I was recently surprised, after reading Self-Promotion for Introverts by Nancy Ancowitz, to learn that introverts comprise about half the population. And, according to an article in USA Today, 4 in 10 top executives are introverts. In fact, the article offers Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, Charles Schwab and Steven Spielberg as examples. Add comedian Jerry Seinfeld to the list. In an interview with Oprah Winfrey, he shares that he is an introvert: “I love people, but I can’t talk to them. Onstage, I can.”

As a coach, I find that a number of my clients lie closer on the spectrum to introversion than extroversion. How do I know? If I haven’t conducted a Myers-Briggs assessment on the client, I reference the below named attributes*. Which list describes you more than 50 percent of the time?

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In the hit 2009 movie “Up in the Air”, George Clooney stars as a corporate hatchet man, hired by companies to do the dirty work of laying off dozens of their employees. He refers to himself euphemistically as a “career transition counselor.” To each person laid off, he offers a generic pep talk that is surprisingly effective. “Anyone who ever built an empire, or changed the world,” he intones like a sympathetic parish priest, “has sat where you are now. And it’s because they sat there that they were able to do it.”

A tad trite, perhaps? Certainly. But is he right? Absolutely. And the evidence of this can be seen in a terrific new documentary entitled “Lemonade.” You could almost consider this a companion piece to “Up in the Air” as it tracks the lives of 16 advertising professionals all recently laid-off, downsized or otherwise let go by the firms they previously worked for. For anyone who has been recently discharged or is trying to figure out “what’s next”, this film is a revelation. And a celebration.

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There’s a very famous parable (credited to Russell H. Conwell) about a poor farmer who cursed his rocky fields and dreamed of a life of riches and ease. Fixing upon the idea of finding diamonds as the way to achieve his dream, he sold up his farm for a pittance and left to explore foreign lands for the precious gems he so desired. His search was futile, ultimately ending in poverty, despair and early death.

Meanwhile, the man who bought the hardscrabble farm from him soon discovered that the small, dark rocks that peppered the fields were actually raw, uncut diamonds. This led to the discovery of one of the largest and richest diamond mines of all time. Had only the poor farmer looked in his own back yard, all of his dreams could have been fulfilled!

As a coach, part of my job is helping my clients uncover their individual hidden “acre of diamonds”. Too often, we tend to overlook our own particular brand of genius, thinking that if it comes too easily, or is too much fun, it must be worthless. To uncover their personal gems, I’ll often ask my clients, “What do you think is your greatest strength? When are you most fully expressing this talent? What do you do effortlessly that is special? If you were on the cover of a magazine, what magazine would it be and what would the story be about?

Peter Bregman is a successful author and consultant on the topic of how we live and how we work. His writing captures the perfect balance between stories you enjoy and practical advice you can implement. With all of his noted success, I wondered how he discovered his own special “acre of diamonds.”

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The dream of the open road. Ahhh, what adventures await. Have you ever heard of people doing crazy things like dropping everything to head out in an RV to cover all 50 states? Well, 2 pioneering souls that blazed that path in search of stories to awaken the entrepreneurial spirit, are Jennifer and Joe Remling. Both made major changes in their lives in order to embark on a journey traveling 5,000 miles around the country in an http://www.airstream.com. Why? They longed to interview people who had successfully made life-changing course corrections. 

This was a extraordinary journey for Jennifer. Formerly a corporate executive, she ran her businesses from the road while doing interviews for her book, Carve Your Own Road. Through the discovery that she could live and work on her own terms, she realized how much happier and fulfilled she was.  Whether you want to leave corporate life and start your own business, or discover ways you can become an innovator within a company, Carve Your Own Road is a guide to help you redefine career happiness and achieve goals on your own terms. I asked Jennifer, (JR), to share what it means for her to follow her instincts and “run her own race” in life.

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In 2002, I was in the midst of a career transition and decided to focus my attention on volunteering for a cause. At a local road race, I happened upon a non-profit organization which spoke directly to me, http://www.girlsontherun (GOTR). Beyond the smiling faces of the pre-teens basking in the glow of their first 5K, what I found was a group with a mission to educate and prepare young women for a lifetime of self-respect and healthy living.

Girls on the Run® is an experiential learning program that combines training girls ranging in age between 8-14 for a 5K running event with lessons that assist in their overall social development. It was founded in 1996 by Molly Barker in Charlotte, North Carolina. Today, the program operates in over 120 cities across North America, with tens of thousands of girls and women participating.

The best teachers in life are those who have something to share, and a true passion for sharing it. Molly Barker has both. I admire her humor, grace, and humility. I am inspired by the significant impact her program will have on future generations of women. It is not just Molly’s accomplishments that move me; it is the quality and class that define her work. I asked Molly (MB) to share her thoughts on what it means to “run her own race” in life…

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