Susan Cain - Ideas Quotes

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We need systems that reward the best ideas, not the best presenters.

Susan Cain
Groups follow the most charismatic person, even though there is no correlation between being a good speaker and having great ideas.

Susan Cain
I worry that there are people who are put in positions of authority because they're good talkers, but they don't have good ideas. It's so easy to confuse schmoozing ability with talent. Someone seems like a good presenter, easy to get along with, and those traits are rewarded. Well, why is that? They're valuable traits, but we put too much of a premium on presenting and not enough on substance and critical thinking.

Susan Cain
It's never a good idea to organize society in a way that depletes the energy of half the population.

Susan Cain
There's no correlation between expressing an idea assertively or charismatically, and having a good idea.

Susan Cain
Psychologists usually offer three explanations for the failure of group brainstorming. The first is social loafing: in a group, some individuals tend to sit back and let others do the work. The second is production blocking: only one person can talk or produce an idea at once, while the other group members are forced to sit passively. And the third is evaluation apprehension, meaning the fear of looking stupid in front of one's peers.

Susan Cain
Solitude is out of fashion. Our companies, our schools and our culture are in thrall to an idea I call the New Groupthink, which holds that creativity and achievement come from an oddly gregarious place.

Susan Cain
Remember the dangers of the New Groupthink. If it's creativity you're after, ask your employees to solve problems alone before sharing their ideas. If you want the wisdom of the crowd, gather it electronically, or in writing, and make sure people can't see each other's ideas until everyone has had a chance to contribute.

Susan Cain
Introverts need to trust their gut and share their ideas as powerfully as they can.

Susan Cain