Sensitive people make fantastic leaders, managers, speakers and visionaries.
Sensitivity is just a different way of connecting to the world. But most of us who are sensitive find ourselves also called things like shy and reserved as children – and get put in the box of people who can’t be visible or in charge.
I used to be shy. In fact, there was a time that I was so deeply afraid of the world that I could barely speak in a group of more than 3 people. But that wasn’t my sensitivity. That was the impact of trauma. It’s time we stopped mixing these up.
When I came across the stat that 80% of shyness is learned it was like a lightbulb coming on. Often what we describe as shy is actually just someone who was trained to be seen and not heard, to make themselves small or who suffered through being visible to the adults in their life as a child. So they retracted into their shell.
That’s not a personality trait, that’s a learned behaviour. It can be unlearned.
Sensitive people don’t have to be shy
Shyness is one of the habits we associate with sensitivity. And there are a whole load of other assumptions that are made too about what someone who is sensitive can or can’t do.
But once you unwind any trauma and learned behaviours around sensitivity what you’re left with is someone who has incredible emotional intelligence, empathy and abilities to connect. That’s a huge advantage for leadership and communication in any forum.
Leadership skills can be learned. Public speaking skills can be learned. Facilitation skills can be learned. And when you combine those with the superpower of sensitivity you’ve got someone who can make a real difference – to an organisation, to the world.
If you’re sensitive, please adjust your mindset – there is nothing you can’t do once you unwind the impact of your past and maybe learn some new skills like boundaries, assertiveness, clear communication and nervous system flexibility.
And organisations, please stop seeing sensitivity as a weakness. It is an abundance of being human and, with the right support, can become that person’s (and your organisation’s) greatest strength.
