"As a high-performing introvert, I was told I didn't 'contribute' enough in meetings—meaning I wasn't loud like my extroverted colleagues. I assumed I needed to change who I was to advance.

Instead, I learned to leverage my natural strengths. I realized my thoughtful, one-on-one conversations built deeper trust than performative meeting contributions ever could. My ability to listen, synthesize, and ask incisive questions became my differentiator, not a deficit.

I stopped trying to fit a narrow definition of leadership and started building executive presence on my own terms—through authenticity, not imitation. Now my introversion is an asset, not something to overcome."

—S.S., Washington, DC