Earlier this year, we had the privilege of hearing Susan Cain, an author and former corporate attorney, speak. As we reported in LinkedIn, we had a major epiphany while listening to her comments regarding introverted people. It was a great reminder of a simple fact: If your goal is to be the best leader you can be, you must be a lifelong learner and be open to new points of view. Susan’s observations and revelations, which were supported by years of research, were eye-opening.

We found a 17-minute TED Talk featuring Susan, and it speaks for itself. If you want to be a Jim Collins “Level 5 Leader,” we encourage you to invest the time to listen to it.

You can learn more about these ideas in Susan’s book, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking.

Do you have introverts in your company who you have been encouraging to become more outgoing? Does your company have a bias toward extraverts?

Please take the time to listen to Susan.