Quiet is a Superpower: The Secret Strengths of Introverts in the Workplace
- 3h 17m
- Jill Chang
- Berrett-Koehler Publishers
- 2020
How does a self-described "extreme introvert" thrive in a world where extroverts are rewarded and social institutions are set up in their favor? Using her extraordinary personal story as a "case study of one," author Jill Chang shows that introverts hold tremendous untapped potential for success. Chang describes how she succeeded internationally in fields that are filled with extroverts, including as an agent for Major League Baseball players, a manager of a team across more than twenty countries, and a leading figure in international philanthropy. Instead of changing herself to fit an extroverted mold, she learned to embrace her introversion, turning it from a disadvantage to the reason she was able to accomplish great goals and excel in tasks that her extroverted peers missed. She offers advice on the best jobs for introverts, overcoming the additional difficulties language and cultural barriers can present, thriving at social events and business presentations, leveraging the special leadership traits of introverts, and much more. Part memoir and part career guide, this book gives introverts the tools to understand how they can form relationships, advance in the career path, excel in cross-cultural workplaces, and navigate extroverted settings without compromising comfort or personality.
About the Author
Jill has fifteen years of international experience in diverse industries including sports, state government, and nonprofits. She currently oversees a team spread across twenty-three countries and has delivered over two hundred public speeches in the past two years alone. She is described as “not needing a script” and “the wonder woman who makes things happen, bare-handed.”
As evidence that Jill is someone who doesn’t follow a traditional script, she entered the sports industry as a professional sports agent at the age of twenty-six and successfully signed five major league contracts for her clients within eighteen months. When she worked for a US state government, she was in charge of procuring and trading projects between the US and Asia. She is now devoted to international philanthropy. Jill is also a Fellow of Harvard SEED for Social Innovation and was featured in Girls in Tech Taiwan 40 Under 40 in 2018. The traditional Chinese version of her book Quiet Is a Superpower was the #1 bestseller and stayed among the Top 10 bestsellers in Taiwan for 20 weeks.
Jill is a complete introvert (although most people find that hard to believe) who likes to get lost in a book with some music playing in the background and a cup of tea by her side. She is based in Taipei, Taiwan, with her family, and she regularly travels across the world to make a global impact in both philanthropy and in helping introverts in their career and leadership development.
In this Book
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Foreword
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Introduction
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The Tangled Lives of Introverted Nine-to-Fivers
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Broadening Your Horizons by Breaking into the Extrovert's Cultural Sphere
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The Tragedy of Language Barriers
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The Big Differences between Introverts and Extroverts in the Workplace
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Which Jobs are Suitable for Introverts?
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Tips for Adapting to a New Environment with Zero Stress
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Quality, Not Quantity
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You Don't Want to Face Interpersonal Conflicts, but …
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Shaking off the Emotional Influences of others
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Communication Tools—Choosing Them Wisely, using Them Effectively
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Cool and Collected on the Negotiating Battlefield
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Advice for Introverts Who Travel Frequently for Work
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Introverts in a Cross-Cultural Workplace
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Using an Introvert's Traits to Turn Social Events into Your Home Field
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Deciding Whether to Go
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Preparing before a Social Event
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Practical Advice for Adapting to Social Occasions
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Getting Up on Stage
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Does Staying Silent Mean You're not Contributing?
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Picking an Appropriate Social Platform
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The Introvert and the Superstar Halo
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Mixing and Matching for Ultimate Team Cooperation
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Working with People on the other Side of the Spectrum
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Managing up for Introverts
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Are Introverts Suited to Lead Teams?
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Being a Good Introverted Manager
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In Closing
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Bibliography
