Be kind (above all): to each other, to our partners, to our global community*. Everything we do, we do for the next generation of quiet children. And quiet grown-ups. And their family, friends and colleagues.
 
Be excellent: When our co-founder Susan Cain was ten years old and working on a new writing project, her mother told her that the people who achieve great things in this world are the ones who "go the extra mile." Today, Susan's mom says that she has no memory of that conversation! But Susan does, and this idea informs everything we do.
 
Be soulful: Embrace feeling, emotion, and the unseen.
 
Be quirky: All human beings are quirky, even those of us who seem smooth and cool. We don't hide our quirks or ask others to. This is part of what makes us human.
 
Be honest: We always strive to honor commitments, tell the truth, and work out our differences. This last one is hard because it requires having difficult conversations. Introverts don't like difficult conversations. But we try.
 
Be aligned: We are clear about our values, and try to act in accordance with them. We take care that our actions are in alignment with our words. When we find ourselves in misalignment (as all humans sometimes are), we admit it, and work to change our course.
 
Be yin and yang: Introverts and extroverts love and need each other deeply. The world could not go on without both types, and the same is true of our organization. We carefully hire to preserve this balance.
 
Be a revolutionary. "In a gentle way, you can shake the world." This revolution will outlive us all (that includes every single member of our team and anyone reading these words, no matter how young you are.) We expect to see radical changes in our culture as a result of our collective efforts. Those changes will be glorious and exhilarating. And they won't be enough. We always have to try harder.