Susan Cain

• New York Times bestselling author of Quiet Power: The Secret Strengths of Introverts and Quiet: The Power of Introverts in A World That Can’t Stop Talking, named the #1 best book of 2012 by Fast Company magazine, which also name Cain one of its Most Creative People in Business
• Her latest masterpiece, Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole, an Oprah’s Book Club pick, debuted #1 on the NYT Bestsellers List
• Her TED talks on the power of introverts and the hidden power of sad songs and rainy days have been viewed over 40 million times.
• 6th Top Influencer in the world by LinkedIn & one of the world’s top 50 Leadership and Management Experts by Inc.
• Featured in The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Economist, The Wall Street Journal and many other publications
• Partners with Malcolm Gladwell, Adam Grant and Dan Pink to curate the Next Big Idea Book Club, and donates all proceeds to children’s literacy programs
• Named by Toastmasters one of Five Inspirational Females in honor of International Women’s Day
• Received Harvard Law School’s 60^th Anniversary Celebration Award for Thought Leadership and the Toastmasters 2013 International Golden Gavel Award for Communication and Leadership
• Honors graduate of Princeton and Harvard Law School
• Client list includes: Microsoft, Google, the U.S. Treasury, the S.E.C., Harvard, Yale, West Point and the US Naval Academy

Bittersweet: The Surprising Key to Creativity, Connection, and Authenticity

If you’ve ever wondered why you like sad music . . .
If you find comfort or inspiration in a rainy day . . .
If you react intensely to music, art, nature, and beauty . . .
Then you probably identify with the bitter­sweet state of mind.

Bittersweetness is a tendency to states of long­ing, poignancy, and sorrow; an acute aware­ness of the passing of time; and a curiously piercing joy at the beauty of the world. It recognizes that light and dark, birth and death —bitter and sweet—are forever paired.

With her bestselling phenomenon, Quiet, Susan Cain urged our society to cultivate space for the undervalued, indispensable introverts among us, thereby revealing an un­tapped power hidden in plain sight. Now she explores why we experience sorrow and longing, and how embracing the bittersweetness at the heart of life is the true path to creativity, con­nection, and authenticity. Susan shows how a bittersweet state of mind is the quiet force that helps us transcend our personal and collective pain. If we don’t acknowledge our own heartache, we can end up inflicting it on others. But if we realize that all humans know—or will know—loss and suffering, we can turn toward one another.

At a time of collective loss, profound discord, and personal anxiety, Bittersweet brings us together in deep and unexpected ways. Using her trademark mix of stories, research, memoir, practical tips, and inspiration, Susan will show you the power of a “Bittersweet” work culture, including:

• How the expression of sorrow, as well as joy, is key to deep creativity and genuine connection.
• Case studies of organizations, from hospitals to oil rigs, that have transformed their cultures – and smashed productivity records – by creating “bittersweet” cultures.
• An analysis of everything from Harry Potter novels to fashion photography to reveal what creativity really is – including its surprising relationship to longing, sorrow, and rising above our limitations.
• How you can use these insights and actionable steps to build true connection and foster a more creative and mutually supportive work environment.

Quiet Leadership: How to Harness the Strengths of Introverts to Change How We Work, Lead, Learn, and Innovate
Did you know introverted leaders often deliver better results than extroverted leaders do? That the most spectacularly creative people tend to be introverts? That the most innovative thinking happens alone and not in teams? One of the central challenges of any business is to bring out the best in its employees. Yet when it comes to introverts—who make up a third to a half of the workforce—our leadership strategy mainly consists of asking them to act like extroverts. This is a serious waste of talent and energy.

In her enlightening, relatable, and practical talks, Susan Cain shows us that introverts think and work in ways that are crucial to the survival of today’s organizations. How can you structure your organization so that the best ideas—rather than those of the most vocal and assertive people—dominate? How do introverts and extroverts solve problems and evaluate risk differently? What do introverts know about creativity that the rest of us should learn? Drawing on her original research and the latest in neuroscience and psychology, Susan will radically change your view of the best ways to develop leaders, manage teams, make smart hires, and stimulate innovation.

Sample Sub-Topics
How to choose and cultivate leaders wisely
How best to balance the need for solitude and teamwork to stimulate innovation
How and when to stretch outside our comfort zones
How to harness the best of everyone's ideas
How to overcome any fear
Quiet Kids: How Our Education System Can Teach Introverted Students

"Our 'Harnessing the Strengths of Introverts' fireside chat was an amazing success, more than 700 colleagues joined from 20 countries. We have been elevating discussions on personality diversity and the level of engagement was outstanding. Following the event, we received over 200 requests for more information and in the post-event survey, 97% of colleagues stated they have a better understanding of the strengths introverts bring to work and 95% of colleagues stated they have a better understanding of how unconscious bias about personality type can manifest at work. This is an extremely important component of diversity and inclusion and you have my commitment that we will do our utmost to support the inclusion and empowerment of all 'quiet ones'."
-- Kald Abdallah, Senior Vice President at leading pharmaceutical company

“The moment she stepped onto the WorkHuman stage, she displayed an undeniable range of knowledge, clarity, authenticity, and warmth. Best of all, she was the same in person. No surprise, the feedback from our attendees was off the charts. I cannot recommend Susan highly enough and can’t wait to have her back at Workhuman!”
— Kevin Mullins, Vice President of Global Communications, Workhuman

"Susan Cain keynoted at our annual marquee event and was absolutely superb. Polished, relevant, and accessible, she connected with the audience immediately and held them in rapt attention throughout her presentation. Susan was our most popular speaker, and I would recommend her for any engagement. This was one of the best experiences I have had working with a keynote speaker."
— Rachael Feigebaum, SVP, Events Program Producer, The Advertising Research Foundation

“I've never seen so much energy from conference attendees during a presentation - the first session after lunch no less! She had every senior finance executive in the room captivated.”
— Ann Marie Gorden, Manager, Corporate Communications, KPMG US

“Susan was a delight to work with and an outstanding addition to our agenda. Her talk was inspiring, thought-provoking and energizing, with an impeccable delivery which was as moving as it was entertaining. Susan's passion really shines through and is contagious, she is a perfect fit for any forum in which the goal is to motivate and inspire.”
— Michelle Edge, Co-founder and CCO, Energy Disruptors: UNITE 2018