Introvert Leadership in Fast Rooms: Manage Your Energy and Respond With Confidence

Lisa O’Borne and Christopher Eaddy on slowing the moment down so you can lead with calm clarity.

Do you ever walk out of a fast meeting thinking, “I had the perfect point… thirty seconds too late”? If you’re an introverted leader, those “fast rooms” can feel like they reward speed over clarity — and it’s easy to leave frustrated, replaying what you wish you’d said.

In this episode, Lisa O’Borne and Christopher Eaddy unpack a practical skill that changes everything: managing your energy in the moment so you can respond instead of reacting. We talk about how to interrupt autopilot, slow your internal experience of time just enough to think clearly, and why rapport isn’t a personality trait — it’s a learnable form of empathy that helps you read signals and build trust.

We also take a hard look at how we talk about middle managers and ageism — and why the lazy stereotypes miss the point. Middle managers are often the translators: turning executive intent into reality, protecting teams from chaos, and making change actually stick. If you’ve ever felt squeezed from both sides, this conversation offers a more accurate frame — and a more helpful way to lead from the middle with steadiness, presence, and real influence.