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Quiet Influence: The Introvert's Guide to Making a Difference

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Introverts may feel powerless in a world where extroverts seem to rule, but there’s more than one way to have some sway. Jennifer Kahnweiler proves introverts can be highly effective influencers when, instead of trying to act like extroverts, they use their natural strengths to make a difference. Kahnweiler identifies six unique strengths of introverts and includes a Quiet Influence Quotient (QIQ) quiz to measure how well you’re using these six strengths now. Then, through questions, tools, exercises, and powerful real-world examples, you will increase your mastery of these strengths.

192 pages, Paperback

First published April 15, 2013

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About the author

Jennifer B. Kahnweiler

11 books54 followers
Jennifer B. Kahnweiler is an international speaker, executive coach and author who specializes in developing and coaching introverted leaders. She holds a doctorate in counseling and organizational development from Florida State University.

Her latest highly anticipated book, The Genius of Opposites: How Introverts and Extroverts Achieve Extraordinary Results Together (Berrett-Koehler, August 2015), offers a five-step process that will help introverts and extroverts understand and appreciate each other and work together to achieve more than they ever could on their own. Blending their two points of view allows both partners to see and act on things neither would have separately.

Her previous book, Quiet Influence: The Introvert's Guide to Making a Difference (Berrett-Koehler, April 2013), shows how introverts can harness their innate tendencies to make a real difference. As Kahnweiler proves in this book, introverts can be highly effective influencers when, instead of trying to act like extroverts they use their natural strengths. In a world where extroverts seem to rule, Kahnweiler shows readers how introverts can use their quiet influence to challenge the status quo, provoke new ways of thinking, effect change and inspire others to move forward.

As a learning and development professional working inside leading organizations such as General Electric Co., AT&T Inc., NASA and the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Jennifer deepened her knowledge and appreciation for introverts and through the course of this journey developed into an introvert expert. Through keynote speeches and seminars on the topic that include her characteristic humor, poignant stories and practical tools, she transfers the lessons introvert teach us across cultures. In recent years she has spoken to leaders in Vietnam, Spain, Japan, the UK and the Netherlands. Jennifer has also written articles about introverts in the workplace for Forbes, Bloomberg Business Week and The Wall Street Journal and has been quoted on the subject in over 50 international news media outlets.

Kahnweiler is a recipient of the 2012 Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) designation, The National Speaker’s Association’s highest earned credential and is a Board Certified Coach. She has also served on the board of the Berrett-Koehler Author’s Co-op and is currently on the board of the National Speakers Association of Georgia.

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5 stars
445 (34%)
4 stars
316 (24%)
3 stars
358 (28%)
2 stars
114 (8%)
1 star
39 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews
Profile Image for Prasenjeet Kumar.
Author 116 books47 followers
March 16, 2014
This book is great for introverts to understand how they can use their unique powers to excel in their chosen careers whether it is a desk job, sales job or as an entrepreneur.

Jennifer claims to be an extrovert herself but I must say that she has observed her introvert colleagues were closely. She talks about the six strengths of introverts: Quiet Time, Preparation, Engaged Listening, Focused Conversation, Writing and Thoughtful Use of Social Media.

Her tips are indeed helpful and practical for both introverts and extroverts. Introverts may be good at listening but they may need to work on improving their skills. Extroverts too can learn a lot from engaged listening and focused conversations to become more approachable.

Jennifer also uses real life examples of how different people have used these strengths in different settings which is very valuable. It also makes the book more interesting to read.

You can also test your strengths in these six fields using what the author calls "Quiet Influence Quotient" or your QIQ to know how well you are doing with your six strengths and areas where you need to improve.

Not all strengths may be relevant. For example I am an Author and therefore writing and thoughtful use of social media is more important to me than engaged listening and focused conversation. Nevertheless, I consider all skills relevant and important.

I have no hesitation in recommending this book to anyone.
Profile Image for Rebecca.
4,564 reviews177 followers
Want to read
March 6, 2013
Kahnweiler identifies six unique strengths introverts have:

• Taking Quiet Time: The periods of solitude that introverts crave provide them with a powerful source of creativity and self-awareness.
• Preparation: Careful preparation, which makes introverts feel more comfortable, also makes them very knowledgeable and able to anticipate objections.
• Writing: Introverts’ preference for writing over speaking enables them to influence others through deep, authentic, well-developed arguments.
• Engaged Listening: Introverts are great listeners—they’d rather listen than talk—which is a crucial skill for establishing rapport and mutual understanding.
• Focused Conversation: Introverts don’t like small talk, but they excel at the serious, purpose-driven, one-on-one interactions vital for winning people over.
• Thoughtful Use of Social Media: Oversharing doesn’t appeal to introverts online any more than it does offline, so they naturally use social media in a thoughtful, and more effective, way.
Profile Image for Amanda.
77 reviews3 followers
October 24, 2013
Nothing Earth-shattering or revolutionary, but practical and straightforward. And if you're an introvert who's been trying to make a difference through extraverted techniques (talking a lot), a lifesaver.

Her recommendation is to stop trying to be an extravert (you know it's not working anyway) and start using your strengths to your advantage. You're prone to quiet contemplation and thereby coming up with greater insight: take the time to do that

You're better at making deeper connections with individuals than shallow connections with large groups: dedicate your time to really understanding a handful of influential people

Given sufficient time, you're good at making clear, strong, persuasive arguments: write out your arguments rather than trying to bring them up in meetings

Then you can do what you need to do, get done what needs to get done, without driving yourself crazy.
Profile Image for Rachel.
54 reviews10 followers
April 20, 2014
Frustrating, vague and handwavy, it feels like a blog post padded out to book length.

For example, one of her pillars is "Focused Conversations" which you do by "Providing Support and Encouragement". OK, great. Uh, how? When should you provide encouragement and when should you give critique? What's the best way of giving encouragement? No idea - we're told to do it, and the book moves on to "Spark Learning" by...I'm not sure, honestly. There's a bunch of paragraphs that follow with anedotes about how important this is, but nothing concrete. As far as I can tell, it boils down to "you should ask people about stuff". OK, that's...not helpful.

This book is useless fluff.
Profile Image for Kem White.
321 reviews1 follower
April 4, 2014
Not what I was expecting but I guess that's my fault. It's a self-help book for people active in the business world. The book attempts to leverage characteristics of introverts to actionable improvement plans. For me the book comes across as all these self-help books do: simpleminded prose, stating the obvious, and difficult to implement ideas. Didn't learn a thing about introverts that I did not already know.
8 reviews
June 26, 2013
Quiet Influence may be a better book for either

1) introverts who have not yet found their comfort with being an introvert or

2) extroverts who a) would like to understand and respect introverts more or b) have begun to pick up on the possibility of the idea that developing the ability to shift to some introvert ways, even some of the time, might just lead to long-sought for solutions.

Each worthy goals as well in this world of individuals with differing personalities and at different psychological development stages.

For those introverts who are already comfortable with who they are in a world quite obviously extrovert inclined, Quiet Influence may read punctuated frequently by "well, of course!" and there will be little to add to their awareness or skill sets but there just may be a spark to go out for more influence in the worlds they inhabit.
Profile Image for Tamij.
54 reviews1 follower
March 30, 2020
I learned nothing new from this book. In one word, "no".
Profile Image for Mark Youngkin.
161 reviews1 follower
May 5, 2020
There is good information here about how introverted people can overcome organizations' preference for the extroverted and make a difference in the organizations. I teach leadership at the college level and can envision drawing from this book in the courses that incorporate training in personality types. The drawback for me is that this book is seems to be obviously a product, designed to be sold at the author's speaking engagements. If you are introverted as I am, though, you'll find working through this book useful and actionable.
Profile Image for Reid Mccormick.
375 reviews4 followers
March 17, 2017
Another volume in the introverted movement, Quiet Influence by Jennifer Kahnweiler is a brief but practical guide.

As I do more and more research on introverts (and myself), I have noticed that introverts tend to be an impatient bunch. We like to get to the point, avoiding fluff and other nonessentials. In this mindset, Quiet Influence is the perfect book. It gets straight to the point. It presents six strengths found of “Quiet Influencers” and their accompanied weaknesses.

Having said that, I still think Quiet by Susan Cain is the premier work on introverts followed by The Introvert Advantage by Marti Olsen Laney. However, those books are a bit long and drawn out. If you want quick, simple, straightforward guide, then this is the book for you.
Profile Image for Krisanne Lane.
184 reviews1 follower
November 13, 2020
There was a lot of good advice in this book, but there were some problematic passages as well. For example, there was a line where the author suggested that you take credit for accomplishments by saying “WE accomplished this,” etc. That’s a problem for women in the workforce, that women in particular don’t claim credit for their work. (“I led this successful project.”) That’s part of why women get overlooked. The author did not acknowledge issues of sexism and racism, etc. that people encounter which sometimes contribute to us being shut out of conversations. It just looked at being quiet as a personality trait, and a personality trait alone. The interpersonal dynamics we encounter influence our behavior in different settings. That was largely missed in this book.
Profile Image for Michaela.
159 reviews5 followers
February 1, 2014
I was not able to get past the first few chapters of this book. The tone was very much in the style of the current glut of "thought leaders" who tour the lecture circuit and write self-help books. Maybe it would be helpful for introverts who were not already aware of their strengths and challenges. I didn't think it addressed the more nuanced difficulties I have with society.
5 reviews1 follower
January 2, 2020
Oversimplification of an important topic. Author missed the opportunity to go deeper and kept the exploration at the surface.
1,133 reviews5 followers
February 19, 2021
Do you think introverts can be successful professionally and financially?

I confess that I am very introverted and now with the pandemic I enjoy working from home.

But I always wondered: How to be successful being introverts? And I have the example of a very good friend, Victor, who died a few weeks ago by chance in life, very successful intellectually and financially. In his honor I am going to read several books related to introversion and success.

The first was “Quiet Influence: The Introvert's Guide to Making a Difference” by Jennifer Kahnweiler PhD; That says yes, introverts can be highly successful.

The path to seek the strengths that being an introvert causes me:

Time of introspection and solitude: that allows us to think better about what we are going to do without interruptions. The introvert enjoys being alone, and what better than thinking and growing.

Prepare: I remember my friend Victor who was always studying and learning. An easy thing for an introvert.

Listen with empathy: if you listen with empathy you can get more out of others than just talking.

Focused conversations: to achieve the desired results.

Write: since the introvert expresses his ideas better in written than spoken.

Proper use of social media: Introverts don't like to talk, but social media can be a way to become influencers.

Good book, for those of us who are introverts.
Profile Image for Jorge Reyes.
Author 6 books32 followers
December 14, 2016
Jennifer explora maravillosamente el proceso de liderazgo personal y el de influencia de los perfiles menos extrovertidos. Me parece que el libro, aunque su título induzca el enfoque en las personas introvertidas, puedo decir que es mucho más que eso.
La tesis, consejos y procesos que Jennifer propone son acertivos para el desarrollo del liderazgo, eficacia personal y laboral.
El libro tiene una dirección narrativa agradable, por decirlo de alguna manera, los consejos empáticos, y las historias prácticas y emotivas permiten al lector explorar las experiencias de personas que han experimentado el proceso de influencia al que se desea llegar.
Si se quiere, el libro "Influir silenciosamente" puede ser la guía para mejorar en la mayoría de las dimensiones personales, en el fondo es un libro para desarrollar virtudes, lo cual, permite, en lo laboral, entender la profesionalidad.
Estupendo libro, altamente recomendable para jóvenes empresarios, emprendedores, empleados, gerentes, directivos, mandos medios y formadores de personas.

120 reviews1 follower
February 1, 2018
This book, by the author of The Introverted Leader, probably isn't going to teach people much that they don't already know, although it is some good reinforcement. It encourages us quieter folk to take quiet time for ourselves to recharge, to prepare for situations by increasing knowledge, to be engaged listeners and have focused conversations to solve problems, and to make our voices heard through writing and social media. The Introverted Leader, which I'm reading now, goes much more into depth about topics such as project management and meetings, while Quiet Influence seems to more scratch the surface.
Profile Image for Tuyet Lan.
411 reviews84 followers
March 1, 2023
Sách của First New dịch hầu như không có đăng ký trên Goodreads nhỉ. Nên mình phải đánh dấu sách bản tiếng Anh. Tên tiếng của sách xuất bản ở Việt Nam là: Quiet Influence- Sức mạnh của sự trầm lắng.
Cuốn sách này rất hữu ích cho những người hướng nội muốn cải thiện kỹ năng giao tiếp, sự tham gia của bản thân mà không phải quá gắng gượng. Sách hướng dẫn rất chi tiết về tự đánh giá chỉ số ảnh hưởng thầm lặng (QIQ) của bản thân và các phương pháp phát huy ưu điểm của người hướng nội, để tạo sức ảnh hưởng như: Dành thời gian để tĩnh lặng, Có sự chuẩn bị tốt, Lắng nghe thấu đáo, Trao đổi có trọng tâm, Viết lách; cũng như sử dụng mạng xã hội một cách cẩn trọng theo cách của người hướng nội.
Profile Image for Ahmad Amin.
10 reviews4 followers
February 4, 2021
Kahnweiler proves that introverts can be highly effective influencers when instead of trying to act like extroverts, they use their natural strengths to make a difference. The author identifies and introduce six strengths of introverts and includes a Quiet Influence Quotient (QIQ) and then through real-world examples makes you to strength them.
This book is written to help billions of other introverts recognize, develop, and highlight their innate influencing strengths. Together, introverts make up about 50 percent of the world’s population, and introverts can make a big difference in organizations and communities around the world. The author encourages introverts to applaud the success of their strengths and practice making a difference without making a lot of noise.
“I have become convinced that introverts can be highly effective influencers when they stop trying to act like extroverts and instead make the most of their natural, quiet strengths.” If we all think that the only way to get things done is to shout louder and louder and take up more center-stage space, we’ll miss the opportunities to listen, learn, and respond thoughtfully. We stand to lose the wisdom and contributions of more than half of the population if we don’t listen to the introverts in our world.
Favorite Quotes: Lower your voice and strengthen your argument.
Thoughtful Use of Social Media: Oversharing doesn't appeal to introverts online any more than it does offline, so they naturally use social media in a thoughtful, and more effective, way
Focused Conversation: Introverts don't like small talk, but they excel at the serious, purpose-driven, one-on-one interactions vital for winning people over.
Profile Image for Mike.
78 reviews
March 24, 2023
Quiet Influence is an excellent resource to encourage more introverted members of a team. Truth be told, many introverts are relegated to support roles; they are not seen as leaders. Yet, the reality unpacked in this book is that introverts can actually make the best leaders and can bring out the best from their team.
The book is written in a practical format which allows the reader to develop and assess their strengths one at a time. It is an excellent resource for introverts and extroverts alike. As an extrovert myself, I enjoyed knowing how to encourage empower the introverts on my team.
Profile Image for Georgia Hansard.
128 reviews2 followers
September 23, 2018
2.8/5

"These traits are not good or bad; they just are. Unfortunately, in modern society, they are frequently misunderstood, undervalued and underappreciated"

"Yet ironically, these traits are precisely why introverts make the best influencers of all- even in a world that has, until now, assumed that you had to make a lot of noise to make a difference"

"May you tap into your own heart, your own strengths, and answer your unique way of making a quietly powerful difference"
Profile Image for David Gamble.
Author 5 books35 followers
May 21, 2019
This was a good one. It talks about things unique to introverts and how to turn those into strengths, also how to prevent them from getting in the way of success. There are pointers on writing, blogging, avoiding being seen as less in the workplace because you don't talk as much as others, how to work with issues around brainstorming and coworker relationships, making networking actually work for you and being able to tell when it's a waste of time, etc. Would recommend.
Profile Image for Steven.
165 reviews
September 11, 2022
Short, practical guide for introverts on how to be successful business professional. Nothing earth shattering here in terms of thought provoking ideas but general principles, basic steps to follow.

My suggestion would be to take the assessment in chapter 3 and read the sections you want to work on. I scored fairly well in all areas in the assessment and therefore thought much of the book was retread for me.
Profile Image for K. Dawidowicz.
27 reviews2 followers
September 24, 2018
I picked this up out of curiosity after seeing it at the library. Honestly, though, like 90% of this is basic stuff that’s either common sense from the internet or stuff you learn in school. There isn’t really anything groundbreaking or super helpful here unless no one’s ever told you to know your audience before.
Profile Image for Amy Lyden.
89 reviews
November 20, 2018
This book was what I was looking for - a guide empowering those with more soft-spoken tendencies to pursue their career goals. I think I will revisit this book in 2-3 years - I'm not quite ready for it yet, as I don't know what I would like to 'make a difference' in. But the tips given here seem practical and effective for my personality type.
Profile Image for Jessica.
56 reviews
November 26, 2017
Kind of interesting but not life-changing or eye-opening too much..
I like reading books about introversion but I wasn't grasped too much by the writing style. I found it a bit dry sometimes.. It was interesting to skim though.
Profile Image for April O'Brien.
98 reviews2 followers
April 3, 2018
This book was very boring. The first few chapters held my attention because I felt like the author did a good job of explaining characteristics of introverts (even though she isn’t one herself) but after that, it was very easy to tune out. The tips were pretty common sense.
2 reviews
August 28, 2019
Great book about introverts from the point of an extrovert. Introverts can use modern technology to be “quiet influencers”. Makes the point that everybody doesn’t need to be loud and flashy to be an influential leader.
Profile Image for Sarah.
519 reviews1 follower
January 4, 2020
Some good points but I guess I was really looking for advice from an introvert on how to effectively be one. The author says she is not introverted. She mentions pros and cons but not a lot of solid information about how to use one's skills effectively.
July 9, 2020
Great Read for the Introverts

Definitely a great read and relatable. Loved the assessment now I know what to work on. As an introvert just because you're not as loud as others doesn't mean you don't have a voice/idea. I recommend this book.
Profile Image for Kathy (McDowell) Miller.
257 reviews2 followers
March 19, 2021
I already knew everything in this book. It was pretty boring and read like a textbook. A better book on the subject, that might actually help, is Susan Cain's "Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking."
Profile Image for Dat Fids.
20 reviews1 follower
November 26, 2022
Một cuốn sách khá hữu dụng cho một người hướng nội như mình biết cách thể hiện bản thân và tạo ảnh hưởng tới người khác mà khong phải tốn quá nhiều sức lực. Nói chung là một cuốn self-help rất hay và nên đọc
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