I have struggled with something for years. It's a little-known secret: I don't like being in the spotlight.

I speak at conferences. I show up at dinners and cocktail parties. But although I’m totally at ease on stage in front of hundreds, I feel anxious in crowds. You will often find me sneaking off to my hotel room after a presentation, usually early, to watch “Dancing with the Stars.”

I love working to ignite a passion with sales teams, motivating young people to succeed and helping service teams feel valued and heard. But I'm not an extrovert. I have a difficult time with people who delight in self-promotion, shameless or otherwise.

I often credit one of my favorite topics to the author Paul Stoltz, whose work on adversity has greatly impacted my life. In short, Stolz suggests our No. 1 factor for success is how well we withstand and overcome adversity.

I've always had a deep, core desire to succeed, but I have not always been exceptional when it comes to handling tough times. I was taught to "hunker down" and take a beating when life's circumstances overpower. Rarely did I look up, let alone find the courage up rise up and lean in. But leaning in is what separates the “campers” from the “climbers.”

Over the years I’ve spent building a successful training and coaching firm, I've come to an important conclusion: It's OK to be who you are. You just have to be willing to stretch!

Several years ago, I was on the faculty of a national training organization. During a multiday training program, we did a basic four-quadrant behavior style analysis. My big takeaway was that 67% of professionals in the industry are what we call "doves": kind, amiable, tender-hearted individuals who avoid conflict at all costs.

Guess what else? Doves are also the slowest to change.

Shocking as it is, the majority of the workforce consists of people who are the uninspired participants of significant change. They mask their desire to grow by settling into the comfort of the status quo.

But even if you're an introvert, you can still be a climber. Don't let stereotypes get the best of you. Speak up! Get involved! Make your voice heard! Believe you have something valuable to contribute.

If you're a leader reading this, write down two or three things you've resisted changing and set a deadline to try something new.

If you're in sales, think about how you can attract more loyal customers by explaining to them how your approach will help them achieve cohesiveness in their insurance program. This necessarily involves changing up your old dusty proposal templates.

If your position is customer care, think about how you can lean in to those tough conversations about additional coverages or account rounding so your customers know you're looking out for them.