Introverted Leadership Mentor
Collaborating Securely: Protecting Your Community and Yourself
I had the privilege of presenting Collaborating Securely: Protecting Your Community and Yourself to a room full of community leaders from the Society for Technical Communication.
I’ve changed out one slide from the Spectrum14 presentation. Looking forward to presenting this to a crowd at the STC Summit in Phoenix.
Technical Communications Skills Map | Red Gate Software Development.
Have you wondered about the job possibilities available to you as a technical communicator? This skills map by Brian Harris provides a great view of where core techcomm skills can take you. (Please note that the original post is no longer available. I’ve linked to a higher-resolution image Kai Weber saved.)
Are there any areas you would add? For me, information security fits into both domain expertise and risk management.
The Society for Technical Communication provides a great place to learn about techcomm and develop the networking connections to take you along your career path. If you’re interested in techcomm, check us out.
Guest post from Hannah Morgan. This post will also appear on careersherpa.net, sherpaandguru.com, and notebook.stc.org.
You don’t need to be the most talkative, outgoing person in the room to be a leader. Instead, all you need to do is tap into the innate strengths of your introverted self.
Quiet Giants
Where would we be today without Wozniak, Einstein, Jobs and Gates? These often quiet leaders invented some of the world’s most concepts, and yes, they are all introverts. How were they able to take their innovative ideas to the next level and build Google, The Theory, Apple and Microsoft? They led with their strengths.
The Innovator
Introverts naturally have the ability and desire to think deeply about topics, issues and problems.This deep thinking spun into innovation and new ideas.
Really Hearing What’s Being Said
Listening rather than speaking also allows introverts to make great leaders. Introverts prefer to take in information, roll it around in their heads and think about it before responding. While today’s economy moves quickly, the introverted leader is less likely to miss warning signs or overlook key details critical to growth and new opportunities.
Honesty Reigns Supreme
Another key trait introverts share is our desire to do the “right thing.” This isn’t to say other personalities don’t have morals and values, but the core of what drives and motivates an introvert is that decisions be based on facts and that we “do the right thing.” We aren’t in it for fame or fortune, but because it means something to us.
Igniting Followers
Introverts’ enthusiasm can be contagious and we know how to rally teams around an issue, not because we say so, but because we believe so strongly in what we are doing. We observe the strengths of others and tap into those to help move things forward. We analyze, listen, we’ll do the right thing!
You Aren’t Broken
Once you begin to realize all the strengths you possess, it isn’t a matter of fixing what’s broken but capitalizing on your strengths.
Learn More:
If you would like to learn more about the strengths of introverted leaders, register for theupcoming webinar by Ben Woelk and Hannah Morgan on October 1, 2013 from 10:00-11:00am EDT (GMT-4). https://www.stc.org/education/online-education/live-seminars/item/empowering-the-introvert-within?category_id=53
I’m delivering the presentation below as part of a progression at Summit 2013 Leadership Day in Atlanta. Summit Leadership Day provides STC community leaders with the knowledge and guidance they need to lead successful communities, both geographic chapters and SIGs.
Volunteers are the heart of the community. They enable us to offer meaningful services to our members. However, getting volunteers can be challenging. Issuing a cattle call doesn’t usually lead to good results. Baby Boomers, Gen X, Gen Y all have different priorities that you must consider when recruiting them.
Personally, I’ve found volunteering in leadership in my local chapter (Rochester) to be one of the most rewarding experiences of my professional career. Volunteering has stretched me and equipped me as a better leader. I don’t have a magic formula. However, STC Rochester fills 8-10 council positions each year. That’s more than 10% of the community engaged in leadership.
This presentation provides strategies and tactics for recruiting and retaining volunteers.
