Executive Coach | CEO Coach | Helping CEOs & Leadership Teams Scale | Culture Transformation Expert | Trusted by Forbes & High-Growth Founders

Great businesses don’t scale without great leaders. Over the past 20+ years, I’ve helped CEOs and executive teams align, evolve, and outperform through leadership and cultural transformation.

●	Partnered with a $12B+ Organisation carve-out to restructure leadership for post-deal growth
●	Coached 100+ execs across the globe on scaling cultures that retain top talent
●	Led $500M+ Successful Transformation Programs
●	Forbes Coaches Council member | Trusted voice on sustainable leadership

Drawing on my extensive practical experience in leading global companies (incl. Fortune 500), I possess firsthand understanding of the complex challenges inherent in fostering growth, driving successful initiatives, and building cohesive teams.

As a trusted advisor, CEOs and executive leaders turn to me to guide them and their teams in transforming their leadership practices. Through tailored individual and group coaching, bespoke leadership development programs, I facilitate meaningful change that drives leadership excellence and transforms teams.

What sets me apart is the seamless integration of my extensive practical experience with an unwavering passion for amplifying leadership impact through real time coaching. My expertise extends to evaluating team performance, fostering high-performing cohesive teams, and addressing the unique leadership challenges within organisations. As a coach and team advisor, I focus on enhancing trust, optimising network performance, driving strategic execution, prioritising effectively, and establishing robust governance practices.

My passion lies in assisting leaders like you to transform challenges into opportunities. As a Transformation Consultant, I leverage my proven 5Ds Transcending Leadership Consulting and Coaching Framework. This framework enables me to identify negative indicators impacting team performance and work friction by removing roadblocks, simplifying complexities, expediting time-to-market, and enhancing employee engagement and experiences.

Services offered:
•	Executive Leadership Coaching & Development
•	Individual and Team Coaching
•	Speaking
•	Corporate Retreats
•	Workshops

Let’s have a chat to see IF or HOW this can work for you and/or your organisation.

Contact me for a free discovery call or to learn more about my actionable resource guide and "The Leadership Shift" book on my website at www.stuartandrews.me.

Email: stuart@stuartandrews.me

Stuart Andrews

Most companies panic at the idea of giving employees too much freedom.
Ritz-Carlton did the exact opposite — and it changed everything.

Back in 1983, they told every employee — front desk, housekeeping, valet —
“You can spend up to $2,000 to take care of a guest. No approvals needed.”

Not to upgrade rooms.
Not to throw money around.
But to fix real problems, in real time, in ways that actually mattered to people.

The stories are insane:
• Flying across oceans to return a forgotten laptop
• Using metal detectors to find a lost wedding ring
• Turning a family vacation disaster into something they’d never forget

Here’s the key: most employees didn’t even need to spend that $2,000.
The point was trust. 
Ownership. 
Empowerment.

When you give people real responsibility, they rise to it — almost always in ways you couldn’t script.

The $2,000 rule wasn’t about money.
It was about belief in people.

Credits to @technology on Instagram for this carousel post.

Leaders: if you removed the approval layers tomorrow, would your team feel empowered to act — or afraid to make a mistake?

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The Leadership Capability Architect™ | I Build Leadership Systems That Scale Organisations | Trusted by CEOs, CHROs and CPOs Globally | Executive Leadership Coach | Creator of the Leadership Capability Architecture™​

Ritz Carlton

Ever notice how the biggest mistakes you make at work…
are the ones you’ve made before?

It’s not because you’re careless.
It’s because you stopped learning.

I’ve seen this play out in teams over and over again.

A MANAGER who avoids feedback because “I’ve been doing this for years.”
A HIGH PERFORMER who plateaus because they rely on what used to work.
A LEADER who keeps losing people and blames everything except their own blind spots.

And here’s the truth we don’t like admitting:
"The moment you stop learning is the moment you start repeating your old mistakes."

Not because you’re incapable.
But because the world changes…
your team changes…
your challenges change…
and you didn’t.

In leadership, learning isn’t a phase.
It’s maintenance.
Like brushing your teeth.
Skip it long enough and the damage shows.

The leaders who grow 
— and keep growing 
— are the ones who stay curious.

They ask better questions.
They seek feedback before things fall apart.
They don’t wait for a crisis to upgrade their thinking.

And that’s what separates “experienced” leaders…
from effective leaders.

So let me ask you:
What’s one lesson you KNOW you need to relearn before it becomes your next repeated mistake?

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Leadership will always come with storms.
But panic? That’s a choice.

The leaders who rise, influence, and elevate others aren’t the ones who shout the loudest or move the fastest…

They’re the ones who stay calm, clear, and grounded when everyone else is losing their footing.

Calm isn’t passive.
Calm is power.
Calm is strategy.
Calm is what separates leaders who hold teams together from leaders who unintentionally tear them apart.

Here are the 10 habits calm leaders practice, especially when pressure is at its highest:

1. They Pause Before Reacting
↳ A two-second pause can turn a potential conflict into a smart decision. Calm leaders refuse to react on impulse.

2. They Do an Emotional Self-Check
↳ Strong leaders know what they’re feeling before they walk into a room. 
↳ Self-awareness is their first line of defense.

3. They Anchor in Purpose, Not Ego
↳ Ego creates tension. 
↳ Purpose creates clarity. 
↳ Calm leaders choose mission over validation every single time.

4. They Choose Structure Over Panic
↳ When chaos hits, they lean on process, frameworks, and logic. 
↳ Structure becomes the stabilizer.

5. They Listen Slowly, Respond Intentionally
↳ Calm leaders aren’t in a rush to speak. They’re in a rush to understand.

6. They Build Reset Rituals Into Their Day
↳ A walk. A breath. A moment of silence. Tiny resets prevent major breakdowns.

7. They Protect White Space on Their Calendar
↳ Overloaded schedules make overloaded leaders. ↳ Calm leaders leave room for thought, strategy, and presence.

8. They Lead With Empathy and EQ
↳ People feel safe around calm leaders because they feel understood—not judged or rushed.

9. They Choose Resilience Over Drama
↳ They don’t sugarcoat challenges—but they don’t explode under them either. 
↳ Their steadiness becomes the team’s confidence.

10. They Invest in Inner Work Consistently
↳ Calm leadership isn’t natural—it’s trained. Practiced. Strengthened behind the scenes long before it’s needed.

Why This Matters More Than Ever

Teams don’t need louder leaders.
They need steadier leaders.

When a leader is grounded, teams communicate better, think clearer, and execute with far more confidence.

Calm leadership reduces friction, lowers anxiety, and builds trust fast.

It turns pressure into progress instead of panic.

And honestly—calm is no longer optional at the leadership level.

It’s a competitive advantage.
A culture-builder.
A performance multiplier.

Companies rise when leaders stay steady.
Teams grow when leaders stay centered.
People thrive when leaders stay calm.

What habit of calm leadership resonates most with you right now? Or what’s one practice that helps you stay grounded when things get loud?

Drop it below—your insight might be exactly what someone else needs today.

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You can’t demand loyalty.
You can’t buy it.
You can’t shortcut it.

You earn it through tiny actions repeated consistently.
And when leaders miss those moments,
they lose the people who matter most — often without even realising it.

Because loyalty isn’t built in bonuses, titles, or flashy culture programs.
It’s built in the small, human moments your team feels every day.
The ones you think don’t matter… but matter the most.

And that’s where leadership breaks down.
Not with bad strategy.
But with quiet neglect.

Here are the tiny things that silently build loyalty stronger than any engagement initiative you could design:

10 Tiny Gestures That Build Massive Loyalty

1️⃣ Remember the small things
↳ Birthdays. Family moments. Life outside work.
↳ Being seen matters more than being managed.

2️⃣ Say “thank you” — properly
↳ Not generic. Not rushed.
↳ Specific, sincere recognition builds pride.

3️⃣ Ask “How are you… really?”
↳ Most leaders ask the question but never hold the space.
↳ Your team knows the difference.

4️⃣ Give credit loudly. Take blame quietly.
↳ Your people judge you faster by your behaviour under pressure than by any speech about culture.

5️⃣ Keep the small promises
↳ You can’t ask for trust while breaking tiny commitments.

6️⃣ Guard their time
↳ If everything is urgent, nothing is meaningful.
↳ Respecting time is respecting people.

7️⃣ Celebrate progress, not just wins
↳ Momentum builds performance.
↳ People stay when they feel momentum with you.

8️⃣ Admit when you’re wrong
↳ Humility is a leadership superpower.
↳ It earns loyalty instantly.

9️⃣ Make space for quiet voices
↳ Loud doesn’t equal valuable.
↳ Your best ideas often come from the ones who speak last.

🔟 Lead with consistency
↳ Predictability builds safety.
↳ Your team should never have to guess which version of you is walking in today.

Here’s what I’ve learned coaching leaders:

👉 Loyalty is never built in the big moments.
👉 It’s built in the tiny moments you think no one notices.
👉 And those moments determine who stays, who grows, and who gives you their best.

The small things aren’t small.
They’re the difference.

What’s one tiny gesture from a leader you still remember to this day?

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Aline C.

Some people don’t want clarity — they want confirmation.

No matter how you explain, they’ve already decided who you are.

That’s not your failure. 
That’s their filter.

Not everyone deserves a front-row seat to your growth.

And the moment you stop defending your value,
you start directing your energy toward what actually matters —
your mission, your team, your impact.

That’s emotional intelligence in action.
It’s not about staying quiet — it’s about staying centered.

Knowing where your energy creates change
and where it just creates noise.

Strong leaders don’t chase validation.
They create environments where people feel seen, heard, and respected.

✨ Protect your peace.
✨ Lead with clarity.
✨ Build where you’re understood.

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You don’t break from doing too much.
You break from doing too much alone.

This is the part of burnout we don’t talk about enough—especially in leadership.

Most leaders can handle pressure.
They can handle pace.
They can handle complexity.

What drains them isn’t the workload.
It’s the isolation that creeps in when they feel like they have to carry everything quietly.

Because:
• Leaders are expected to be the steady one.
• The strong one.
• The one who doesn’t “need” support.
• The one people go to… not the one who goes to others.

And that’s exactly where burnout grows.

Not in the work.
In the silence.

The truth?
High performers don’t crumble because they’re incapable.

They crumble because their environment rewards self-sacrifice and punishes vulnerability.

If you’re a leader reading this:
You’re not supposed to do it all alone.
You’re supposed to build systems, support, and space around you—so you don’t lose yourself in the role you’re trying to thrive in.

Strong leaders don’t “push through.”
Strong leaders resource themselves.

Because the moment you try to be everything for everyone…
you slowly become nothing for yourself.

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Most leaders think they’re doing great… until their team tells a different story.

Because leadership isn’t defined by your KPI, your tenure, or your job title.
It’s defined by how people experience you every single day.

The truth?
There are levels to leadership — and most leaders get stuck long before they realise it.

If you want to build a team that trusts you, grows with you, and actually performs at the level you expect… you need to know exactly where you stand.

Let’s break it down — with zero sugarcoating:

1️⃣ POSITION — The Leader Who Relies on the Title
↳ This is where everyone starts — but too many stay stuck. You lead because the role says you should… not because people feel you should.

Key Insight:
If your title is doing all the work, you’re not leading — you’re supervising.

2️⃣ PERMISSION — The Leader People Trust Instinctively
↳ This is where leadership becomes relational. People open up. They feel safe. They bring you the truth — not the PR version.

Key Insight:
People don’t follow leaders they fear. They follow leaders they trust.

3️⃣ PRODUCTION — The Leader Who Creates Real Momentum
↳ You deliver. You execute. You move the business forward. But momentum that depends on you… isn’t leadership. It’s survival mode.

Key Insight:
If things fall apart when you step back, you weren’t leading — you were holding everything together.

4️⃣ PEOPLE DEVELOPMENT — The Leader Who Builds Capability
↳ You stop being the firefighter and start growing people who can handle the flames. Your success shows up in their confidence, clarity, and decisions.

Key Insight:
A great leader isn’t measured by what they achieve… but by who they elevate.

5️⃣ PINNACLE — The Leader Who Shapes Culture
↳ Your presence raises the bar. Your standards become the norm. People follow because your leadership feels different — grounded, consistent, human.

Key Insight:
This is where leadership becomes legacy — and legacy doesn’t need a title.

Are you growing through these levels or are you repeating Level 1 with a nicer title and a bigger paycheck?

Leadership isn’t a badge.
It’s a responsibility.

And the teams who thrive?
They’re led by people who choose growth over ego — every single time.

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Success isn’t about titles or checklists.
It’s about people feeling seen, heard, and empowered — and creating systems that support them.

Dora Vanourek’s post really resonated with me because it captures what I see every day working with teams.

The biggest breakthroughs don’t come from tools or dashboards.
They come from how people experience the work and feel supported.

Here’s how the “heart work” mindset shows up in practice:
1. Listen to understand — the best solutions come when you grasp the full picture.
2. Empower ownership — people commit when they’re involved in decisions.
3. Align everyone to the mission — clarity turns tasks into meaningful work.
4. Develop your people — a team grows as fast as its leader allows.
5. Engage every voice — innovation thrives when everyone matters.
6. Recognize effort — small wins build trust, confidence, and momentum.

From my experience, the organizations that succeed long-term are the ones that focus on people first.

Culture, collaboration, and results are built in micro-interactions and consistent support, not top-down directives.

That’s exactly what I help organizations do: translate people-first principles into measurable impact.

When systems serve people, performance, engagement, and retention all improve.

Credits to Dora Vanourek for this powerful reminder that heart work drives real impact.

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I see this pattern every week.

People feel tired without clear reasons.
It’s rarely workload causing the burnout.

Most times, it’s simple misalignment inside.

Your energy drops when purpose fades.
Your confidence falls when direction blurs.

But here’s the truth I share:
Energy is your strongest career signal.

When work fuels your strengths, momentum builds.
When tasks excite you, clarity returns.
When projects fit you, growth happens.
When alignment exists, everything moves forward.

I watch leaders shift instantly.
Small changes create massive internal lift.

Energized people make better decisions daily.
Energized cultures perform better long-term.
Energized teams shape stronger environments.

This is why my work matters:
→ I help leaders realign their energy.
→ I help teams rebuild meaningful engagement.
→ I help professionals reconnect with purpose.

Because aligned work creates real fulfillment.
Aligned work strengthens identity fast.
Aligned work shapes your entire future.

Choose the work that grows you.
Choose the environment that supports you.
Choose the path that energizes you.

Your future self will thank you.
Deeply. 
Honestly. 
Fully.

👉 What part of your work energizes you?


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Some leaders break potential without ever raising their voice.
Others build confidence with a single sentence.

That’s the quiet power of feedback — it’s never neutral.
It either builds someone up… or tears them down.

I’ve seen it — and I’ve felt it.

A few years ago, I got two very different kinds of feedback.

One was a cutting remark, wrapped in “honesty.”
It made me doubt everything I brought to the table.
I replayed it in my head for weeks —
wondering if I was really good enough to lead.

The other came months later, from a different leader.

After a presentation, she said:
“You made something complex sound simple — that’s leadership.”

It was one line.
Five seconds of her day.
But it changed how I showed up for years.

That’s when I learned something powerful:

Feedback is a mirror and a megaphone.
It reflects what you see — and amplifies what someone becomes.

You don’t just comment on performance.
You shape identity.

Here’s what we often forget as leaders:
 → People don’t remember every task you assigned.
 → They remember how you made them feel about themselves.
 → The tone of your feedback becomes their inner voice.
 → The words you choose become the words they tell themselves when they fail, when they grow, when they lead others.

So before you say,
“It’s just feedback,
pause and ask yourself:
💬 Will this make them shrink or stretch?
💬 Am I correcting behavior or crushing spirit?
💬 Am I helping them fly — or making them doubt their wings?

Because feedback isn’t just about improving results.
It’s about influencing who someone becomes after the meeting ends.

Tiny words. 
Massive impact.

Every sentence you speak as a leader sets something in motion —
confidence or fear, belief or hesitation, flight or fall.

So use your words wisely.
You might just be the reason someone finally learns to soar.

What’s one piece of feedback that changed you — for better or worse?

Share it below. You never know who might need to hear it today.

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Most leaders don’t fail from big mistakes.
They fail from tiny habits they ignore.

And here’s the twist—
the same tiny habits can completely
transform your leadership, your culture, and your team.

If you’ve been feeling stretched thin…
if your team feels a little disconnected…
if your days feel more reactive than intentional…

These micro-habits will help you reclaim control,
rebuild momentum, and lead with clarity again.

Let’s dive in 👇

✅ 20 Micro-Habits That Actually Shift Leadership

1. Pause daily to reset your mindset.
2. Greet people by name every morning.
3. Ask deeper questions that spark honesty.
4. Listen fully before offering your opinion.
5. Own mistakes quickly and transparently.
6. Reflect nightly on wins and misses.
7. Take micro-breaks to protect your energy.
8. Say “I don’t know” with confidence.
9. Give short, clear, actionable feedback daily.
10. Thank someone genuinely every single day.
11. Coach more, rescue people less often.
12. Check in without micromanaging the work.
13. Track decisions to sharpen your thinking.
14. Learn something small every single day.
15. Pause to read the emotional room.
16. Delegate tasks that unlock team growth.
17. Call out strengths you see in others.
18. Run quick weekly pulse conversations.
19. Celebrate progress, not just big wins.
20. Protect rest like a strategic priority.

Small habits build steady leaders.
Steady leaders build strong cultures.
Strong cultures build unstoppable teams.

This is the work I do every day—
helping leaders embed small actions
that create big trust, big clarity, big results.

If you’re tired of carrying everything yourself,
start with one micro-habit today.

The shift is bigger than you think.

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After coaching and speaking with hundreds of leaders, one thing always stands out:
It’s rarely skills that hold them back.
It’s the beliefs they quietly carry.

The ones that sound responsible.
The ones that look noble.
But over time — they build pressure, not growth.

I’ve seen this up close in boardrooms, workshops, and coaching sessions.

Brilliant leaders are exhausted, second-guessing, and wondering why leading feels heavier than it should.

Here are 10 silent beliefs that I see holding great leaders back:

1. “I have to have all the answers.”
↳ Leadership isn’t about knowing everything — it’s about creating space for better ideas.

2. “If I show doubt, they’ll lose confidence in me.”
↳ Authenticity builds more trust than perfection ever will.

3. “Being busy means being valuable.”
↳ Busy leaders burn out. Focused leaders move mountains.

4. “I can’t afford to slow down.”
↳ Reflection isn’t a luxury — it’s a leadership skill.

5. “I need everyone to like me.”
↳ People-pleasing kills clarity. True respect comes from consistency.

6. “It’s easier if I just do it myself.”
↳ Micromanagement feels efficient — until your team stops thinking.

7. “If I make mistakes, I’ll lose respect.”
↳ Owning mistakes doesn’t weaken you — it humanizes you.

8. “Vulnerability makes me weak.”
↳ It’s actually what makes you relatable — and magnetic.

9. “Results matter more than people.”
↳ Without people, there are no sustainable results.

10. “Once I’m in charge, I should have it all figured out.”
↳ Leadership isn’t a finish line — it’s a lifelong practice.

What I’ve learned is this:
Leadership growth doesn’t start with a strategy or a system —
it starts with awareness.

When leaders begin to question the beliefs that silently drive them,
everything changes — how they communicate, connect, and create impact.

Because leadership isn’t about control.
It’s about consciousness. 

Which of these beliefs have you had to unlearn in your own journey?

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Most leaders don’t realize they’re rewarding the wrong behaviors, and it’s killing their Culture

Your team isn’t following your mission statement.
They’re following what you actually reward, tolerate, and overlook.

And these silent signals are quietly shaping your culture — for better or worse.

Here’s a list of behaviors I see all the time, silently shaping team culture:

1️⃣ Speed over Accuracy
 ↳ Fast work praised, while mistakes quietly pile up everywhere.
Lesson: Quality and thoughtful work should always come first.

2️⃣ Hustle Over Health
 ↳ Burnout gets recognition, energy and engagement steadily decline.
Lesson: Reward results, not constant exhaustion or endless hours.

3️⃣ Long Hours Over Impact
 ↳ Working late praised, even when real outcomes are missing.
Lesson: Focus on measurable results, not simply time spent.

4️⃣ Loudest Voices Get Attention
 ↳ The most vocal get praise, quiet contributors go unnoticed.
Lesson: Listen actively to all team members equally.

5️⃣ High-Performing But Toxic Employees
 ↳ Talent gets celebrated, while trust and collaboration quietly erode.
Lesson: Protect culture before protecting individual high performers.

6️⃣ Rewarding Surviving Chaos
 ↳ Enduring messy situations praised, disorder slowly becomes normalized.
Lesson: Reward proactive solutions, not just surviving emergencies.

7️⃣ Fire-Fighting Over Foresight
 ↳ Fixing crises praised loudly, planners preventing them often ignored.
Lesson: Celebrate foresight and prevention as much as heroics.

8️⃣ Promoting Technical Experts Who Can’t Lead
 ↳ Being technically excellent rewarded, leadership ability often overlooked entirely.
Lesson: Promote capable leaders, not just technical stars.

9️⃣ Letting Complainers Influence Decisions
 ↳ Loud negativity shapes priorities, while problem-solvers silently disengage.
Lesson: Constructive input, not complaints, should guide strategy.

🔟 Ignoring Quiet Contributors
 ↳ Silent high-performers deliver consistently, yet remain invisible and overlooked.
Lesson: Recognize consistent performers, not only visible team members.

Culture isn’t defined by posters or mission statements.

It’s defined by what you reward, tolerate, and ignore every single day.

Are you quietly rewarding the wrong behaviors in your team right now?

Because that’s how the best talent leaves, engagement drops, and trust erodes… quietly, but relentlessly.

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If there’s one leadership truth most people overlook…
it’s this:

Your culture isn’t created during the meetings you plan —
it’s created in the moments you don’t.

The real culture happens in the tiny signals your team feels every day:

🔥 The way you respond when someone disagrees
🔥 The emotion behind your voice when pressure hits
🔥 The message you answer immediately vs. the one you ignore
🔥 The accountability you enforce — or avoid
🔥 The respect you give when no one else is watching

These “small things” aren’t actually small.
They’re the building blocks of trust, safety, and performance.

Teams don’t remember your agenda.
They remember your energy.

They remember how you reacted.
How you listened.
How you handled tension.
How you treated them when no one needed to know.

Because culture isn’t a meeting.
Culture is a pattern.

A pattern of micro-moments that tell your people:

“This is who we are here.”
“This is how we lead here.”
“This is what we allow here.”
“This is what we protect here.”

If you want a stronger culture, don’t start with another meeting.
Start with the moments —
because that’s where culture is actually built.

What culture did your moments create today?

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Most leaders focus on authority.
Magnetic leaders focus on influence.

And that difference changes everything.

In today’s workplace, people no longer respond to pressure, titles, or rigid command.

They respond to presence, purpose, and connection 
— the things that make leadership feel different, not just look different.

This breaks down the 5 shifts that move leaders from being followed out of obligation…
to being followed with commitment, trust, and genuine buy-in.

Teams don’t disengage because they’re incapable.
They disengage because leadership energy shapes the entire environment.

If meetings feel heavy…
If execution is careful, not creative…
If the vision is clear but the team isn’t emotionally connected…
These aren’t performance issues — they’re leadership shifts waiting to happen.

When leaders trade:
• Authority → Presence
• Transactional → Relational
• Problem-focus → Growth-focus
• Logic → Emotional intelligence
• Vision → Purpose

Everything changes.

Trust deepens.
Engagement rises.
Alignment becomes natural.
Influence grows without force.

Magnetic leadership isn’t louder — it’s deeper.

If you’re a leader, CEO, or HR professional aiming to elevate how people respond to you…
start with one shift.

Apply it consistently.

Watch the difference in how your team shows up.

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How leaders become magnetic

I made a decision nobody liked.

I had to let someone go.
It was painful. 
Uncomfortable. 
Messy.

At first, the team was upset.
I felt like I failed. 
Alone.

Then something unexpected happened.
Weeks later, respect grew quietly.
Trust started to take root.

Leadership isn’t about being liked.
It’s about making the hard calls.
Even when they sting.

Hard decisions show honesty.
They show you lead for others.
They build loyalty that lasts.

Stop avoiding discomfort.
Face it. 
Own it. 
Communicate it.

Your team will trust you forever.

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You’re not a controlling leader.
You’re just accidentally shrinking your team.

And the scary part?
Most diminishing behaviors don’t look toxic.
They look… helpful.

They look like “I just want it done right.”
They look like “Let me jump in real quick.”
They look like “I’ll fix it quickly.”

But here’s the truth no one tells leaders:

You can have the best intentions and still hold people back.

Inspired by Liz Wiseman’s work on Multipliers, here are:

12 Signs You’re Accidentally Diminishing Your Team

1️⃣ You talk more than you ask
2️⃣ You jump in too early
3️⃣ You rescue instead of coach
4️⃣ You solve problems that aren’t yours
5️⃣ You give answers before context
6️⃣ You think speed matters more than learning
7️⃣ Your team waits for your go-signal
8️⃣ You repeat yourself too often
9️⃣ You hold onto work out of fear of mistakes
🔟 You celebrate outcomes but not growth
1️⃣1️⃣ You take over during conflict
1️⃣2️⃣ You create dependency instead of capability

Here’s the punchline:

Teams don’t grow when leaders do more.
Teams grow when leaders do less.

Less rescuing.
Less controlling.
Less answering.
Less rushing.

And more coaching.
More context.
More patience.
More trust.

Because leadership isn’t about being the smartest in the room.
It’s about creating a room where everyone gets smarter because of you.

♻ Share this with your network if it resonates.
☝ And follow Stuart Andrews for more insights like this.

“Just be authentic.”

It’s the most common advice I hear leaders give — and the one that often backfires.

Because here’s the truth:
Authenticity isn’t always easy.
And it’s definitely not always rewarded.

In my years coaching CEOs and leadership teams across fast-growing companies,
I’ve seen authenticity build cultures that thrive —
and I’ve also seen it quietly derail trust, performance, and momentum.

It’s not because leaders stop caring.
It’s because authentic leadership comes with real tradeoffs —
and most people aren’t taught how to navigate them.

Here are 8 I see most often 👇

1️⃣ Transparency vs. Team Stability
How open should you really be?

Honesty builds trust —
but oversharing uncertainty can create panic and drain morale.
Leaders don’t just tell the truth; they frame it to keep people grounded.

2️⃣ Vulnerability vs. Authority
How human can you be before it shakes your credibility?

Sharing your struggles builds connection —
but oversharing can shift focus from leadership to sympathy.
Your people need to feel your strength through your honesty.

3️⃣ Empathy vs. Accountability
How do you care deeply without losing edge?

Empathy inspires loyalty —
but without accountability, culture softens and standards slide.
Leaders must care enough to challenge.

4️⃣ Consistency vs. Adaptability
How do you stay true without staying stuck?

Your values shouldn’t change —
but your methods must.
Authenticity is the anchor. Adaptability is the sail.

5️⃣ Honesty vs. Diplomacy
How do you tell the truth without breaking trust?

Radical honesty earns respect — 
but without tact, it becomes radical damage.
Great leaders don’t choose between honesty and kindness — they master both.

6️⃣ Authenticity vs. Perception
What’s real to you might be misread by others.

Your tone, energy, and intent go through filters — culture, emotion, ego.
That’s why self-awareness is the real skill behind authenticity.

7️⃣ Connection vs. Professional Distance
How close is too close?

Being approachable builds safety —
but too much closeness blurs boundaries when hard calls come.
You can be warm — and still firm.

8️⃣ Purpose vs. Performance Pressure
How do you stay mission-driven when results dip?

Purpose gives direction —
but pressure demands proof.
The best leaders translate purpose into performance.

Here’s what I’ve learned after coaching hundreds of leaders:
Authentic leadership isn’t just about being real.
It’s about being real with awareness.

It’s knowing when to open up — and when to hold the line.
When to lead with heart — and when to steady the room.
When to stay true — and when to evolve.

Because if authenticity is your strength…
awareness is your safeguard.

And the leaders who master both —
build cultures that last.

Which of these tradeoffs do you feel most in your leadership right now?

Inspired by: Muriel M. Wilkins
Published by: HBR.org

♻ Share this with your network if it resonates.
☝ And follow Stuart Andrews for more insights like this.

LEADERSHIP

New to leadership? 
Your first 90 days will define you — but not in the way you think.

It’s not about learning new skills.
It’s not about impressing your boss or hitting early targets.

The hardest part? 
Unlearning the habits that made you a star as an individual contributor.

Everything that got you promoted can actually hold you back from being the leader your team needs.

Here are the 10 mindset shifts new leaders can’t ignore in their first 90 days:

1️⃣ Doing the Work → Enabling the Work
↳ Your output isn’t the point anymore — your team’s output is.

2️⃣ Having Answers → Asking Better Questions
↳ Curiosity builds trust faster than expertise.

3️⃣ Me → We
↳ Individual wins matter less; collective wins matter more.

4️⃣ Speed → Clarity First
↳ Rushing confuses people. Clarity accelerates everything.

5️⃣ Control → Ownership
↳ People rise when you let them rise.

6️⃣ Avoiding Tough Talks → Leading Through Them
↳ Real leadership starts where comfort ends.

7️⃣ Proving Yourself → Understanding Your People
↳ Stop trying to impress. Start trying to understand.

8️⃣ Managing Tasks → Managing Energy & Expectations
↳ Your real job is removing friction, not adding pressure.

9️⃣ Pleasing Everyone → Setting Boundaries
↳ You can’t create stability if you’re always trying to be liked.

🔟 Being the Hero → Building a System That Wins Without You
↳ Your success is how well your team performs when you’re not in the room.

Here’s the reality most new leaders learn the hard way:
↳ Your first 90 days aren’t about showing off your skills.
↳ They’re about shifting how you think, act, and show up for your team.

Which of these mindset shifts will be the hardest to make in your first 90 days — and which one will define your leadership? 

Share below 👇

♻ Share this with your network if it resonates.
☝ And follow Stuart Andrews for more insights like this.

I used to think great culture was about energy.
The fun, the smiles, the Friday lunches.

But I’ve learned —
Culture isn’t built in moments of fun.
It’s revealed in moments of friction.

Most teams talk about culture like it’s a vibe.
Pizza Fridays. Open offices.
A few good values on the wall.

But here’s the truth —
Culture isn’t what’s written on your walls.
It’s what happens in your halls.

It’s how people:
→ Handle conflict when things get tense.
→ Treat each other when no one’s watching.
→ Make decisions when the pressure’s on.

Over the years, I’ve seen teams with every “perk” imaginable —
beautiful offices, generous benefits, unlimited snacks —
and still, no trust.
No ownership.
No real connection.

Because great culture isn’t about fun.
It’s about safety, respect, and consistency.

And that’s where most teams get it wrong.

Here are the 5 biggest myths I see — and the truths that actually build healthy teams 👇

💭 Myth #1:

Myth: Good culture means everyone gets along.

Fact: Real culture isn’t about avoiding conflict — it’s about handling it with respect.

Healthy teams debate. Toxic ones stay silent.

💭 Myth #2:

Myth: Perks and parties create great culture.

Fact: Perks attract people, but trust and fairness make them stay.

Culture isn’t what you give — it’s how people feel.

💭 Myth #3:

Myth: Culture is HR’s job.

Fact: Culture is everyone’s job.

Every behavior you tolerate or reward shapes it — especially leaders.

💭 Myth #4:

Myth: A strong culture means no one leaves.

Fact: Even great cultures see people move on.

Healthy ones support growth instead of guilt-tripping departures.

💭 Myth #5:

Myth: Culture is all about fun and good vibes.

Fact: Culture isn’t about mood — it’s about mindset.

It shows up in how you give feedback, handle mistakes, and lead under pressure.

If you’re building culture — start with behavior, not branding.

Does your daily behavior match your company values?

♻ Share this with your network if it resonates.
☝ And follow Stuart Andrews for more insights like this.

5 myths

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?

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)

They told us to "speak up more."
Turns out silence was our strategy.

As a CHRO who spent 20 years being called "too quiet," I've lived these traits. 

These are not personality quirks.
They're high-performance systems.

5 Weird Traits That Actually Drive Introvert High Performance:

1. Staying silent in meetings
↳ Builds strategic thinking muscle
↳ Catches critical details others miss
↳ Preserves mental energy for decisions that matter
↳ Creates space for deeper analysis

2. Preferring solo lunch breaks 
↳ Prevents decision fatigue before afternoon meetings
↳ Recharges cognitive batteries
↳ Maintains peak performance levels
↳ Protects creative thinking time

3. Pausing before responding 
↳ Delivers thoughtful responses instead of impulsive reactions
↳ Prevents costly communication mistakes
↳ Signals executive presence naturally
↳ Builds trust through consistency

4. Reviewing work multiple times 
↳ Catches errors before they compound
↳ Creates visible excellence standards
↳ Builds reputation for reliability
↳ Eliminates rework downstream

5. Requiring quiet time daily 
↳ Sparks breakthrough solutions
↳ Processes complex problems effectively
↳ Maintains competitive edge
↳ Protects sustainable performance

The brutal truth?

What they called weaknesses were actually our operating system. 

And once you own that system instead of apologizing for it, everything shifts.

Because here's what most companies miss: introverts are not broken. Extroverts don't need fixing. 

They're different processors who need different conditions.
Give them those conditions and watch what happens.

📩 Get weekly insights via the A+ Introvert Newsletter: https://lnkd.in/e2Yn259g

♻️ Share this for every introvert who's been misunderstood

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)

My first raise request took 45 minutes.
It failed.

My last one took 8 minutes.
It got me $35K more.

What changed?

I stopped trying to sound confident.
I started showing the numbers instead.

Swipe through for the exact 8-minute structure that did it →

Most introverts think a raise conversation means you need to sell yourself.
Walk in. Perform. Be louder.

That's not it.

It means building a case your manager can take upstairs and defend.

Extroverts walk in and improvise.
Introverts prepare a document and present it.

And in raise conversations, the document wins.

I've reviewed hundreds of raise requests as CHRO.
The ones that worked: short meeting, clear data, exact number.
The ones that didn't: long stories about teamwork and going the extra mile.

Your manager doesn't need a performance.
They need ammunition.

Numbers they can repeat.
Wins they can cite.
A case they can defend when you're not in the room.

Your quiet preparation isn't the problem.
It's the solution.

💾 Save this before your next raise conversation

♻️ Repost if you know an introvert who needs to hear this

The 8-Minute Strategy that got me a $35K Raise

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

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The Battle

Stuart Andrews

Steven Claes

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