BRINGING OUT BEST IN INTROVERTS MAY REQUIRE A RETHINK
▶ Workplaces should no longer be set up with only extroverts in mind, experts tell Teja Lele
What do Albert Einstein, Barack Obama, Bill Gates, Steven Spielberg and JK Rowling have in common? Apart from the fact they all found far-reaching success, they’re all self-confessed introverts.
But today’s world and workplace seem to be built for extroverts. Their confidence, charisma and gregariousness ensure greater visibility; they often quickly end up becoming popular, being paid more and climbing the corporate ladder.
The introverted worker may find it challenging to navigate the hyper-connected corporate world, but experts believe introversion can be channelled to become a superpower in the workplace.
Neuroscientist and author Friederike Fabritius says introverts often tend to be deeper thinkers, with a study by Harvard psychologist Randy Buckner showing they tend to have more grey matter.
“This means they spend a lot more time thinking before they act – an advantage,” says Fabritius. The author of The Brain-Friendly Workplace adds that the brain of an introvert works differently; they are more intrinsically motivated and worry less about rewards, which could keep them focused longer than extroverted peers.
A study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry
revealed that, even in a relaxed state, the introverted brain was more active, with increased blood flow.
Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung coined the terms introvert and extrovert in the early 20th century, revealing that the former is exhausted by social interaction, while the latter is anxious when left alone. In modern times, a third category has emerged: ambiverts, who have both introverted and extroverted traits.
Most people sit on the spectrum between extroversion and introversion, but extroverts dominate our world, on account of being more noticeable.
One business journalist, who chose not to be named, says she has always struggled with people-facing aspects of her job, with extroverts gaining the upper hand as she – an introvert – struggled to put herself “out there”.
“In organisations that value face time and self-patting on the back, it can put the brakes on growth,” she says. Yet she believes that introverts have specific skills, including the self-awareness that comes with deep thinking, decision-making, problem-solving and analytical thinking.
Jennifer Kahnweiler, author of Creating Introvert-Friendly Workplaces and host of the Introvert Ally Podcast, agrees that most organisations tend to be geared towards extroverts. “Introversion is an underrated aspect of personality at work. Introverts bring special skills – deep listening, observation, calmness, preparation, carefully worded and written responses and more – and can use these to lead and influence,” she says.
Sujal Guttal, a consultant at an IT company, believes she has managed to stay on top of things at work by learning to communicate effectively.
“About 20 per cent to 30 per cent of my job is people-facing, including focused interactions with extended teams, managers and customers,” she says.
Extroverts may have an edge due to their “ability to communicate easily in a group”, she adds.
“They are very active on various platforms; their visibility is established quickly within and outside the organisation,” she says.
Yet she believes her special skills have set her up for success. “Great listening abilities help absorb information, understand problems and offer innovative solutions,” she says.
“Being detail-orientated helps identify minor issues before they become major problems.” As Einstein summed it up: “It’s that I stay with problems longer.”
Introverts are far from timid or unassertive; they can make for great listeners, creative workers and successful leaders.
In an interview with Dr John Sheehan for Mensa Education and Research Foundation, Marti Olsen Laney, author of The Introvert Advantage, said the general population is made up of approximately 75 per cent extroverts, but the membership of high-IQ society Mensa is nearly the reverse with “approximately 65 per cent introverts”.
Kahnweiler believes introverts tend to bring a variety of skills to the table: empathy, analytical thinking, creativity, attention to detail, adaptability, relationship building and better focus.
Introverts also have the ability to consider all sides of a problem. “This careful, well-reasoned, collaborative approach has a much better chance of success than simply forging ahead with ideas, which might be more of the extrovert way of acting,” she says.
In Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, best-selling author Susan Cain writes that introverts focus differently as well. “Extroverts are more likely to focus on what’s happening around them,” she says. “It’s as if extroverts are seeing ‘what is’, while their introverted peers are asking ‘what if?’”
However, many inward-looking people can often be invisible and ignored in a world that seems to be driven by the outgoing.
The unnamed journalist recalls being upset that the visibility of extroverts set them up for recognition and promotions, often at the cost of better-performing introverts. “But you also learn to manage expectations better. Most introverts are self-aware and this helps them stay content,” she says.
Contrary to popular belief, introverts also do very well as leaders. The CEO Genome Project, a study that spanned 10 years, assessed the performance of more than 900 chief executives and found that people with introverted personalities “exceeded expectations” of investors more often than extroverted ones.
Fabritius says it’s a misconception that a personneeds to be extroverted to be a good leader. “Introverted leaders allow people to work in a way that plays to their strengths,” she adds.
“By contrast, extroverted leaders tend to be good at pushing people who they feel aren’t fulfilling their potential, so it’s probably best to have a mix of both personalities in leadership roles – not just one or the other.”
Most extroverts, with their positive nature and
It’s as if extroverts are seeing ‘what is’ while their introverted peers are asking ‘what if?’ SUSAN CAIN Author