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Society tends to characterize leaders in “big” terms. Think: magnetic charisma that inspires even as it intimidates, a presence that fills the room, an extroverted personality that thrives in social settings, and a booming voice that seems to carry for miles.

Considering how prevalent this traditional image of a leader has been, it is hardly surprising that many highly sensitive people tend to dismiss the notion that they could be an amazing leader. But this is a grave mistake ─ one that overlooks the extraordinary set of leadership traits that highly sensitive people possess naturally.

That said, there are two sides to every personality trait: a positive one and a negative one. Mastering your leadership skills as a highly sensitive person requires capitalizing on your unique strengths and overcoming the challenges that your weaknesses present to you. Essentially, it is about leveraging the classic traits of highly sensitive people in a positive way for both your employees and you.

Here, learn effective tactics to master your leadership skills as a highly sensitive person.

WHAT IS A HIGHLY SENSITIVE PERSON (HSP)

Often described as intuitive or high sensitivity to environmental, physical, and emotional stimuli, highly sensitive people (HSP) absorb and process more information than their non-highly sensitive counterparts. HSPs are more aware of acute subtleties of their environment, and the people around them.  As a result, highly sensitive people have sensory processing sensitivity. (1) They also reflect more deeply on the information they take in. (2)

This set of personality traits makes HSPs unique, rare, and highly valuable to the workplace. The strengths of highly sensitive people include:

  • Empathy, understanding and a desire to create harmony in the workplace.
  • Insight that allows them to recognize and avert potential interpersonal conflicts.
  • Natural ability to see both the details and the big picture view.
  • High creativity which allows them to leverage great ideas to elevate projects.
  • A meticulous approach and commitment to achieving high goals.

EMBRACE YOUR LEADERSHIP ABILITIES

People who are aggressive and loud tend to draw the most attention, but it is not always positive attention. The same is true of leaders. Yes, there are leaders who bluster and boast and will hardly let anyone else get a word in edgewise. However, these are the kinds of leaders that may get results but often at the cost of high employee turnover.

Forbes, CEO Review, and Fast Company have reported that leadership today involves less strategy and more human skills.  In other words, if leaders want to lead well, they need to learn how to influence people, nurture them, assure their work has purpose, and cultivate a culture of psychological safety.

Ponder for a moment about those in leadership positions who are great listeners and observers, value what their employees bring to the table and think carefully about each business decision instead of acting on impulse. These are some of the absolute best qualities that a leader can possess. And they are all qualities that characterize highly sensitive people. (3)

So, whether you currently hold a leadership position, are vying for one, or becoming a business leader is one of your career aspirations, you should embrace your innate leadership abilities. Do not make the mistake of assuming that you cannot be a good leader because you do not fit the stereotypical or antiquated vision of a leader.

TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS AND BELIEVE IN YOURSELF

Once you accept that you can excel in a leadership position, you need to reinforce this conviction. It is inevitable that at some point, you will get pushback, due to the pre-conceived ideas that society has about how a leader should think and act.

However, when you continuously work on your self-confidence and focus on your strengths, you create the foundation you need to remain unwavering when others try to inflict their doubts on you. Some of the different methods you can use to do this include:

  • Finding a career mentor who provides helpful advice, honest feedback and gives you a safe space to grow.
  • Collaborating with a psychologist to identify and resolve issues that might be holding you back from your leadership potential.
  • Educating yourself with resources like books, webinars, podcasts, conferences and meetings geared towards helping highly sensitive people flourish as leaders.

Putting in the effort to become self-confident is the first step. It will get you much closer to trusting your instincts and believing in yourself, both of which are crucial for anyone to succeed in a leadership role.

NORMALIZE UNRUSHED THOUGHT PROCESSING AND DECISION-MAKING

Highly sensitive people can become fearful of making the wrong decision. Your deep intelligence and mature way of recognizing the value of different paths can seem overwhelming at times. It is like having too much of a good thing, like rocky road ice cream or chocolate. (1)

Trying to rush the thinking process is another behavior that can distress a highly sensitive person. In a world where people’s attention spans are getting shorter and life seems to move at lightning speed, you might feel pressured to process your thoughts quickly.

Instead of letting these intrinsic traits paralyze you, acknowledge that they make you a visionary of sorts. Take a breath, then slow down and give your thinking and decision-making process the time it needs. Taking the time to think it through and make a sound decision is a smart move if you do not postpone it indefinitely.

DO NOT SHRINK FROM SHARING YOUR IDEAS

Every organization has employees who feel like they need to dominate every brainstorming session and constantly talk over their coworkers. You may know or can identify some people in your own company. Going up against these people to share your ideas can be intimidating and frustrating to the average person, let alone someone with HSP personality traits.

And even if you do not collaborate with any people who act like this, you might still feel like your ideas as a highly sensitive person are not worthy of sharing. You need to do away with this misconception and give your great ideas the credit they deserve. Share them!

You do not have to compromise who you are to do this. Making your voice heard does not require being loud or interrupting others. Instead, view it as a presentation of the ideas you have for improving your processes, team, and organization. Speak quietly, but firmly, and do not let your colleagues steamroll you.

USE YOUR KEEN OBSERVATIONS TO EMPOWER AND NURTURE YOUR EMPLOYEES

One of the biggest challenges highly sensitive people face is noticing environmental and social stimuli. The former includes disruptions like a flickering light, overpowering perfume, or arctic air conditioning. The latter includes the behavior, actions, and emotions of the people around an HSP. (1)  Furthermore, the latter can be especially draining on highly sensitive people. You not only carry your own emotions and stress, but you also carry that of your coworkers. This can be extremely overwhelming on an HSP especially when emotions are running high.

On the other hand, sensing the emotions of your employees is a superpower of sorts. Why? It allows you to pick up on subtleties that provide you with insight into what they need to do their best work. And when you gain this knowledge, you can use it to empower and nurture your employees. The more empowered and supported they feel, the more motivated they will be to give the job their all.

SET BOUNDARIES AND LEARN TO SAY “NO”

You need to take care of yourself to be a good leader. It is like the classic metaphor of putting the oxygen mask on yourself before you help your fellow passengers on an airplane.

Setting boundaries and taking a few moments for yourself are both key forms of self-care for highly sensitive people. Since you tend to get overwhelmed by what is happening in your environment, it is critical to step away from it sometimes. Schedule at least one break for yourself during the workday. It does not have to be a long break; even 10 minutes can be enough to help ease tension and provide a little space. Do not allow your coworkers to infringe on this time. Treat it like a daily meeting or task that is top priority.

And if you feel like your employees or fellow members of leadership are overstepping your boundaries, do not be afraid to push back. You of all people have mastered the art of dealing with people in a tactful, considerate, and thoughtful way. All you need to do is leverage this HSP skill to set boundaries when necessary.

LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE

While you might be tempted to hide your light under a bushel as a highly sensitive person, there are many reasons why you should let it shine. The traits that are intrinsic to your personality are incredible assets for anyone in a leadership role to possess. When you use the strategies outlined above, you will capitalize on these strengths, positioning your team and yourself for success.

Are you looking to hold a leadership retreat or teambuilding event to help those who hold leadership positions in your company master their skills? If so, contact Gavel International to see how working with a meeting planning company can benefit your organization.

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SOURCE(S):

1 https://mybook.to/highlysensitive

2 https://www.bcs.org/articles-opinion-and-research/identify-and-unleash-your-talent/

3 http://hsperson.com/pdf/The_highly_sensitive_brain_%20an_fMRI_study.pdf

This article was last updated on July 13, 2023

Jim Bozzelli
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