't come from adding more of what you already know.
It comes from seeing what you've been blind to.

Perspective isn't just power.
It's the only path to wisdom that matters.

Try these 3 questions in your next meeting. Watch what shifts.

And tell me this:

💬 When did listening to someone completely different from you change everything?

♻️ Share this if you believe the quietest voices often hold the deepest insights

I stopped pretending to be an extrovert.
My career exploded.

Because showing up everywhere wasn't commitment. 
It was fear wearing a name tag.

The truth?
You don't advance by being everywhere.
You advance by managing yourself.

What drains introverts in leadership
and what drives career growth instead 👇

1. Performing extroversion kills energy
Self-management creates sustainability.
→ Forcing constant visibility? You burn out.
→ Strategic presence? You grow faster.

2. Saying yes to everything stalls growth
Saying no with boundaries accelerates it.
→ Nearly half of introverts in extroverted roles report burnout compared to a quarter of extroverts.
→ Protecting your energy isn't selfish. It's strategic.

3. Constant meetings drain focus
Delegation multiplies impact.
→ Being in every conversation limits your team.
→ Empowering others to lead is 5x more effective at avoiding burnout.

4. Loud leadership demands attention
Quiet leadership earns respect.
→ Empathetic leadership isn't about volume. It's about making space.
→ Inclusive leadership recognizes people recharge differently.

5. Networking everywhere scatters influence
Showing up intentionally builds it.
→ Career advancement for introverts: be present where it matters, invisible where it doesn't.

6. Chasing visibility creates exhaustion
Managing energy creates resilience.
→ I went from performing to leading authentically and my impact multiplied.
→ The shift? Self-management became non-negotiable.

7. Ignoring rest kills performance
Protecting solitude fuels it.
→ Introverts need quiet to recharge. Ignoring that is running on empty.
→ Real leadership models rest, not just productivity.

You can build a career through constant performance.
Or sustainable success through intentional leadership.

One burns you out by Wednesday.
The other grows even when you step back.

♻ Repost to help introverts: visibility isn't everything. Intention is.

📬 Want deeper strategies like these?
I write a weekly newsletter on quiet leadership and career growth for introverts: https://lnkd.in/e2Yn259g

Your star performer left at 5 PM every day.

That wasn't a red flag.
That was a roadmap.

I used to stay until 8.
Sent emails at midnight.
Wore exhaustion like a badge.

Then I noticed something.

Sarah, our top analyst, packed up at 5 PM.
Every. Single. Day.

The execs whispered about her "lack of commitment."
Some people labeled her not a team player.

But six months later?
She delivered more value than our entire always-on team.

What they missed:
She wasn't coasting. She was focused.

• No 47-email chains about nothing
• No staying late just to be seen
• No 3-hour meetings that could've been an email
• No pretending to work while scrolling LinkedIn

Just deep, meaningful work.

After 5?
She recharged. Unplugged. Came back clearer.

While others ran on fumes.

What happened next changed how I led:

• The "lazy" analyst got promoted to Director
• One team member hit a wall and had to step back
• The always-on manager made critical mistakes

I learned something:
8 focused hours beat 12 exhausted ones.
Real productivity happens in bursts, not marathons.
Your best ideas come after rest, not during it.

I started telling my team:
→ Your best work happens when you're fresh
→ Creativity needs room to breathe
→ Burnout helps no one

The outcomes?

The exec who doubted her? Stress leave.
The always-on manager? Critical mistakes cost us a major client.
Sarah? Running the department.

Her worth was never in the hours.
It was in the outcomes.

♻️ Repost if you believe boundaries create better teams
📩 Join thousands of ambitious introverts building sustainable success: https://lnkd.in/e7xQPNtn

Gary Brown

Your best introvert is planning their exit. 
They just haven't told you yet.

Micromanaging says three things: 

"I don't trust you." 
"I need control more than results." 
"Your process scares me because it's not mine."

For introverts, this kills retention faster than anything else.

We need deep work. 

Focus without constant interruption and mental space to think through complex problems.

Micromanaging destroys all three, and it's why your quiet top performers leave first. 

No drama, no warnings. 
They're just gone.

In 20 years as a CHRO, I've watched this pattern play out dozens of times.

One company I worked with broke the cycle with a simple shift. 
Outcome accountability instead of process control. 

Leaders set the goal, and teams chose how to get there.

The impact was immediate. 

Turnover among introverted leaders dropped 60%. 
Same deadlines, better quality, and zero hand-holding required. 

Because when you trust people to do the work their way, they deliver.

Great leaders trust, then step back. 
Micromanaging says everything about the manager and nothing about you.

How have you handled micromanagers without burning bridges?

♻️ Share if you care

Your meetings are killing your best talent.

I was the quiet one for 10 years.
Invisible. Passed over.
Watching others get promoted for my ideas.

Now I'm the one changing the room.

Here's what introverts hear when you say:
"Why are you so quiet?" → "Why are you broken?"
"Just jump in!" → "Is this worth my battery?"
"Let's go around the table." → Time to update LinkedIn.

The math is simple but more leaders miss it:
- 50% of your workforce = introverts
- 90% of your meetings = built for extroverts

You're designing meetings that push your brightest people out.

I made 10 script swaps to save your talent.

Small changes in how you run meetings. 
Big difference in who stays engaged.

Swipe through. Change the words. Keep your people.

Quiet isn't disengaged.
It's brilliant.

♻️ Share and save this before your quiet talent becomes your competition

📩 Follow the A+Introvert Newsletter for more bite-sized career insights

What to Say (and not say) To Support Introverts in meeting

Most introverts nail the interview.
Then burn out in 90 days.

After 20 years as a CHRO, I've seen it happen too many times. 

Brilliant introverts accepting roles that drain them because they didn't ask whether the company actually values different working styles.

73% of employees leave due to poor cultural fit. 
Introverts feel this more, scoring 10% lower in workplace well-being.

The interview isn't just them sizing you up. 
It's you sizing up whether this company respects how you work best.

Swipe through for the 9 questions every introvert should ask before saying yes.

Your energy isn't up for negotiation. Neither is your environment.

💾 Save this for your next interview
♻️ Share with an introvert who needs this

Most Introverts Nail The Interview (Then Burn Out)

Stop building a career on loyalty.
It's the ultimate introvert trap.

For 10 years, I gave my quiet best to companies that forgot my name the day I left.

The loyal one stayed with the company.
The purposeful one stayed with the mission.

This simple truth is reshaping how ambitious introverts build careers.

And the data backs it up.

———

Nobody talks about this:

92% of people want purpose at work.
Not perks. Not ping pong tables.
Purpose.

But only 21% of workers feel truly engaged.

That gap?
That's where ambitious introverts thrive.

———

You've been told to network more.
Speak up in meetings.
Be more visible.

But the research reveals something different.

Employees who find their work meaningful are 294% more likely to stay.

That's not a typo. 294%.

Compare that to fair pay? Only 54% more likely to stay.

Meaning beats money by 5X.

———

The introvert's mission-first strategy:

1. Anchor to your calling, not your contract
68% of Millennials accept lower pay for deeper purpose.
Why? Purpose energizes. Prestige exhausts.

2. Let your results do the talking
You don't need the spotlight.
You need the right mission.

3. Choose companies that match your values
Purpose-driven companies have 40% higher retention.
3x better financial returns.
Higher employee satisfaction.

———

The truth that changes everything:

Company loyalty asks: "How long will you stay?"
Mission alignment asks: "What impact will you make?"

One traps you.
One frees you.

44% of Gen Z and 45% of Millennials have already quit jobs lacking purpose.

They're not job-hopping.
They're mission-hopping.

———

Freedom is harder than attachment.
Security is easier than purpose.

But when you commit to a purpose instead of a place:
You perform better.
You stay longer.
You grow faster.

The right mission won't require you to be louder.
It will require you to be you.

So anchor to your calling.
Not your contract.

Serve meaning.
Not membership.

What mission pulls you out of bed?

♻️ Repost this to help people find their mission (and save to check later)

📩 Follow Steven Claes for career strategies that honor your wiring

I thought I was too quiet to lead.
Turns out, I was just introverted.

But it took me 15 years of forcing extroversion to figure that out.

These 10 books helped me stop apologizing for who I am
and start building a career that actually fits me.

1. Quiet by Susan Cain
The book that redefined what it means to lead with calm and conviction

2. The Introverted Leader by Jennifer B. Kahnweiler
A step-by-step guide to leading without faking extroversion

3. Deep Work by Cal Newport
Why focused thinkers are becoming the most valuable people in any room

4. The Introvert's Edge by Matthew Pollard
Sales isn't about charm. It's about process. Introverts win with both

5. The Introvert Advantage by Marti Olsen Laney
The science behind why you need depth, not noise

6. Quiet Influence by Jennifer B. Kahnweiler
Six strengths that help introverts lead lasting change

7. Networking for People Who Hate Networking by Devora Zack
Real strategies for building relationships without working a room

8. Self-Promotion for Introverts by Nancy Ancowitz
How to get noticed without having to shout

9. The Powerful Purpose of Introverts by Holley Gerth
You're not flawed. You're wired this way for a reason

10. The Introvert Entrepreneur by Beth Buelow
How to build something big without pretending to be loud

After 20 years as CHRO, here's what I've learned:
Your quiet style isn't the problem.
The workplace just hasn't caught up yet.

These books reminded me that:
✔ Listening in 1-on-1s created more trust than speaking at 100 all-hands
✔ My written strategy docs moved projects faster than any meeting pitch
✔ Deep thinking in solitude solved problems committees couldn't crack
✔ Building three strong relationships beat networking with 300 strangers

Half the population is introverted.
It's time we stopped treating that like a disadvantage.

If you're tired of being told to "speak up,"
this list is your permission to double down on your quiet strength.

Which of these books speaks to your current challenge?

💾 Save this for when you need it

🔁 Share it with a quiet professional who deserves to feel seen

PS. Follow the Free A+Introvert Newsletter for weekly bite-sized career insights (link in my profile).

Today I turn 52.
At 25, I hid in bathroom stalls before meetings.
Now I lead them as CHRO.

The same traits that made you second‑guess yourself at 25
are the ones that can make you impossible to replace
at 25, 52, or whatever comes next.

But only if you stop apologising for them.

I knew that in my head a long time ago.
I just didn’t have the guts to say it out loud.
That part took years.

I hope you don’t wait as long as I did.

25: The Breaking Point

I was the quiet one faking loud.

Forced networking until 2am. 
Performed enthusiasm I didn't feel. 
Dominated meetings that drained me by noon.

I sat in my car after another leadership summit thinking: 
"I'm in the wrong career."

Then a mentor said eight words that changed everything: 
"Stop playing their game. Start playing yours."

52: The Breakthrough

Today, I lead differently.

I skip 80% of networking events. 
Build five deep relationships instead of fifty shallow ones. 
Speak less but land every word.

Not despite being quiet. Because of it.

This is what I finally understood:

That overthinking? Catches problems before they explode. 
That selective socializing? Builds unbreakable loyalty. 
That need for quiet? Where real strategy happens. 
That careful processing? Why people trust my decisions.

At 25, I thought leadership meant being everywhere. 
At 52, I know it means being fully present where it matters.

I protect my mornings for deep work. 
Take walking meetings when I need to think. 
Leave events before I'm drained, not after.

The same traits that made you doubt yourself at 25 will make you irreplaceable at 52. 
But only if you stop apologizing for them.

You don't rise by volume. 
You rise by depth.

To every introvert who thinks they need to change: The world has enough performers. It needs more thinkers.

What "weakness" from your 20s became your superpower?

♻️ Share this if you're done apologizing for how you're wired. Not as an admission, as a declaration.

PS. Who dares to guess the age at this picture? :)

Exhaustion isn’t a badge of honor.
It’s a sign of poor energy management.

I was close to burnout before I turned 35.
Today, I’m a CHRO.

Still introverted. Never drained.

These seven tactics helped me stay energized,
lead effectively without pretending to be an extrovert,
and build a sustainable career on my terms.

Your energy is currency.
Spend it wisely.

♻️ Share this for introverts running on empty

💾 Save it for future reference

7 Energy Tactics That Saved My Introverted Career

I watched an introvert change an executive team with three words: "I need help."

The room fell silent.

The VP of Product had been carrying a troubled launch quietly for months.
She'd analyzed the data, built contingency plans, tested solutions.

But she never told anyone how bad it was until that Tuesday morning.

There was no drama, just clarity.
Her voice was steady and her request was precise.

The COO leaned forward. "What do you need?"

The extroverts might have called emergency meetings, escalated loudly, created urgency.

She did something braver.
She picked her moment and was vulnerable with intention.

Research shows teams led by vulnerable leaders see higher engagement, often by 25% or more. What most people miss is that introverts are built for this kind of leadership.

After coaching dozens of introverted leaders through moments like these, I've learned this: vulnerability is only risky when it's careless.

When it's strategic, it builds the kind of trust that moves teams.

How introverts approach vulnerability differently

✓ We prepare for it thoroughly: Timing matters more than speed

✓ We choose our moments with intent: Not every meeting needs every truth

✓ We frame it with solutions: "Here's what I need" beats "I'm drowning"

✓ We adjust the depth to match the moment: Context drives disclosure

When we speak up, it cuts through because it's not impulsive. It's earned.

In my work with introverted leaders, I hear the same fears over and over.

- "If I admit I need help, I'll lose respect."
- "If I share struggles, I'll look weak."
- "If I show uncertainty, I'll lose influence."

But the opposite happens every time.

One director I worked with voiced that she was overwhelmed.
She got the support she needed and delivered three weeks early.

A team lead raised doubts on a critical project. He prevented a costly mistake and earned a promotion six months later.

A quiet CTO opened up about health challenges.
She built the most loyal team I've seen, with 94% retention over two years.

The uncomfortable truth? 
Vulnerability works for introverts because it's rare.
It comes from someone who has already earned credibility.

People trust those who trust them first.

One DDI study found that 76% of leaders say they lead authentically, but only 24% allow themselves to be vulnerable.

That gap is the opportunity.

Introverts don't need to act louder to lead.
We just need to show more of what's already there, with purpose, in moments that matter.

The VP who said "I need help" that morning?
She's now the CEO.

When did your quiet leadership speak loudest?

♻️ Share this to help introverted leaders find their voice (and save for later)
📩 Follow Steven Claes for introvert career strategies that honor your wiring: https://lnkd.in/e2Yn259g

The Unifiers Way

The Unifier’s Way is a step-by-step leadership development system that transforms new managers into confident, trusted leaders.

Grounded in psychology and built around relationships, we equip managers to handle conflict, build trust, and unify teams — so organisations get stronger culture, better retention, and higher performance.

People Leadership Consultant

The Relationship GPS Project

Helping people to understand and navigate their relationships more smoothly and successfully.

Mediator and Relationship Coach

Chantry Academy

•  Managing the administration and co-ordinating the department for the SENCO.
•  Managed interventions and projects to support various educational needs
•  Devised solutions and led various groups for marginalised teenagers to modify behaviour, develop confidence and reduce anxiety
•  Worked with students excluded from mainstream classes
•  Form Tutor
•  Line-managed team
•  Report writing 
•  Managed SEN audit 
•  Auditing costs of department
•  Managed budget

SEN Manager

Coaching To Happiness

Coaching To Happiness is here for one reason.  To solve problems that keep people from being as happy as they should be.  And to then share the insights and wisdom gained from all of our experiences.

We live in a screwed up crazy world.  And all of us at some point crash off our paths and lose sight of the way back.  That’s generally when we need other people who we can share our hopes and fears with, when we could do with a second opinion and a word of encouragement.  But so often our everyday world makes us feel that no-one cares or that we’ll look weak or stupid if we say how we really feel.

Coaching to Happiness is a process and an environment that helps people get back on track to a happier future.

Author of First Face North.  Happiness Coach and Trainer

Simply Fit Health Club

● Started business from idea to fully operating club with 500 paying members.
● Runner Up in Livewire Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 1994.
● Arranged financing.  Found and renovated premises.
● Devised philosophy and translated into operating systems manual that could be used to train new staff to be fully competent within 6 weeks.
● Customer Service - both pro-actively ensuring satisfaction and in dealing with conflicts, misunderstanding and general problems.
● Recruited, trained and managed staff to take over day to day running

Owner/General Manager Health Club

Unifying teams for action and change by improving trust, communication, commitment and unified action. Removing friction so teams get into flow.

Leadership failure is avoidable — but common.

40–60% of new managers struggle or fail in their first two years. The result? Disengaged teams, cultural erosion, and significant costs in productivity and turnover.

Most leadership programs focus on skills.
The Unifier’s Way focuses on transformation.

It’s a structured, psychology-backed system that develops Unifiers: emotionally intelligent leaders who bring people together, strengthen culture, and drive team performance.

✔ Navigate conflict with clarity and composure
✔ Build trust through real, human communication
✔ Align teams around shared values and direction
✔ Create psychologically safe, high-accountability environments

This isn’t a quick workshop or abstract theory.
It’s a scalable roadmap — from white belt to black belt — that equips your managers with the people leadership capabilities they actually need.

With a background in therapy, psychology, conflict mediation, and relationship coaching, I’ve spent over three decades helping people communicate better, build trust faster, and lead through complexity.

Because in knowledge work, culture is performance.
Unifiers know how to shape it.

▶️ Explore the free email course (link in Featured)

Rob McPhillips

Becoming a manager feels like entering a game where everyone knows the rules except you.

You used to win by being the smartest person in the room. 
Now you're supposed to make other people smart.

You used to succeed by solving problems fast. 
Now when you jump in to fix things, people get annoyed.

You used to control your own work. 
Now you're responsible for results you can't control.

Welcome to the Corporate Hunger Games.

You didn't get promoted. 
You got transferred to a completely different job.

Your ability to execute, analyze, and deliver made you successful.

But these skills don't help when: 

• Someone's crying in your 1:1 
• No one speaks in meetings you're leading
• Two team members refuse to work together 
• Your boss wants results but won't give you resources

The cruel irony is the harder you try to apply your old skills, the worse things get.

You start working late to "pick up the slack." 

You redo work because "it's faster." 

You avoid difficult conversations because "you don't want to upset people."

Every coping strategy that worked before now undermines your team's growth.

Nobody tells you, but management and individual contribution are different sports entirely.

It's like being an amazing basketball player.
Suddenly asked to coach football. 
Your old skills don't transfer.

The question isn't whether you're good enough. 

The question is whether you're playing the right game.

Promoted for skill, stuck on people? White-to-Black Belt path for new managers: master conflict, relationships and lead with confidence.

Sarah did everything right.

She'd interviewed meticulously.  She checked every box on the job spec. 

Three months into her first management role, she had five people who looked perfect on paper.

Yet deadlines kept slipping. Emails sounded passive-aggressive. One of her best hires just resigned.

"I don't understand," she told her mentor. "I hired good people. I give clear instructions. I set reasonable deadlines. Why won't they just do their jobs?"

Her mentor asked a simple question that changed everything.

"What exactly did you hire?"

Sarah looked confused. "I hired a senior developer, a designer, a product manager..."

"No," her mentor interrupted. "You hired people who have those skills. But you're managing them as if you hired the skills themselves. As if you own direct access to their talents, their effort, their creativity. You don't."

Most new managers misunderstand the human side of employment.

They think they hired: 

Resources. 
Skills. 
Capacity.

They actually hired someone who possesses those skills, resources and capacity.

Whether they give you access to them depends on how they feel about you.

How connected and aligned you are.

Your relationship is the bridge between you and the potential they bring. Without that bridge, you're on one side of the river, wondering why they're on the other.

The managers who build exceptional teams understand this.

They don't see their job as extracting value from resources. They see it as creating the conditions where people choose to bring their best.

What bridges do you need to build?

Every year, millions of people get promoted into management roles.

Within 18 months, 60% are struggling or fail.

Not because they lack intelligence. Not because they don't care. Not because they weren't excellent at their previous jobs.

Because they've been given an impossible transition without a map.

The skills that made you excel as a Doer work against you as a manager.

You were the expert who solving problems and delivering results.
Now you help others solve problems.  You build systems for the team to succeed without you.

This isn't a skill upgrade. It's an identity transformation.

The stats reveal how broken the current system is.

Only 39% of new managers receive any formal training. Six out of ten managers are learning through trial and error.   That's real people's careers and wellbeing as the testing ground.

The failure isn't individual. It's systemic.

The system sets new Managers up to fail.   Assuming leadership is something "they'll pick up"

It's not.

What's your experience? 

Did you receive training when you became a manager, or were you left to figure it out alone?

If so, how?

Most managers miss the foundations of conflict.

And that's where the clues to resolution lie.  It's all about bringing the full dimensions of conflict into the discussion.

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