“You don’t look like an introvert,” a statement made to the author more than once during a networking event or business meeting, and she thought to herself, what on earth is an introvert supposed to look like…

Many misconceptions exist about what introversion is, and this perception of how an introverted person ‘looks’ is just one of them. These misconceptions can lead to people having an unfavourable, unconscious bias towards those who identify as introverts, particularly when it comes to developing talent in the workplace. 

The challenges women face getting to senior leadership roles is well documented, and for the introverted woman who, dealing with those challenges, along with the difficulties many face as introverts, can make the leadership journey even more arduous.

However, because someone is not loud or gregarious, it does not mean that they are not wonderful, effective leaders. Quietly Visible addresses many of the challenges that introverted women face as leaders and shows how these challenges can be overcome. Some of the challenges are due to the self-limiting beliefs they hold about themselves, or they may be as a result of unfavourable bias and misconceptions about what introversion is. Usually, it’s a combination of both.

Quietly Visible by Carol Stewart is written from the perspective of the lived experience of the author (herself an introvert), her clients, her research, and the many, many introverted women across the globe who regularly share their experiences and challenges with her.