When we put on a persona and try to be someone that we are not, we put pressure on ourselves, which can be stressful. For someone who is introverted and acts extraverted for the majority of the time, not only do they put themselves under pressure, but it is also exhausting.

I have had many coaching clients who are on the verge of burnout when they come to me for coaching, who have been putting on an extraverted persona. Or they recognise that they can’t carry on as they are because if they do, it will lead to burnout. In this episode, I talk about the dangers of putting on an extroverted persona.

Lola Garay Abad has been a teacher for over 20 years, a teacher coach/trainer for over 10, and a team leader for most of her education career. In all these years she has worked with thousands of people including educators, who have struggled with expressing themselves, due to the stigma attached to introversion.  As an introverted woman herself, and having such stigma very present in her mind, has, at times, made her feel that her voice was not as valid as the voice of an outspoken extroverted person. Lola also sees it in the many classes she observes and coaches, in which extroversion is praised but introversion is diminished.

In this episode, Lola shares her thoughts and her own personal experience of how introversion, unfortunately, is seen as a negative aspect of our personality, and it is often looked down upon and confused with shyness and the inability to be entrepreneurial.  She feels that, in general, leadership is not associated with introversion, as it is believed that introversion means shyness. But, shyness is a behaviour that can be coached and we can build consciousness around it to be able to make our voices heard. As a team lead, being in a management position and being introverted, Lola believes that one of the main things she has to thank her introversion for, is the ability to LISTEN actively, to pause and actually LISTEN to the needs of the people she works with.

About Lola Garay Abad

Lola is a teacher at heart, an educational psychologist, a teacher trainer/mentor and a specialist in SLA, SLDs, CLIL and metacognition.  She has been in education for the last 20 years, and isthe team lead for author development at Eduki.  Lola has managed academic programs, published academic material and create and deliver teaching training programs, conferences and workshops for educators in main stream education and language teaching in Spain, Portugal, the UK, the US, Latin America, among others. She is also involved in research, and work as an educational consultant and mentor/coach in various public and private schools across the country, for the MECD, for regional governments and private foundations.

Academically Lola's principal areas of interest are STEAM, PBL, skills development and formative assessment, curriculum and syllabus design/evaluation, literacy , educational psychology (specific learning differences), and research in education.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lolagarayabad/

One of the Delphic maxims (engraved on the sacred temple of Apollo at Delphi in Greece), and probably the most well know is "Know Thyself".  There are many interpretations, but you could say in a nutshell that it is about reflecting and developing a greater understanding/awareness of who you are, could be and/or who you ought to be, and in turn an awareness of others and your relationship towards them and they to you.   Throughout her career, Dr Nia Thomas, has been interested in the working relationship: the dynamics between people and the impact both good and bad relationships have on individuals and their ability to effectively deliver their work. This led her to develop an interest in self-awareness, leader effectiveness and leadership at all levels which became the focus of her doctoral research.  In this episode she discusses the experiences which led to her interest in self-awareness, leader effectiveness and leadership at all levels.  She further talks about the 3 layers she sees as embodying self-awareness - reflection, recognition and regulation and touches on the difference between someone who just manages (the focus is on their technical skills) and others who manage but have self-awareness (whether it is inherent or one of the skills they have developed).

About Dr Nia D Thomas

Nia spent over 20 years working in the public sector across local government, the NHS and civil service, predominantly in Wales and in the last few years, moving to England. Her passion is for children and family support: ensuring that babies and children have the opportunity to thrive and flourish, supported by adults who care for, nurture and love them. She currently works as an Assistant Director in a children’s charity.

Throughout her career, Nia has been interested in the working relationship: the dynamics between people and the impact both good and bad relationships have on individuals and their ability to effectively deliver their work. This led her to develop an interest in self-awareness, leader effectiveness and leadership at all levels which became the focus of her doctoral research.

Her website (Knowing Self Knowing Others) was launched in 2018 and was accelerated by a need to keep the little grey cells active during the COVID lockdowns of 2020 and 2021 and the desire to share her research finding alongside her experience of the world of work, with others.

Nia launched her 'The Knowing Self Knowing Others Podcast' in September 2022 to take her research from academia to the office. It also establishes a body of exploration into self-aware leadership.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nia-d-thomas/

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-knowing-self-knowing-others-podcast/id1640336716

https://knowingselfknowingothers.co.uk

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)  was first identified in 1902 by British pediatrician Sir George Still, but yet it was not until 2000 (according to the Learning Assessment and Neurocare Centre Limited trading as LANCUK) that it was recognised as a valid condition!  LANCUK state on their website that "prior to that time and throughout the 1990s there was an enormous amount of skepticism about the existence of the condition and virtually no recognition of its importance in children education and mental health services, let alone that the condition could progress into adulthood".    

In this episode introvert, ADHD coach, author and activist, Leanne Maskell, talks about her troubled life experiences including some of the issues she has had to overcome, and her eventual diagnosis at the age of 25.  Following diagnosis, Leanne has subsequently published 3 books, previously worked as a mental health and disability legal policy adviser at the Law Society and has also trained companies such as Microsoft on ADHD. 

ADHD coaching helped Leanne to start working with her brain, instead of against it. Determined to help others in the same way, she founded ADHD Works to smash stigma and raise awareness of the exceptional benefits that harnessing ADHD can bring and has been named ‘the Neurodivergent People’s Hero’.

About Leanne Maskell

Leanne is an ADHD coach, author, and activist, having presented to the World Health Organisation on improving global access to support for ADHD. Previously she worked as a mental health and disability legal policy advisor with the Law Society.  

ADHD coaching helped Leanne to start working with her brain, instead of against it. Determined to help others in the same way, she founded ADHD Works to smash stigma and raise awareness of the exceptional benefits that harnessing ADHD can bring and has been named ‘the Neurodivergent People’s Hero’.

ADHD Works exists to empower as many people as possible to learn about how to make ADHD work for them through courses and a range of tailored packages, talks, and coaching.  Leanne is also the author of 3 books including 'ADHD: An A-Z', as featured on SKY News.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/leannemaskell/

https://www.adhdworks.info

If you want to be influential and impactful as a leader, how you manage yourself and your relationships is crucial. To do this effectively requires self-awareness. I believe that self-awareness is the key to opening the door to being a great leader.

In this episode I talk about the effects of a lack of self-awareness, how being self-aware benefits you, and share ways in which you can develop your self-awareness.

Debra Bell-Campbell, owner and lead consultant with Inspired Visions Consulting Group, LLC and the co-owner of 2Paths1Leader, LLC, is devoted to enhancing leadership skills for aspiring, emerging, and seasoned female leaders, particularly those who identify as introverts.  Her belief is that introverts don't have to change who they are but can learn how to leverage their introversion, elevate and lead authentically and in this episode she shares valuable nuggets which include incorporating 5 key pillars - visibility; authenticity; confidence; networking; goal setting. 

About Debra Bell-Campbell

Debra Bell-Campbell is the Owner and Lead Consultant with Inspired Visions Consulting Group, LLC since 2013 and the co-owner of 2Paths1Leader, LLC since 2022. Inspired Visions Consulting, LLC has provided customized Leadership Training, Mental Health Training, and Strategic Planning consultation to private and government agencies through workshops, seminars, and one-on-one consultations. Debra has curated specific programs for the National Weather Service, Florida Department of Education, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, and the Florida Department of Children & Families. In this capacity, she has worked to help organizations build multigenerational teams and increase effective organizational communications. She has also provided essential strategies tohelp frontline leaders move into mid-level leadership

She has served as a Licensed Professional Counselor in the State of Mississippi and currently maintains her National Certified Counselor certification. Debra serves her community as an MBTI Certified Practitioner, Wellness Strategist, and Master Life Coach.Debra has authored and published five best-selling books.  She co-authored three of the five books with the number one motivational speaker in the world, Dr. Les Brown and Dr. Cheryl Wood. She has been a featured author and international speaker in numerous conferences, magazines, podcasts, and mainstream news outlets, such as ABC, NBC, and CBS, providing empowerment tips, techniques, and tools for introverted career women in leadership.

https://www.debrabell-campbell.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/debra-bell-campbell-ms-ncc-cssgb-02687b29/

Whilst it is good to have dreams and goals to aspire to, you also need to keep things real, and sometimes you need to re-evaluate whether the goal is the right goal, or whether you are going about achieving it in the right way.

Sometimes you may be so focused on reaching your goal that you can’t see the reality of what is going on around you. Whilst I believe that goal setting is a good thing, there are situations where goal setting can actually do more harm than good. In this episode, I share what some of these are. I also share tips to help you refocus and get back on track to achieve your goals in 2023 if you've lost the momentum for them.

Being a parent is seen by many as rewarding, joyful and also difficult at times, and in our modern society, the task of juggling parenting with a career can be challenging.  In this week's episode I am joined by Chioma Fanawopo who is not only the mother of 2 sons (aged 17 and 10), but an award-winning and Forbes-featured practitioner with over 10 years of experience in the education, charity and private sectors. She has many years’ experience of working with diverse communities as an experienced diversity, equity and inclusion professional. Chioma is also a facilitator, speaker, coach, a former school governor, and trustee for the Girls Brigade. 4 years ago.  In this episode we touch on quite  a few topics including 'mum guilt', the importance of self-care, and whether mothers can 'have it all'.   Chioma also raised the point that it is noted that introverts tend to be good listener's, which is a skill (listening) that parents also need to develop and utilise throughout their parenting.

About Chioma Fanawopo

An award-winning and Forbes-featured practitioner with over 10 years of experience in the education, charity and private sectors.  She has many years’ experience of working with diverse communities as an experienced diversity, equity and inclusion professional.  Chioma is also a facilitator, speaker, coach, a former school governor, and trustee for the Girls Brigade.  4 years ago, when she moved to Bexley from Croydon, she saw there was a lack of representation in schools among teaching staff and leadership and when her son was racially profiled began a mission to educate staff on how to address and respond to such scenarios. Chioma also started delivering lessons during Black history month in her son’s local school, and other schools within the greater south east London boroughs. She started having conversations around that topic on social media and a lot of people believed that the UK was not racist. However, during the Black lives matter protest in 2020 after the murder of George Floyd, many began to gain an understanding of the structural inequalities that exist.

Currently, Chioma is writing a book on anti-racism. In addition, she is accomplished in developing and leading projects that support young people and families and has also established a Facebook group for parents.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/chioma-fanawopo-6716689/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/696598351056620

In this week's episode, Lee Caraher, founder and CEO of Double Forte, best-selling author, and sought-after speaker, shares her thoughts on ways employees can stay relevant in the workplace - whether introverted or extroverted - especially in today's turbulent and ever changing environment .  She claims that if you are not findable, you are not relevant, in the sense that you need to make yourself visible and share your expertise.  In discussing how employers can build high profile teams and retain employees, Lee shares how employers can retain their millennial employees - who want a more flexible approach to work and to feel valued for their contributions.  There is also the need for recognition of the qualities that introverts and extroverts, respectively, bring to the table.

About Lee McEnany Caraher

Lee McEnany Caraher is the founder and CEO of Double Forte, a 20-year young national independent Public Relations and Strategic Communication agency headquartered in San Francisco, with offices in New York and Eau Claire.  Lee is a widely acclaimed communication strategist known for her practical solutions to big problems. She’s also known as the team-whisperer for her practical approach to building great, positive, high producing work teams. 

She is the author of Millennials & Management based on her experience with epically failing and then succeeding at retaining Millennials in her business. Her second book, The Boomerang Principle: Inspiring Lifetime Loyalty From Employees provides a practical guide to building positive, high performing workplaces.

Lee is also active in her community, serving as a Board Director for several nonprofit organisations making a big difference for people in need.

https://twitter.com/LeeCaraher

https://www.linkedin.com/in/leecaraher/

www.double-forte.com