Title: The Magic of the Stay Interview with Dick Finnegan

Episode Summary:

In this episode, Jennifer welcomes turnover expert Dick Finnegan to share his proven strategies for reducing employee turnover through one powerful tool: the stay interview. As CEO of C-Suite Analytics and author of The Power of Stay Interviews, Dick explains how five simple questions can dramatically improve retention, engagement, and trust between managers and employees.

Dick walks us through his journey from traditional HR to becoming a thought leader in employee retention. He reveals how turnover often hinges more on who manages employees than on where or what they do—and how stay interviews put the power to reduce attrition directly into managers’ hands. Introverted leaders are natural fits to plan and execute these critical discussions.

Listeners will learn why exit interviews come too late, how employee referrals and job previews drive better hiring outcomes, and why engagement surveys fall short of the individualized insight companies really need. In order to prevent introverts from quietly quitting, consider the proven strategies that Dick shared.

Key Topics:

• The five essential questions every manager should ask in a stay interview

• Why accountability for turnover should fall to managers, not HR

• The underestimated cost of losing employees (up to $18,700 per entry-level role!)

• Realistic job previews and referrals as hiring game-changers

• How stay interviews foster connection, especially valuable for introverted employees

Action Items:

• 📘 Explore Dick’s newest book, Targeting Turnover

• 🗣️ Start stay interviews within your team or organization

• 💡 Share turnover cost data with leadership to gain support

• 🤝 Strengthen your employee referral program

Connect with the Guest:
Dick Finnegan – C-Suite Analytics | Author of The Power of Stay Interviews and Targeting Turnover

Guest: Carol Stewart, Founder of Abounding Solutions and Creator of the Quietly Visible Conference
Host: Jennifer Kahnweiler
Duration: ~28 minutes

In this episode, Jennifer talks with Carol Stewart, a leadership coach, author, and advocate for introverted leaders. Carol shares her journey from the UK Ministry of Justice to becoming a globally recognized voice for introverts. Her passion for coaching, combined with academic rigor and lived experience, helped her create impactful spaces—like the Quietly Visible conference—that champion introversion as a leadership strength.

Carol also opens up about the “introvert pay gap,” how introverts can thrive on LinkedIn, and what it takes to be an introvert ally in today's workplace.

• From Redundancy to Reinvention:
  Carol transitioned from a senior government role into coaching after her position was eliminated. She leaned into her strengths and passion for helping others grow, particularly during career transitions.

• Embracing Introversion as a Strength:
  Like many introverts, Carol once resisted the label due to common misconceptions. Through deeper research and reflection, she came to see introversion as a source of power and authenticity.

• The Introvert Pay Gap is Real:
  Carol discusses emerging research showing that extroverts tend to earn more over the course of their careers, in part due to workplace biases.

• Strategies for Allyship in Organizations:
  Allies can:

  • Acknowledge the extrovert ideal bias.

  • Design meetings that allow space for introverts to reflect.

  • Share agendas in advance.

  • Encourage diverse thinking styles.

• LinkedIn for Introverts:
  Carol recommends it as a platform where introverts can:

  • Share thought leadership at their own pace.

  • Build visibility without being in the spotlight.

  • Connect deeply and authentically.

• Social Justice and Personality Inclusion:
  Carol views personality style inclusion—especially for introverts—as a social justice issue. She urges organizations to expand inclusion efforts beyond visible characteristics.

Carol hosts a unique in-person and virtual conference for introverted leaders each September in London. With panels, masterclasses, and even a LinkedIn branding session, it’s a powerful experience for introverted professionals across the globe.

• Follow Carol Stewart on LinkedIn (search: Carol Stewart Abounding Solutions or Carol Stewart Quietly Visible)

• Visit her website: aboundingsolutions.com to sign up for her newsletter and learn about the 2025 Quietly Visible Conference

• Explore Carol’s work on leadership coaching, psychological safety, and inclusion

• Become an introvert ally by:

  • Noticing and addressing bias

  • Encouraging balanced participation in meetings

  • Valuing authenticity over performance

Overview

What does it take to lead confidently when everything feels uncertain? In this episode of Introvert Ally, Jennifer sits down with Kevin Eikenberry—leadership expert, longtime remote work researcher, and Chief Potential Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group—to explore the power of flexibility in today’s rapidly evolving workplace.

Kevin shares insights from his newest book, Flexible Leadership: Navigate Uncertainty and Lead with Confidence, and offers a compelling case for why adaptability and contextual awareness are non-negotiable skills for leaders—especially those guiding remote or hybrid teams.

They dig into what introverted professionals need from their managers, how training is evolving to meet diverse learning needs, and why leaders must check in, not check out, when people are working from a distance. Plus, Kevin reflects on his roots growing up on an Indiana farm, his early career in agri-business, and how leadership has shaped him into a better human being.

Key Topics:

• The mindset shifts leaders need to navigate uncertainty

• How to meaningfully engage introverts in meetings and training

• Why context matters more than ever in leadership decisions

• The ongoing evolution of remote and hybrid work

• Kevin’s personal leadership journey and what continues to drive his work

About Kevin

Kevin Eikenberry is a globally recognized leadership thinker and the founder of The Kevin Eikenberry Group. He’s spent over 30 years helping leaders in 53+ countries unlock their potential. He’s the author of multiple bestselling books including The Long-Distance Leader, From Bud to Boss, and Remarkable Leadership.

🎁 Download a free gift from Kevin: Click here
📝 Read Kevin’s blog: kevineikenberry.com/blog
🎧 Listen to Kevin’s podcast: The Remarkable Leadership Podcast

Guest: Michael Thompson, Career Coach, Lecturer at EAE Business School, and Author of Shy by Design

Episode Overview: In this episode, we sit down with Michael Thompson, a career coach and lecturer at EAE Business School in Barcelona, to discuss his book Shy by Design, which explores 12 timeless principles for introverts to stand out. Michael shares his personal journey of overcoming a severe stutter and a strict military upbringing to become a confident salesperson and career coach.

He highlights the power of curiosity, authenticity, and relationship-building for introverts, offering practical advice on how to take small, manageable steps to boost confidence. Michael also explains how networking outside one's field can lead to meaningful connections and why treating people as individuals is essential in both professional and personal settings.

Key Topics Discussed:

• Michael’s background: From shy introvert to confident communicator

• The difference between introversion and shyness

• How curiosity and authenticity fuel connection and success

• The importance of building deep relationships rather than broad networks

• Overcoming self-doubt and embracing confidence in sales and leadership

• Practical strategies for introverts to thrive in networking and public speaking

Action Items:

• Connect with Michael Thompson through his Substack newsletter Shy by Design or visit his website: MichaelThompson.art

• Final Thoughts: Michael encourages listeners to embrace curiosity, authenticity, and lifelong learning. He reminds us that confidence and connection are built over time, one step at a time. Tune in for an inspiring conversation that will empower introverts to navigate their careers and relationships with confidence.

Bio

Michael Thompson is a career coach, lecturer at EAE Business School in Barcelona, Spain, and strategic communication advisor to top business leaders worldwide. Growing up, his stutter and social anxiety kept him from pursuing his goals. By turning his supposed weaknesses into his greatest strengths, he developed a system of principles to help people express themselves more confidently and build meaningful relationships without sacrificing their nature. His work has appeared in numerous publications, including Fast Company, Insider, Forbes, INC, MSN, and Apple News. His new book is Shy by Design: 12 Timeless Principles to Quietly Stand Out (Rowman & Littlefield, July 16, 2024).

Stay Connected With Us:

Subscribe to the Introvert Ally podcast on your favorite platform for more insights and interviews. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple and share it with a friend!

Pre-order the 3rd edition of The Introverted Leader: Building On Your Quiet Strength

Follow Jennifer on Linked In

Thanks for listening!

Resources:

Michael's website

In this episode, Jennifer Kahnweiler sits down with Jess Pettit, a professional speaker, consultant, and author of Almost Doing Good. Jess shares her unique career journey from education to crisis management and diversity consulting. She offers deep insights on balancing humility and ego—what she calls "riding two horses"—and the power of listening, especially for extroverts engaging with introverts.

Jess also introduces the concept of the "do good triangle," a framework for preparing for, recognizing, and responding to disruptions. We discuss the challenges and benefits of leading Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) and the importance of using privileged identities to advocate for others.

✅ Jess’s transition from education to professional speaking.
✅ The importance of balancing humility and ego.
✅ Why extroverts should listen like dolphins when engaging with introverts.
✅ How the "do good triangle" helps organizations navigate challenges.
✅ Strategies for making ERGs more effective.
✅ The power of authenticity and adapting to different audiences.
✅ How socially privileged identities can be used for advocacy.

📖 Book: Almost Doing Good

Connect with Jess Pettit

📖 Book: Almost Doing Good
🌐 Website: https://jesspettitt.com/

Jess Pettitt, M.Ed., CSP, has always had a foot in two different approaches to her life. Perhaps it is her Texas roots, but she believes to thrive in this world you have to ride two horses at once – one of humility and one of ego.

This is why while hosting and performing stand-up in NYC she also worked as a diversity and inclusion specialist as a day job. She quit her day job after a decade and almost 20 years later still uses humor to deliver actionable content related to everything you ever wanted to know about where leadership and diversity collide but are afraid to ask. Though often referred to as a thought leader, Jess responds that she makes leaders think.

For Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion work to stick, the first step is a conversation that matters about what you don’t know you don’t know then you can do the best you can with what you have some of the time without getting sued, losing talent, or failing customers.

To help her reflect on the key takeaways from Season 2, Jennifer invited her introverted partner  Bill Kahnweiler into the conversation. Understanding Bill was the initial impetus for her 15-year journey as an introvert ally. Listen in as Bill shares keen perspectives and personal reactions to our Season 2 guests. 

Bill Kahnweiler was a professor of human resource development at Georgia State University in Atlanta. His research focused on people issues in the workplace. He taught various courses that focused on “the human aspects of work organizations”  and published over 90 articles in scholarly and popular outlets. The most meaningful compliment he received from hundreds who endured his classes was “Funniest Professor Ever!”

Before entering academia he was a director of a high school peer counseling program, an instructor in state and federal prisons, an HR professional at GE, and a management consultant at the Hay Group (now Korn Ferry). 

Jennifer B. Kahnweiler is a bestselling author and one of the leading speakers on introverts in the workplace. She is the host of the Introvert Ally Podcast. Her pioneering books, The Introverted Leader, Quiet Influence, The Genius of Opposites, and Creating Introvert-Friendly Workplaces have been translated into 18 languages.

She has delivered keynotes from Singapore to Spain. Her engaging presentations to diverse audiences blend research with provocative examples and practical tools. Jennifer has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Forbes and The New York Times and has appeared as a guest on over 100 podcasts. Jennifer holds the Certified Speaking Professional designation, awarded to a small percentage of speakers, and is proud to serve as a mentor to many professional women.

Episode Highlights

●Differences between introversion, shyness, and social anxiety

●Character roles

●Tell others what you want from them not what they're doing wrong

●Bringing your real self to work

●Networking strategies at conferences

●Paraphrasing

Resources

Www.jenniferkahnweiler.com

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Bill-Kahnweiler

Jennifer is an experienced, self-proclaimed introverted leader, who brings more than 20 years of industry experience in quality and regulatory functions. She has led global teams in the pharmaceutical and medical device industries. Jennifer recently started her own consulting firm, JMT Compliance Consulting, and is passionate about building energized, diverse, and inclusive teams that are motivated by a shared mission to transform healthcare. 

Jennifer talks about the discovery of her own introversion, how self-awareness can affect business results and her journey to working as a senior leader. She is so glad she has learned to use introversion as a lens to understand the world and fuel her curiosity.

“As a leader, I let the creative juices happen organically. I don’t want to be the first or the last to speak.”

Episode Highlights

●      Discovering her introversion

●      Linking awareness to business results

●      Working as an introverted business leader

●      Finding time outside of work

●      Why you need to be quiet

●      Don’t be afraid to have a conversation

Resources

●      Jennifer on LinkedIn