Introverts Lead Change

I had a chance to conduct a brief interview with our own Lisa Petrilli (LCG Author Profile, Twitter, Linkedin, Google+) CEO of C Level Strategies.  In case you haven't heard, her new e-book launched this week. It's titled The Introvert's Guide to Success in Business and Leadership.  At the end of the post, you can find out how to take advantage of a 30% discount on the e-book!

Mike: So what prompted you to write this book about this topic?

Lisa: I was prompted to write the book by my own experiences as an introvert in the world of business and leadership. I learned very early on in my career that I needed to adapt my approach to networking, communicating, and leading teams to meet the needs of the “outer world,” while my introverted preferences were most energized by my inner world of ideas and images. I was successful at doing this and was promoted quite rapidly within my $10 billion company, to the point where I was responsible for a $750 million business just ten years out of school.  When I first wrote about being an introvert in a blog post entitled, “The Introvert’s Guide to Attending a Conference,” the response was so overwhelming that I knew, eventually, this eBook would come to life.

Mike: Don't just repeat the title, but what is the main idea you want to convey through this book?

Lisa: The main idea is that being an introvert can be a tremendous advantage in business and leadership if you know how to leverage it, and if you are true to yourself. What this means is you adapt your introverted preferences to the “outer world” of business and leadership, but in a way that is still comfortable for introverts who are energized and comfortable in the “inner world” of ideas and images. It also means recognizing the brilliant inner strengths that we introverts have, and using them to be more of who we are meant to be. The absolute most important point of this eBook…Introverts can be exceptional leaders!

Mike: Besides buying the book, and the idea that introverts can be exceptional leaders, what are some other ideas you'd share with prospective readers?

Lisa: I want extroverts to know that this is not just a book for introverts… If you lead introverts or work with them, this eBook will give you a much better understanding of their strengths so that you can be a more effective leader and team member, a win-win for the entire organization!

Mike: Since there are so many in this group who are leadership coaches, why did you choose to become a professional leadership coach?

Lisa: I just couldn’t help it.  The truth is, I have been very blessed to have a variety of rich leadership experiences in my life, and to have the opportunity to work with a large number of C-Level executives across a variety of industries. These experiences have given me a unique perspective on leadership that I enjoy sharing with my clients.

Lisa not only shares that perspective with clients, but with friends and online folks too.  She's co-host of #LeadershipChat on Tuesday evenings at 8 PM on Twitter and she's an active member of this group and author on the Lead Change Blog too.  Be sure and connect with Lisa.

Lisa has also offered a 30% discount on the book to folks who enter "LeadChange" as the discount code when purchasing on the book's website.  Check it out at http://www.lisapetrilli.com/the-introverts-guide.