Why we need introverted leaders | Angela Hucles | TEDxBend
-
0:13 - 0:18I believe we all have the capacity
to be great leaders. -
0:19 - 0:22What's important is the act
of being a leader -
0:22 - 0:25and discovering
our moments to lead in life. -
0:27 - 0:31Being prepared for leadership moments
means making the choices -
0:31 - 0:34that will ultimately put you
in a position to succeed -
0:34 - 0:36when given the opportunity.
-
0:37 - 0:40Teams in sports, teams in business,
-
0:40 - 0:44even family teams
need to have strong leadership -
0:44 - 0:46to collectively reach desired outcomes.
-
0:47 - 0:49Ninety-six percent of leadership positions
-
0:49 - 0:54are filled with extroverted individuals
with extroverted qualities. -
0:54 - 0:59Only 50% of the population
actually identifies as being an extrovert. -
1:00 - 1:06That other half, the introverts,
supply only 4% of our leaders. -
1:07 - 1:09As an introvert, who has held
leadership positions -
1:09 - 1:13on teams that I've played for,
as well as being -
1:13 - 1:15the President of the Women's
Sports Foundation, -
1:15 - 1:19it seems to me that supplying
the vast majority of our leaders -
1:19 - 1:24with only half of the population
is a bit short-sighted. -
1:25 - 1:28Imagine a group made up
of only extroverts. -
1:30 - 1:31(Laughter)
-
1:31 - 1:34Now imagine a group
made up of only introverts. -
1:35 - 1:39Isn't it the blend of the two
that really creates the best space? -
1:40 - 1:44Energy, enthusiasm, excitement,
combined with groundedness, -
1:44 - 1:47the ability to listen,
and strength and calm. -
1:47 - 1:50Can introverts lead too?
-
1:50 - 1:52Yes, we can.
-
1:52 - 1:55Today, I want to tell you
how we can create the conditions -
1:55 - 1:57to make that happen.
-
1:58 - 2:00As an introvert,
I definitely need my downtime, -
2:00 - 2:03especially after being
around large groups. -
2:04 - 2:09I remember when I was seven years old
and was working on a class assignment. -
2:09 - 2:12The school bell rang signaling for recess
-
2:12 - 2:14which was one
of my favorite times of the day. -
2:15 - 2:19I jumped up to go grab my coat.
The teacher turned to me and said, -
2:19 - 2:23"Angela, you can't go outside yet,
you haven't finished your assignment. -
2:23 - 2:27You can either finish it now
or you stay inside the classroom." -
2:27 - 2:30Well, that's what she said.
It wouldn't be until I was an adult -
2:30 - 2:33that I understood what she meant
was to stay inside the classroom -
2:33 - 2:36until you finish your assignment.
-
2:36 - 2:41I loved the feeling of running around
the school playground and that freedom. -
2:41 - 2:44There was something quite peaceful
-
2:44 - 2:47right after all of my classmates
had left the room. -
2:48 - 2:52In that moment, I observed
this peace, this quiet. -
2:52 - 2:56I remember there was sun
streaming in from the window -
2:56 - 2:59and this feeling of energy
flowing back to me. -
3:00 - 3:02This is my earliest memory
-
3:03 - 3:08of enjoying and needing that quiet
and recharging time as an introvert. -
3:09 - 3:12You can imagine my surprise
when I turned to the teacher -
3:12 - 3:14and said I was just fine staying
inside the classroom -
3:14 - 3:18to wait until recess was over,
instead of doing my assignment. -
3:18 - 3:21She escorted me right
down to the principal's office. -
3:21 - 3:23(Laughter)
-
3:23 - 3:26I wasn't trying to be
sassy or troublesome. -
3:27 - 3:30I was in that moment
expressing what I actually needed, -
3:30 - 3:33and wound up getting in trouble for it.
-
3:33 - 3:36Have you ever been misunderstood before?
-
3:37 - 3:40Or felt dishonored
like I did by my teacher? -
3:40 - 3:42Maybe you're an extrovert,
-
3:42 - 3:45and someone told you
to stop talking so much and be quiet. -
3:45 - 3:47Or maybe you're an introvert
-
3:47 - 3:50and someone said
to speak up more and participate. -
3:51 - 3:57That craving and desire of stillness
was a sign of my introverted self. -
3:57 - 3:58It was an example of how,
-
3:58 - 4:02even though at times
introverts may be quieter than others, -
4:02 - 4:06less likely to dive head-on into conflict,
-
4:06 - 4:09we can still maintain a very strong will.
-
4:10 - 4:14There is still a passion residing
in an introverted soul, -
4:14 - 4:19even if he or she may be
more reserved most of the time. -
4:19 - 4:24It's the time of solitude when introverts
can draw upon their strength to lead, -
4:24 - 4:26to find courage,
-
4:26 - 4:30which can later be displayed
once our teammates, -
4:30 - 4:34work colleagues, classmates
return from that playground. -
4:35 - 4:40Have you ever needed a time
just to regroup or recharge yourself? -
4:40 - 4:44Maybe you are at work
and disappear to a bathroom stall, -
4:44 - 4:47or maybe you just needed
to step outside for a walk alone. -
4:48 - 4:51It's during those times of solitude,
-
4:51 - 4:56and really that strength
and power within its quiet, -
4:57 - 5:02where we can draw upon
our strength to lead, to find courage, -
5:02 - 5:07which can later be displayed
once everyone gets back to the room. -
5:08 - 5:12There was a very special time
back in 2008. -
5:12 - 5:17It was the 2008 Summer Olympics,
I was playing for the US soccer team, -
5:17 - 5:19and we won.
-
5:20 - 5:22(Applause and cheering)
-
5:25 - 5:30We placed first and earned gold
at the Beijing Summer Olympics. -
5:30 - 5:33As a gold medalist in soccer,
and every player in that roster -
5:33 - 5:36can then rock some gold bling
around her neck, -
5:36 - 5:39I was also the Silver Boot winner.
-
5:39 - 5:42Meaning I was the second
leading goal scorer -
5:42 - 5:44in the entire Olympics for women's soccer.
-
5:44 - 5:46(Applause)
-
5:46 - 5:47Thank you.
-
5:50 - 5:55Additionally, I was the US team's
leading goal scorer -
5:55 - 5:57for that Olympics that year.
-
5:57 - 6:00(Applause)
-
6:01 - 6:04And that is the extroverted
version of this story. -
6:04 - 6:08I still struggle expressing
that version of the story to this day. -
6:08 - 6:10Does anyone else here
get a little bit squeamish -
6:10 - 6:13when they have to talk about
their own accomplishments? -
6:14 - 6:20The irony is that with the success
my team and I shared at that Olympics, -
6:20 - 6:22it's a bittersweet memory for me.
-
6:24 - 6:27Behind the success, there was stress.
-
6:27 - 6:31There was anxiety
and a really big fear to overcome. -
6:32 - 6:36The leading and driving force
of our 2008 Olympic Team -
6:36 - 6:38was our forward, Abby Wambach.
-
6:40 - 6:43She was the energy, she was the engine,
-
6:43 - 6:47and that vocal extroverted
leader of our team. -
6:47 - 6:50Leading up to the Olympics,
before we even flew over to China, -
6:50 - 6:54we played a practice game,
called a friendly match, versus Brazil. -
6:55 - 6:58During that match, our extroverted leader,
-
6:58 - 7:02whose energy was really large enough
to fill a 100,000-seated stadium, -
7:02 - 7:07Abby Wambach goes into
the tackle and breaks her leg. -
7:08 - 7:12She would no longer be able to compete
in the Olympics with us that year, -
7:12 - 7:14and we were devastated.
-
7:15 - 7:19Not only were we incredibly upset
to lose our fearless leader, -
7:19 - 7:22but we didn't really have
a plan B without her. -
7:24 - 7:28And the time when we needed to be
at our peak and the most focused, -
7:29 - 7:30we had feelings of nervousness
-
7:30 - 7:33on top of what we were
already naturally feeling -
7:33 - 7:36about competing in the Olympics.
-
7:37 - 7:40Our first game in the Olympics,
we faced Norway. -
7:40 - 7:43Fifty-nine seconds
into the start of the game, -
7:43 - 7:45Norway scores a goal.
-
7:46 - 7:50Three minutes later,
Norway scores a second goal. -
7:51 - 7:55We would eventually get a goal later on
in the match, but it wouldn't be enough, -
7:55 - 7:57and we lost our opening game
at the Olympics: 2-1. -
7:59 - 8:01All those fears that we had,
-
8:01 - 8:04all of the comments
from doubting reporters -
8:04 - 8:09questioning our ability
to not only defend our title, -
8:09 - 8:11but to make it out of group play,
-
8:11 - 8:15really started to bubble up
to the surface of our team. -
8:16 - 8:21What would you think in this situation
if you were part of this team? -
8:22 - 8:23Can you think back to a time
-
8:23 - 8:28whether in work, or family,
or even a sports event, -
8:28 - 8:34when the stakes where extremely high
and you faced this moment of truth? -
8:34 - 8:36What did you do?
-
8:37 - 8:39Well, my team had to make a choice:
-
8:39 - 8:43to step into the defeat
that was staring us in the face, -
8:43 - 8:47or step into the opposite direction,
towards that Olympic podium. -
8:48 - 8:50We had a defining moment.
-
8:50 - 8:53Our focus and our mentality switched.
-
8:54 - 8:55So, what did we do?
-
8:55 - 8:58We let go of that first loss
against Norway. -
8:58 - 9:00We put it behind us.
-
9:00 - 9:03We decided to commit
and trust in our abilities, -
9:03 - 9:05trust in our preparation.
-
9:06 - 9:10We individually and collectively
seized our moment to lead. -
9:10 - 9:14We understood that each of us
had a larger responsibility to fulfill, -
9:14 - 9:18not to be relied upon
just one extroverted leader. -
9:18 - 9:21So we stepped onto the field
with an elevated sense of confidence, -
9:21 - 9:25an elevated responsibility,
because we had to. -
9:25 - 9:28We needed to use our leadership qualities
-
9:28 - 9:32in order to stand a chance
of reaching our ultimate goal. -
9:33 - 9:36Throughout that Olympics, we were tasked
to gain confidence in the media -
9:36 - 9:39and others that doubted our abilities.
-
9:39 - 9:45But more importantly, we played in a way
to give us confidence for ourselves. -
9:46 - 9:50The majority of my career and time
with the US national team, -
9:50 - 9:54I was a reserve,
a bench player coming into games. -
9:54 - 9:56Throughout my life, I had some coaches
-
9:56 - 9:59encouraging me to act
like other players at times -
9:59 - 10:00instead of myself.
-
10:02 - 10:07At this Olympics, it was
a very special opportunity. -
10:07 - 10:12You see, the year before this Olympics
was our World Cup year. -
10:12 - 10:17I was one of only two players to not play
a single minute in that entire tournament. -
10:18 - 10:20However, this Olympics,
-
10:21 - 10:25this introvert was being asked to start
-
10:25 - 10:30and to play in place of the most
extroverted leader of our team, -
10:30 - 10:31Abby Wambach.
-
10:32 - 10:34During this leadership crisis,
-
10:36 - 10:39no teammate, no coach
-
10:40 - 10:45asked me to play, talk,
or be like someone else. -
10:46 - 10:49They understood what I needed.
-
10:50 - 10:53They allowed me to be me.
-
10:53 - 10:58The space being created
allowed me to play or recover -
10:58 - 11:00however made me feel the best.
-
11:01 - 11:05And that allowed me to perform my best.
-
11:06 - 11:09I started noticing the same things
out of my other teammates as well, -
11:09 - 11:13whether a starter or reserve,
typically vocal or typically quiet. -
11:14 - 11:17People were stepping into their roles
and responsibilities freely, -
11:17 - 11:20and something magical began to happen.
-
11:22 - 11:23People were starting
-
11:23 - 11:27to step into their leadership roles
and responsibilities. -
11:28 - 11:34The energy and cohesion of our team
started to form in a new way, -
11:34 - 11:36at the perfect time.
-
11:37 - 11:42What first felt like a devastating loss,
from Abby's injury and that wake-up call -
11:42 - 11:44from the loss against Norway,
-
11:44 - 11:48we transformed it
into a collective victory. -
11:49 - 11:53By individually stepping into
our own unique leadership positions -
11:53 - 11:55and each seizing the moment to lead,
-
11:55 - 11:59we were able to have every single player
on that US soccer team that year -
11:59 - 12:03stepping up onto the podium
with a gold medal around her neck -
12:03 - 12:05after the final whistle blow.
-
12:07 - 12:09The New York Times
recently published an article -
12:09 - 12:14entitled: "What Google Learned
From its Quest to Build the Perfect Team." -
12:15 - 12:17A common behavior
the most successful team shared -
12:17 - 12:22had an equality in the distribution
of conversational turn-taking. -
12:23 - 12:27The other finding was that teams
had a high average social sensitivity. -
12:27 - 12:28In essence, individuals on teams
-
12:28 - 12:35felt psychologically safe and secure
to be themselves, to speak up, -
12:35 - 12:38and feelings of mutual trust and respect.
-
12:38 - 12:43My 2008 Olympic journey
was my first-hand experience -
12:43 - 12:46in showing me exactly
what that research talks about. -
12:47 - 12:48It doesn't matter who you are.
-
12:49 - 12:53It doesn't matter what position or title
you might currently hold. -
12:53 - 12:56It doesn't even matter
what personality you have. -
12:56 - 13:00Our greatest chance of success,
of having a happy home life, -
13:00 - 13:03of reaching our quotas
with our teams at work, -
13:03 - 13:06or making it to an Olympic podium,
-
13:06 - 13:09comes from each of us
having the opportunity -
13:09 - 13:11to contribute to the conversation.
-
13:12 - 13:14I don't know the breakdown in percentage
-
13:14 - 13:18of how many extroverts versus introverts
there were in that Olympic team. -
13:19 - 13:24But what I do know is that
there was a space that opened up, -
13:24 - 13:28one in which allowed
an introvert like myself -
13:28 - 13:31an opportunity to display leadership.
-
13:32 - 13:36At the beginning of this talk, I mentioned
that 96% of leadership positions -
13:36 - 13:39are filled with extroverted individuals,
with extroverted qualities, -
13:39 - 13:44and only 50% of the population
identifies with being an extrovert. -
13:45 - 13:50If we continue to fill 96%
of all our leadership positions -
13:50 - 13:53with only half of the population,
-
13:53 - 13:57are we truly operating
at our best potential? -
13:57 - 14:00We all have unique abilities.
-
14:01 - 14:04How would things change
if we open up the space for everyone -
14:04 - 14:09to feel psychologically safe
and secure to be themselves? -
14:11 - 14:15No matter who you are,
each and every one of us has the ability -
14:15 - 14:19to tap into our passion itself,
into our strong wills, -
14:19 - 14:22and when the moment comes
we'll be prepared. -
14:22 - 14:26Let's make sure that we focus
-
14:26 - 14:29on creating and opening
the space for one another, -
14:29 - 14:32no matter what type of "vert" we may be,
-
14:33 - 14:39so that any one of us is ready
for that moment to lead. -
14:39 - 14:40Thank you.
-
14:40 - 14:43(Applause)
- Title:
- Why we need introverted leaders | Angela Hucles | TEDxBend
- Description:
-
Athletes train to be their best by tapping into their "inner-introvert" and finding moments to lead. Hucles, two-time Olympic gold medalist, reveals why the special qualities introverts contribute to teams is invaluable for success.
Hucles is President of the Women's Sports Foundation and regular speaker on topics of sports leadership, equality, inclusion and safe spaces, anti-bullying, and the power of sport and its impact on personal growth and development. She is a member of the Advisory Board for "You Can Play", a campaign dedicated to fighting homophobia in sports.
This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx
- Video Language:
- English
- Team:
closed TED
- Project:
- TEDxTalks
- Duration:
- 14:54
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