Alone

I’m an introvert, which means I’m more comfortable building energy by being alone rather than in a group.

I used to think that was a disadvantage for me being in a leadership role, or building my networks, or giving presentations. But it in fact it can give me just as many advantages.

I’ve learned how to come to peace with going out and networking. My trick is to realize that every person is someone I can learn from and has an interesting story. Which is actually true most of the time.

When I’m trying to make an important decision, it helps to be in a quiet environment where I can organize my thoughts. It might be being alone on the mountain, listening to subdued music, or journaling in a coffee shop.

But when I’m trying to put things into team action, then it’s about the interactions I have with individuals or a group. Because my thoughts are mostly settled, I can then focus on how people are responding and what my best communication might be.

I can even focus on my empathy and emotional sensitivity, which isn’t exactly my strong suit.

As an introvert, I find that this consumes a fair bit of energy, so I know I’ll have to recover by having some quiet time and a good night’s sleep.

But there are a lot of things in life which take energy, so that is no longer a barrier for me. Because I know the value I’ll get by working through the tough times.