Career Conversations with Sonia Layne-Gartside

The Traveling Introvert

04-04-2023 • 18 mins

Sonia, Introvert or Extrovert

Introverts are people who tend to look inwards for energy and they are also the type of people who tend to think much before they talk.

Are Leaders Born or Cultivated

Leaders are cultivated. Though most people think that leaders are born it is not true. A person might have the talent and the charisma to be an effective leader but, all that has to be nurtured and trained to be the best version of that particular talent. All this is necessary to be effective.


Keys to being an effective leader

● Clarity - Be clear and provide clarity to the people you are leading. You need to be able to paint a clear picture to the people who you are leading to have effective feedback. Make sure you are not messy so that others can follow.

● Empathetic skills - Spend your time listening to the people you are leading. You need to understand what makes them motivated and what makes them tick. In this, you will be able to handle every individual differently. Leaders should be able to deal with all types of people.

● Ability to recognize great work - as a leader you should be able to recognize different individuals' work. You should be able to tell them and compliment their handy work. In most companies, people work hard and yet feel that their work goes unnoticed and unappreciated. As a leader, you should be able to handle such people and make them feel wanted.


Misconceptions in Training industries

● Training does not change people.

● Coaching people is a must In any industry.

● Both training and coaching lead to changed behavior.


Misconceptions in the consulting industry

● You do not only hire a consultant only when things get bad.

● People tend to think recommendations are the final product; it is important to know that you will still need to implement

what the consultant advised.


It is important to seize opportunities as they arise. Always be ready to use what you have at a given time. As a leader, you should learn to be overwhelmed and not show it. This is mainly important so that the people whom you are leading don't get demoralized.


Things to say no to.

● Meetings that are not worth your time.

● Underfunded projects.


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