I’ve been in Corporate America for 13 years. Upon joining this workforce, I was outspoken, friendly and willing to do whatever was needed. I was a self-proclaimed extrovert. People didn’t scare me. I could hold my own in conversation. And being 6’2”, I had (have) a fairly commanding presence. So, I did well and took a few promotions, which ultimately landed me in career development training sessions. Most of these included the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator © (MBTI) assessment which is a series of questions that, when answered honestly, help to determine one’s personality type. Based on work done by Carl Jung, the results of this test point to one of 16 possible combinations for the following traits: Extrovert/Introvert, Sensing/Intuitive, Thinking/Feeling, Judging/Perceiving (Northouse, 2013, p. 330-333). At first, I tended to answer the questionnaires in a way that pointed to me being an extrovert, although on the border. Yet, the more of these courses that I attended, the more I became honest in my assessment of what I truly enjoyed vs. what I believed was expected of me. This is how, while in my late 20’s, I learned for the first time that I am an introvert.
Panic.
This was my first reaction. How could I be an introvert? They were no fun! They didn’t have the type of success I was hoping to achieve. I didn’t want the job where I sat quietly at a desk and crunched numbers all day. I wanted to be a decision-maker. I wanted to lead.
Enter Warren Buffet.
I work in financial services and there is arguably no one more respected and admired than Warren Buffet, Chairman and CEO for Berkshire Hathaway Inc. What does the world know about Buffett? Primarily, that he’s rich and yet fairly simple, living in the same house he purchased back in the 1950’s and driving himself to and from work in his older-model Cadillac. Yet what the world doesn’t commonly discuss is the introverted nature that he possesses. This is evidenced by his demeanor during interviews as well as his overall approach to the business world. Buffett is a shining example for introverts that success is not dependent upon captivating the spotlight.
Introverts bring a unique set of desired skills to the workforce. Frances B. Kahnweiler, author of The Introverted Leader: Building on Your Quiet Strength, outlines five such characteristics:
1. They think first and talk later. They consider what others have to say, then reflect and respond.
2. They focus on depth not superficiality. They like to dig deeply into issues and ideas before considering new ones.
3. They exude calm. In times of crisis in particular, they project reassuring, unflappable confidence.
4. They prefer writing to talking. They are more comfortable with the written word, which helps them formulate the spoken word.
5. They embrace solitude. They are energized by spending time alone, and often suffer from people exhaustion. They need a retreat, from which they emerge with renewed energy and clarity (Williams, 2012).
There’s no denying a charismatic leader is preferred to one who isn’t. But just as extroversion isn’t a buy-in for success, introversion does not automatically rule one out. As Northouse discusses, the important factor in all of this is grouping leaders with followers. Each of the personality type combinations have preferred companions with successful outcomes from pairing these correctly (Northouse, 2013, p.357).
As our business world evolves, so does the tradition of authoritarian leadership. I am no longer panicked, thinking my future is limited because I would rather read a book than host a party. I understand that leading is multi-faceted and while I may always struggle with the balance between rejuvenation and anti-social tendencies I have no reason to believe I can’t continue to carve a successful path for myself. I hope other introverts join me in this.
References:
Northouse, Peter G. (2013). Leadership Theory and Practice (6th ed). Thousand Oaks, CA: Lawrence Sage Publications Ltd.
Williams, R. (2012, May 30). Why we need quiet, introverted leaders. Retrieved from:
http://business.financialpost.com/2012/05/30/why-we-need-quiet-introverted-leaders/