Speaking up in English at Work for Introverts with Louise Jefferies
Ep50: Speaking Up in Science with Tamas Sohajda | Podcasts
Recently I had the chance to sit down with Louise Jefferies on her podcast Speaking up in English at Work for Introverts
– and it turned into one of the most honest conversations I’ve had about science, communication, and the fears many of us quietly carry.
My main message was simple:
Scientists are doing extraordinary work behind the scenes… but far too much of it never reaches the people who need it.
In the episode, we talked about something I see every day in our field:
most scientists stay silent — not because they lack expertise, but because they doubt whether their voice matters. And that silence costs the industry more than we realise.
We unpacked a lot, including
• why publishing papers is no longer enough
• how misinformation fills the void when experts hold back
• the visibility challenges introverts and multilingual scientists face
• the fear of posting, presenting, or speaking up (and why our imagined catastrophes almost never happen)
• why LinkedIn is actually one of the safest, kindest spaces to start sharing
• and how having a purpose makes fear feel a lot smaller
If there’s one thing I hope listeners take away, it’s this:
Your work can influence decisions, shape policy, and move our field forward — but only if your voice is heard.
You don’t need to be louder.
You don’t need to perform.
You just need to stop hiding expertise that genuinely matters.
If you’ve ever hesitated to post, present, or speak up in a meeting, this conversation might be exactly what you need.
