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2015-08-20 06:22:14
20 August 2015
Introverts, as lawyer turned best-selling author Susan Cain explained in her
2012 book Quiet, are people who gain energy from being alone.
In business, this means they often excel in roles that require solitary thought
with minimum contact like coding or creating spreadsheet analyses.
But leadership? Today s leaders seem to be required to schmooze clients and
deliver TED-style inspirational talks. Is there a place for introverts at the
top?
Doug Conant is proof that there is. An affable American who s been chief
executive officer of Campbell s Soup and president of the Nabisco Foods Company
and is now the chairman of the Kellogg Executive Leadership Institute is also a
self-identified introvert.
But that doesn t mean being a quiet, reflective type has been an easy mix with
the corner office.
Being an introvert has been a challenge all my career, he said. The world
tends to favour those who engage and speak out in a clearly visible way and I
tend to sit back and be reflective and look for the appropriate time to make a
comment and try to connect.
Coming out
Early in his career Conant realised that his introvert tendencies were holding
him back. For instance, rather than make direct comments at meetings, he d wait
until afterwards to discuss his thoughts with the people involved, which had
far less impact.
But rather than hide his true personality and pretend to be an extrovert,
Conant learned to take the opposite tack and, in his words, come out as an
introvert.
High-profile leaders like Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg are well-known
introverts
I tried to let people know this is me. And I found that as I made myself
more vulnerable people just said oh, no problem, you re just an introvert,
he said. It made everything easier because people understood what I was like.
Conant didn t hide away in his office when big decisions were needed, but his
revelation meant people understood why he was reserved and they worked with his
personality rather than dismiss it or him.
It was a smart move, according to Jennifer Kahnweiler, author of The Genius of
Opposites: How Introverts and Extroverts Achieve Extraordinary Results
Together. Unless colleagues realise they have an introvert leader, there s the
risk they might wrongly see them as distant, aloof and self-regarding.
Because their faces might not really be showing much, and they might not talk
as much as others, people can believe introverts are often angry, or bored,
Kahnweiler explained. Introverted women have a particularly tough time because
they re expected to be the friendly outgoing leader, even if that s not the
way they feel.
What makes an introvert?
Psychologist Carl Jung first identified introvert and extrovert personality
types back in 1921. He defined introverts as people that find energy in the
external world, while introverts find it within.
We are elastic and can stretch ourselves, but only so much.
His work was adapted by mother/daughter psychologist team Katharine Cook Briggs
and Isabel Briggs Myers, who developed the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator in 1942.
This test, which uses a questionnaire to define personality type on a
Jung-inspired spectrum, is still widely used by businesses today.
Jung believed that we alternate between introvert and extrovert behaviours. So,
while we might chat with friends round the water cooler we also shut ourselves
off to finish a project.
However, despite this flexibility the latest neuro-scientific research suggests
that our tendency towards introversion or extroversion is hard-wired at birth.
In Quiet, Cain reports on a study by scientist Dr Carl Schwartz that
highly-reactive babies those more sensitive to external stimuli tend to
turn into more introverted adults, while those that react less are more
outgoing as they grow up.
So, although introverts can learn to be more extroverted, and vice versa, it
seems we can t change our core personality.
We are elastic and can stretch ourselves, she wrote, but only so much.
Modern technology eases the way
The assumption that quiet types make poor leaders is changing, as more
high-flyers admit to being introverts.
Extroverts need to see you speaking in order to be inspired.
High-profile leaders like Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg are well-known
introverts and even American Republican-party presidential candidate Jeb Bush
confessed he was kinda introverted in a recent interview with cable news
channel CNN.
The technologies that Gates and Zuckerberg and promote have helped create has
made it easier for introvert leaders to communicate effectively. E-mail,
Facebook, Twitter and various messaging apps have made it easier to interact
directly without the face-to-face element that many introverts often find
uncomfortable.
Kathryn Hall, the UK-based CEO of business consultancy, Business of Introverts,
said that she wouldn t be running a business if the internet didn t exist now.
Connecting with clients on social media or sending them an email seems much
more doable for introverts [like herself], she said. Just being able to do a
bit more from behind the computer screen gives introverted people a lot more
scope to connect in a considered way, and be heard, that doesn t seem too
scary.
A dose of extroversion
But when you re running a company or a team, technology can t replace
face-to-face contact altogether, Conant said.
If you want to be a leader, you ve just got to get out there and be with
people, he said. Extroverts need to see you speaking in order to be inspired.
This is the real challenge introvert leaders face everyday: how do you connect
with extroverts while staying true to your authentic self? Conant is a big fan
of finding an excuse to put yourself in situations that stretch your
personality, but aren t overwhelming.
For example, in his last role he wore a pedometer as an excuse to walk around
the office. It was good low-impact way to meet people, without the pressure of
a formal meeting.
Finding ways to build in the reflection period that introverts thrive on is
also smart. When organising brainstorming meetings, allowing thinking time
between the meeting and collectively making the decision makes sense,
Kahnweiler said.
As for public speaking, well, even many extroverts find that tough. A good
public speaking course can help, while Conant also recommends making sure you
re ultra-familiar with the material and have something to focus on, like slides
or notes, to anchor you in the moment so you don t lose track.
Julien Prest, French-born creator of introvert business blog Un Monde Pour Les
Introvertis, previously led a team of 20 people. To get around his introversion
and present himself more strongly as a leader, he said he played to certain
strengths.
I worked to reduce the number of big meetings I was in and have far more
one-on-one talks, which I felt more comfortable with as an introvert, he said.
I knew that I was not the best at big meetings but people appreciated me for
other skills, which I think are part of being an introvert, such as my ability
to listen and understand other people s problems.
When he had to lead or attend a big meeting or make a presentation, Prest made
sure he had plenty of rejuvenating quiet time to give him energy. It s almost
like a form of mindfulness meditation, which introverts are naturally attuned
to. It s a method Conant uses, as well.
I always woke up early in the morning and had some quiet time before I would
see my children for breakfast, Conant said.
Then, when I was CEO I had a two hour drive to work and would take those two
hours to get ready for my day in the quiet of the car. It was like putting on
my battle armour for the day and when I did that it felt like I could face
anything.