Benefits of Being an Introvert

I am an introvert. I self-assigned to this category via the definition of the word. This assignment was then confirmed by the Myers-Briggs personality test I once took1.

The first part of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI?) is Favorite World-Extroversion (E) or Introversion (I): Do you prefer to focus on the outer world or on your own inner world? The indicator I got was far leaning towards Introversion I, in the “I – E” bar graph.

The following statements generally apply to an introvert:

·       I am seen as "reflective" or "reserved."

·       I feel comfortable being alone and like things I can do on my own.

·       I prefer to know just a few people well.

·       I sometimes spend too much time reflecting and don't move into action quickly enough.

·       I sometimes forget to check with the outside world to see if my ideas really fit the experience.

There are some misconceptions regarding introverted people: “They are so shy they are not able to deliver a speech in a public”; “They are so introverted that they do not like people, therefore they are not team players”; “They are introverted so they are not leadership material”, and so on. While some introverts are too shy to plunge right into a party the first chance they get, a sweeping generalization is not appropriate to describe this personality, for either introversion or extraversion. A personality of introversion vs. extraversion should not be used to determine the success of an individual in society or even to generate animosity against one type or the other.

A personality is innate. I myself certainly feel that my personality this way and it is very difficult to change. Some introverts, like me, actually wanted to change to become extroverts if we can as if society prefers extraversion over introversion. But we will not be very happy in eventuality. So instead of saying to change a personality like switch from introverted to extraverted, we should find the strengths of the two personalities and use them to our advantage.

Here is some useful advice from Career Contessa for strengths of being an introvert at work2.

NO FOOSBALL = MORE WORK DONE

“More often, introverted employees will forego a social event or a gathering of coworkers breaking off to chat or get coffee to focus on a project, instead.”

INTROVERTS ARE GENERALLY LESS COMBATIVE

“Introverts are not likely to engage in office chatter, amplify rumors, or act rashly. As deep thinkers, taking their time to carefully analyze situations, introverts are difficult to rattle. When faced with an aggressor or a stressful circumstance, an introvert can lend a calm perspective to a situation.”

INTROVERTS TAKE DIRECTION WELL

“Introverts tend to thrive on direction and suggestions from their managers.”

“Introverted leaders, concerned with listening and learning, will consider and implement great ideas from their employees.”

INTROVERTS CAN WORK ALONE

“Since introverts thrive and recharge in solidarity, they make great solo workers. Projects that require long hours of repetitive or concentrated work are perfect for introverts.”

Taking advantage of introversion, it is true that we can be great leaders. There are some examples taken from Inc Magazine3.

Bill Gates

The founder of Microsoft, philanthropist, and world's richest person, was once asked how to succeed in a predominantly extroverted world.

“Well, I think introverts can do quite well. If you're clever you can learn to get the benefits of being an introvert, which might be, say, being willing to go off for a few days and think about a tough problem, read everything you can, push yourself very hard to think out on the edge of that area. Then, if you come up with something, if you want to hire people, get them excited, build a company around that idea, you better learn what extroverts do, you better hire some extroverts (like Steve Ballmer I would claim as an extrovert) and tap into both sets of skills in order to have a company that thrives both in deep thinking and building teams and going out into the world to sell those ideas.”

Steven Spielberg

Even one of the most successful, wealthiest, and influential personalities in Hollywood is an introvert. Director and producer Steven Spielberg has admitted as much and says he would prefer to spend time getting lost into movies.

Eleanor Roosevelt

Though she a shy and retiring individual, Eleanor Roosevelt "was a woman who gave 348 press conferences as First Lady, was a United Nations delegate, a human rights activist, a teacher, and a lecturer who averaged 150 speaking engagements a year throughout the 1950s."

Mark Zuckerberg

Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg told The New York Times in 2010 that Zuckerberg, the founder and CEO of the social network site, "is shy and introverted and he often does not seem very warm to people who don't know him, but he is warm." She added, "He really cares about the people who work here."

Larry Page

The co-founder of Google, Page became the search engine's CEO in 2011. Many believed that Page was an odd choice for CEO because he's "personally reserved, unabashedly geeky, and said to be introverted."

Al Gore

The former vice president, presidential candidate, and author of An Inconvenient Truth is another public figure who found success despite being an introvert.

Marissa Mayer

The […] Yahoo! CEO may be well-known, but Mayer still believes in quiet leadership and has admitted that, "I'm just geeky and shy and I like to code…"

Abraham Lincoln

The introverted leadership skills of the 16th U.S. president have been studied often by researchers and educators because of his "geekiness," dignity, and quietness.

Warren Buffett

Known as the Oracle of Omaha, Warren Buffett is known as one of the most successful introverts and businessmen in the world. According to Buffett, when he started out, he had the "intellect for business," but he felt he had to enroll in Dale Carnegie's, "How to Win Friends and Influence People" course of seminars, because he didn't have a business persona.

Hillary Clinton

The former First Lady, Secretary of State, and […] isn't an extrovert like her husband Bill. This might be why some people believe that Clinton isn't that warm of a person.

Steve Wozniak

The Apple co-founder described his creative process in his book iWoz as follows:

“I'm going to give you some advice that might be hard to take.

That advice is: Work alone. Not on a committee. Not on a team.”

Barack Obama

[…] He's also a known introvert. In fact, columnist David Brooks stated in The New York Times, "Being led by Barack Obama is like being trumpeted into battle by Miles Davis. He makes you want to sit down and discern."

We should not use a personality to divide us—neither one is right or better; rather we should embrace our personality that we are born with and work with people with the opposite personality to complement each other for holistic success.

REFERENCES:

1.     Extraversion or Introversion https://www.myersbriggs.org/my-mbti-personality-type/mbti-basics/extraversion-or-introversion.htm Accessed on 2021-01-10

2.     Caileen Kehayas Holden, The 5 Unexpected Strengths of Being An Introvert at Work https://www.careercontessa.com/advice/unexpected-strengths-introvert-at-work/ Accessed on 2021-01-10

John Rampton 23 of the Most Amazingly Successful Introverts in History https://www.inc.com/john-rampton/23-amazingly-successful-introverts-throughout-history.html Acce