So Reader, here's one of the best career strategies no one talks about:

Stay in touch with smart people. For years. 🗓️🗓️🗓️

That’s not always easy in a world that loves fresh starts and fast exits. But when you find someone who’s thoughtful, wise, and willing to keep showing up with honesty and heart—you hang on.

That’s how I feel about my friend and colleague Jennifer Kahnweiler, PhD.

We met years ago at a coaching event in Atlanta. I think I'd just started my business (sooo, 2009ish? wow, time flies!) and Jennifer had just published the first edition of her first book, The Introverted Leader: Building on Your Quiet Strengths.

We started talking and I remember thinking, “An introverted leader? How does that work in a loud, extroverted world? ” And my learning journey began, along with our friendship. ❤️

Since then, she's written three other books. (I've shared our conversations about them with you over the years here --see links to past interviews at the end of this note). Recently, she released the third edition of the book that started it all: The Introverted Leader: Building On Your Quiet Strengths. It's completely updated for today's hybrid, remote, and screen-based work scenarios.

We sat down to talk about what’s changed (and what hasn’t), plus practical insights for introverts—and the extroverts who love them.

​Watch our full interview here (or read the transcript).​

​Get the book here. ​

Are you an introverted leader, Reader, or know one? Hit REPLY and tell me about it. What's easy? What's hard? I always love hearing from YOU.

Introvert, extrovert, or anything in-between, Jennifer's work helped me better understand and appreciate introverted behaviors, long before introversion became a LinkedIn trend or a personality quiz box to check.

So Reader, I hope this conversation sparks something fresh for you. Maybe it’s a new insight about how you lead in a way that's uniquely you. Or maybe it's just a reminder to reach out to one of those smart people in your life you haven’t talked to in a while. ☎️

Staying connected isn’t just good for your career—it’s good for your heart, too. ❤️

Always, Darcy

​

P.S. Interested in learning more? Here are other conversations I've had with Jennifer about her books on introversion:

​Quiet Influence: The Introvert’s Guide to Making a Difference​

​The Genius of Opposites​: How Introverts and Extroverts Achieve Extraordinary Results Together.​

​Creating Introvert -Friendly Workplaces: How to Unleash Everyone's Talent and Performance​

Enjoy! --D