The "Quiet" Employee Myth: Ankur Warikoo's Game-Changing Advice
Ever felt like you're drowning in work, but your efforts go unnoticed? Or maybe you're naturally a bit reserved, and that shyness makes you feel invisible, especially in a busy office or a hybrid work setup? If so, you're not alone. A recent piece of advice from entrepreneur Ankur Warikoo, shared widely on LinkedIn, is hitting home for thousands of people who feel exactly this way.
It all started when a young woman reached out to Warikoo, feeling overwhelmed and undervalued in her hybrid workplace. She described herself as introverted, struggling to speak up in meetings, and often feeling like a pushover, especially when senior colleagues piled on work with tight deadlines. She believed her quiet nature was a sign of respect, but it left her feeling insecure and overlooked.
What she got back from Warikoo wasn't just gentle career advice; it was a powerful wake-up call. He didn't sugarcoat it. He told her, "You’re not broken, but you are stuck in a story that no longer serves you."
Warikoo explained that her introversion wasn't the real problem. Instead, what she was experiencing was avoidance – a habit born from self-doubt, disguised as her personality. She wasn't quiet by nature; she was holding back out of fear that she wasn't "enough."
He used a brilliant analogy: "Nobody ever learned how to swim by standing on the shore and watching others talk about the ocean." His point? You build confidence and grow by actually doing things, by stepping into discomfort, not by waiting for perfection.
In the workplace, her reluctance to challenge authority stemmed from a desire to be polite. But Warikoo cut through that illusion too: "Being assertive is not being disrespectful. And being silent is not being respectful—it’s being invisible."
He urged her, and by extension, all of us, to stop apologizing for what we don't know or for needing time. Instead, he encouraged scripting firm but respectful responses, like, "I understand the urgency, but I’ll need until [specific time] to do this well."
Warikoo’s message is more than just career advice; it’s a blueprint for breaking free from habits that hold us back. He closed with a powerful reminder: "This version of you—the quiet one who makes herself smaller—is a story that needs to stop. Time to write a better one."
In a world where workplaces are still figuring out how to support different personalities, Warikoo’s post is a timely reminder that sometimes, the most impactful change doesn't come from the system, but from rewriting your own story.
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