Your Accent Doesn't Define Your Intelligence: Language, Identity & Leadership | Douglas Brewer

What happens when what you know is bigger than what you can communicate in the moment? Executive communication coach *Douglas Brewer* works with accomplished non-native English-speaking professionals who are fluent in English but may not always feel like the full version of themselves when the stakes are high. In this episode of *Thriving in Intersectionality*, Dr. Lola Adeyemo and Douglas explore *=*language, identity, communication, confidence, and how we perceive competence. Douglas shares his own experiences learning Mandarin and Spanish and explains how language can reveal different parts of our identity. Dr. Lola also reflects on how immigrating to the United States changed her own communication. In this episode: • Why fluency doesn't always mean confidence • How language and accent can influence perceptions of competence • What learning another language can teach us about identity • Why communication requires effort from both speaker and listener • How leaders can better support multilingual professionals • Why someone's communication style doesn't tell you everything they know A takeaway to remember: “There are so many more cues to competence than language.” Someone searching for a word, speaking with an unfamiliar accent, or saying less in a meeting doesn't tell you everything they know. About Douglas Brewer Douglas Brewer is an executive communication coach who helps non-native English-speaking leaders communicate with greater confidence and presence. He is also a former university professor and hospitality executive and a multilingual adult language learner. 🔗 Connect with Douglas: LinkedIn:   / thedouglasbrewer   Website: https://thedouglasbrewer.com/ Fully Yourself in English Retreat: https://fullyyourself.com/ 🎧 *Listen, follow, and share *Thriving in Intersectionality*. 🌍 Join the free community for immigrants and first-generation professionals: www.immigrantsincorporate.org 📬 Continue the conversation on Substack: https://thedrlola.substack.com/s/the-... Connect with Dr. Lola Adeyemo:   / drlolaadeyemo   Keep thriving in your intersections. Your story matters.