Quiet Confidence Starts Here: You’re Already Good Enough to Lead
Karolien Koolhof redefines what it means to lead, without changing who you are.
If you’ve ever felt like you had to speak louder or take up more space to be taken seriously as a leader, this episode will hit home.
My guest, Karolien Koolhof, is a leadership coach, researcher, and author of Introverted Leadership. Through her company Quiet Quality, she helps introverts unlearn the “I’m not good enough” story — the quiet, persistent belief that so many of us carry.
Karolien’s story takes us from her early days in Dutch journalism — where being “more outspoken” was treated as a requirement for success — to her MBA research interviewing introverted leaders across the world. What she discovered flips the script on what leadership looks like and who gets to define it.
We talk about:
How cultural bias shapes who’s seen as “leadership material”
The global difference in how introversion is perceived
Why “I’m not good enough” is the most common (and damaging) belief she sees in coaching
Her brilliant “bus exercise” to reframe self-criticism into self-compassion
And how small, values-based steps can rewire confidence from the inside out
This conversation is about belonging, acceptance, and quiet power — a reminder that you don’t have to become someone else to lead. You just have to start trusting the person you already are.
🎧 Listen here → Apple Podcasts | Spotify
📘 Learn more about Karolien’s work: quietquality.nl