Having a quiet temperament, disliking small talk and thinking before you speak can quickly lead to being misunderstood. You must be shy, recluse, perhaps a little bit anti-social.
You’re rarely classified as simply being introverted and therefore an individual who may possess valuable personality traits that could be beneficial to business. Indeed, you may spend considerable amounts of energy attempting to emulate the behaviours of “extroverts” around you in order to fit in or prove you’re just as capable and ambitious.
During a recent roundtable discussion I got to know a smart, savvy and seemingly open company director who shared her views loudly and confidently across the table. She was never short of an opinion, shared numerous personal stories and was quick to speak over the top of other individuals present.
So later when we were talking between ourselves I was surprised to hear she considered herself introverted. She’d put in a considerable effort in order to speak up and ensure her voice was heard among the eight other women at the table. Perhaps it was “acting”, or merely constant self-reminders to engage in the conversation. No matter how she personally managed it, nobody at the roundtable could have known she considered herself introverted. In fact, most would have thought she was the opposite.
Female introverts have to work extra hard in order to get heard in a world where “successful leaders” are often viewed as those who’re loud, gregarious, and at their best when engaged and surrounded by others. Those who prefer solitude to social activities and would rather not participate in the office backslapping may find it a challenge to climb the corporate ladder in a business where alpha males have typically dominated.
But with Facebook’s Sheryl Sandberg urging women to “lean in” to get the leadership positions we deserve, we should also appreciate “leaning in” is not always a matter of acting like those who’re already within the circle.
Far from being a personality flaw when it comes to leadership, introverts can bring a new dynamic to organisational leadership – as long as we’re in environments diverse enough to consider the advantages of differing personality types. Introverts aren’t necessarily shy or recluse, nor do we dislike talking to or working with others, but rather prefer introspection and more closely examining one’s thoughts, feelings and options. Introverts don’t always look to others to come up with new ideas, can often better consider the ramifications of a number of different options, are happy to deeply think things through and can better calculate the advice of others by being good listeners. No wonder introversion is often associated with creativity and innovation.
Susan Cain, who wrote the New York best-seller QUIET: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, claims a dominant extroversion culture in business which forces individuals into collaboration can ultimately stand in the way of innovation. The Harvard and Princeton graduate, corporate lawyer, negotiations consultant and trainer has worked with some of the globe’s largest clients says that others may assume she’s “hardcore, wonderfully self-confident, pound-the-table kind of person”. But she’s not. She describes herself as someone who thinks before speaking, prefers listening to talking, reading to socializing and small chats to groups settings.
She’s progressed her career by emphasising “authenticity over showmanship” – something that’s especially enabled her foray into worldwide public speaking, including a popular TEDx talk called The Power of Introverts viewed by more than three million people. You can’t change who you are, she believes, so you should instead use the skills associated with introversion to your advantage.
I noticed flicking through Forbes’ list of “famous introverts” today very few women made the cut among the Albert Einsteins, Warren Buffets, Larry Pages, Steve Wozniaks and Steven Spielbergs of the world. There were just three featured: civil rights activist Rosa Parks, Eleanor Rosevelt and author J.K Rowling – not exactly business leaders.
As more businesses are starting to appreciate the business case for diversity, let’s hope personality differences also get a look in.