Review your responses.
There is no numerical scoring of this quiz. The pattern is what is important. Follow these three steps:
1. Circle all responses that fall into the (D) Disagree and (SD) Strongly Disagree categories. Then record four of your responses on the chart in Figure 4. They may cluster in one category or be scattered throughout. Put a sticky note on this page and refer back to it as you read along. By putting the lens on these improvement areas or “soft spots,” you can seek specific solu- tions and be more focused in your use of this book. Of course, you will be learning everything you can to be successful in each leadership area, but pay special attention to these questions you have listed. These are the areas where you will get the most help.
2. Ask for feedback from managers and peers and consider which skills are more valued in your organization to help you 2. I have ways to handle “bullies”
in meetings. SA A D SD NA
3. I speak up when I have something
to contribute. SA A D SD NA
4. I use a variety of group techniques
to involve participants. SA A D SD NA
VI. Building Relationships 1. I know what I have to offer
networking contacts. SA A D SD NA
2. I use social networking tools
to connect. SA A D SD NA
3. I engage in substance talk vs.
small talk. SA A D SD NA
4. My value is known by others in
and outside my organization. SA A D SD NA
prioritize them. You may find it helpful to ask for your manager’s or peers’ feedback on how you are doing in these areas.
3. Don’t forget your strengths. We spend so much time on fix- ing what we aren’t doing well that we often forget the lead- ership situations that we already handle well. What are those?
Circle all the responses that fall into the Strongly Agree and Agree categories and write at least four of them in the columns in Figure 5.
How can you build on these assets? For instance, if you do a good job of sharing the limelight with others(question III.3), can you bring that strength to another workplace situation?
You already do it well, why not capitalize on it and become even more effective? Look for additional examples as you read ahead and learn how others have built upon their pre-exist- ing strengths.
The next six chapters follow the sequence of the quiz. You will be provided with numerous tools that you can apply across the Strengths and Soft Spots 29
Strongly Disagree Disagree
Figure 4. Soft Spots Chart
Strongly Agree Agree
Figure 5. Strengths Chart
leadership spectrum. In chapter 11, Going Forward, take some time to complete the Developmental Action Plan. You can tie the plan back to this quiz to focus on your next steps. Engage your manager, colleagues, friends, and family members in your efforts. I hope you find these lessons helpful in being the most effective introverted leader you can be.
Let’s get started by diving into the first work scenario: public speaking.
Chapter 4
Public Speaking
The year was 2000. It was time to give the annual report to the board, and Suzanne, the vice president of finance, was sweating buckets.
The rolls of nausea began before she moved up to the podium. With clammy hands and short breaths, she went through her PowerPoint slides, breathing a sigh of relief when the 20 minutes were up. Fast forward to 2007. A new company and a new board waited. As the A.V. team adjusted her mike, Suzanne came from behind the lectern and watched calmly with a slight smile as the audience members filed in. The paralysis of years ago had disappeared. Under protest, Suzanne had enrolled in a Toastmasters group at her company (push) and attended it consistently for 3 years. She took these learned skills and confidence into her work, seized every opportunity to speak in public (practice), and overcame what could have become a huge career derailer.
Warren Buffet said that public speaking can be our greatest asset or our worst liability.1Do you experience what Suzanne felt in her earlier days, or are you able to find your voice and give presenta- tions with ease and confidence? Perhaps you are somewhere in between. We have all heard the statistics about people fearing public speaking more than death. Even the act of getting up and introduc- ing themselves makes introverts in my classes anxious. Their voices and hands shake the first few times they are asked to report out to the group. However, as Warren Buffet said, presenting your ideas coherently in all kinds of situations moves your career forward. Being introverted does not mean you can’t also be a phenomenal speaker.
Just like an actor goes into character, you can perform brilliantly in your role. As a leader in your organization or profession, you need to educate, inform, and persuade people. You also need to challenge
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individuals to talk to you and each other. Setting the stage may require laying out a business case or problem to be solved, presenting your ideas, or summarizing results for management. All of these require you to deliver a command performance.
On some level, most people know the steps they need to take to overcome their fear of public speaking. A combination of training and, like the Nike commercial slogan, “just doing it” is part of the formula for success. As the “sales guy, Richard Elmes says, “The presentation you give tomorrow will be that much better because of the speech you delivered today.” Life is too short to be paralyzed by this fear. People need to hear what you have to say. Why rob them of that opportunity? Let’s look at how you can use the 4 P’s model to walk through the steps of becoming a more confident and com- petent speaker.