DECEMBER 1st 2022 NEWSLETTER: EXPLORATIONS & REFLECTIONS ON DIFFERENT PERSONALITY TYPES & LEADERSHIP

?? Have you ever thought about what personality is??

?? What kind of personality do you think you have??

?? Are you an introvert, or an extravert??

?? How does your personality affect your life and career??

These are questions that have been bubbling in my mind for the last weeks. Our personalities are totally unique! We may have similar characteristics to friends or family members, but like fingerprints, no two personalities are identical.

So, how does this impact our career choices and how we work?

Are we destined to work in a particular industry, or work in a specific style?

Or with the right tools and information, is it possible to adapt our personalities and shape our own trajectories?

These are questions I will be investigating throughout this newsletter, drawing on my personal experience and other people’s expertise. I will lay out different personality types, with a strong emphasis on introverts and extroverts, and reflect on their characteristics and how they interact with each other in the workplace. I will also delve into the correlation of character discrimination and gender discrimination, a cause I feel particularly strongly about. I hope you will enjoy this journey of exploring the beauty of personalities in all their wonders and contrasts: how they impact our lives, how they vary, and how we can ultimately learn to adapt who we are, and who we wish to be!

I’ve always believed that fostering a "growth mindset" is fundamental to success. If you believe that your abilities are innate and cannot be significantly improved, you won’t be able to truly improve your life. In her book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success , psychologist Carol Dweck explains that a growth mindset is when you believe you can acquire almost any ability with enough work and determination. But adopting a growth mindset is only possible if you have a good understanding of your current state! I believe that knowing your personality type is a great way to gain a better understanding of your true self, and I would encourage you to take one of the many amazing tests that help you find out which are your strongest traits!

Here are a few!?

1. 16 personalities
2. Myers & Briggs?
3. TesColour ?
4. DISC

So, have you taken it? Do you have a clearer idea of what personality type you are? Let’s keep going!?

Until very recently, personality types and human dynamics were not really discussed in work conversations, but that is completely changing, says Susan Cain , author of Quiet: the Power of Introverts? in a World that Can’t Stop Talkin g.?

“We are now at a point in corporate culture where it has become socially acceptable to talk about this”, she explains. “Introversion and extroversion go to the heart of who a person is: how they work, how they live, and how they interact”. But how do you accommodate these opposing character traits within your diverse team??

I would advise approaching this managerial challenge from a mindset of total empathy, understanding and curiosity.?

But first, we need to figure out what “introvert” and “extrovert” actually mean! Extroversion and introversion are used to define two ends of a personality spectrum. People can have a mix of introverted and extroverted traits, and we all have our own preferences and expectations in work culture!?

There is a spectrum of personality types! On the one hand, you can be an extrovert : an outgoing, gregarious person. But in terms of psychology, this noun is also defined as a person characterised by extroversion; a person concerned primarily with the physical and social environment. These bubbly people aren’t reserved and tend to mix well in social settings without stress.?

You can also be an introvert , which can be defined as a shy person, or in the field of psychology, as a person characterised by concern primarily with their own thoughts and feelings. These reserved people enjoy spending time alone and tend to shy away from social settings altogether or find those social situations draining. Introverts may be more likely to experience social anxiety and may limit their social relationships to small groups of close friends.?

Naturally, these two categories are rarely fixed, and tend to intertwine.?

Personally, I would definitely label myself as an extrovert! Ever since I was a child, I have liked to be heard, and I’ve always been very decisive, sassy, bold and loud! But I also love to be alone and draw great energy from reading, stillness and connecting with my YIN: finding balance in my stillness.?

We don’t necessarily belong to one category or the other. Many people show both introverted and extroverted characteristics! As a leader, the trick is to be able to identify these complex and opposing characteristics in people, and to show constant curiosity and understanding towards them. This requires an outstanding level of attention and active listening: not only hearing what the other has to say, but showing physical attention as well. Head nods, smiles, simple hand gestures go a long way.?

I’ll start with this amazing sketch note by Jack Zenger and Joseph Folkam on active listening!?

Importantly, you should give your workforce plenty of opportunities to make themselves heard, but equally to have time and space for themselves. Soon enough, you’ll figure out what best suits each member of your team!?

Rebecca M. Knight ’s powerful HBR article gives fantastic further advice on this quest!?

1. Educate yourself ??

Extroverts and introverts take “dramatically different approaches to work and social processes,” says Cain. Understanding these preferences will help you become a keen observer of “the people who are part of your team and what drives them”. Try and understand how introverts and extroverts think, work and interact!?

Talk to your team ??

You don’t need to go over and beyond to figure out who’s an extrovert or introvert because in most cases, “it’s pretty clear!” says Cain. That said, some introverts are not immediately identifiable “because they are practised at acting like extroverts.” In other words, they appear sociable and outgoing at work, but as soon as they get home, they collapse on the couch from exhaustion. You should “encourage frank and open conversations with people as individuals and as a team,” she says.

Promote privacy ??

The workplace, with its open floor plans and emphasis on constant collaboration, can seem like it’s built for extroverts. But research suggests that we all, especially introverts, need some kind of private space to get work done! So think about small design changes you might make to create “nooks and crannies for people to go and be alone,” she says.

Encourage introverts to speak up ???

Research indicates that in a typical six-person meeting, two people do more than 60% of the talking. In bigger groups, the problem is worse. The key to drawing out introverted employees is “to make them feel comfortable enough to contribute.” Since a direct request for feedback might put your introverted colleagues on the spot, “you could tell them in advance that you would like them to contribute so they come prepared.”?

And extroverts to listen ??

Extroverts often bring enthusiasm and candour to meetings, and you want to encourage that. But you must also teach them to “listen, reflect, and become more open to the perspectives of their more silent peers”. Cain suggests talking to the dominant personality on your team one-on-one. “It doesn’t have to be loaded or a big deal, it’s not a critique,” she explains. Instead, you want to acknowledge all the good things they bring to the table but then ask them to consider “tweaking” their behaviour to allow others to be heard.?

Now that we have a better understanding of what introverts and extroverts are, and how we can best accommodate their individual traits in the workplace, I wanted to introduce a crucial element in this conversation: gender!?

The gender gap in leadership is definitely persistent and pervasive: as explained by Heidi Kasevich, Ph.D. in her brilliant article on Gender and Temperament , while women outnumber men in college and now earn more college degrees, they hold on average across all industries about 16% of leadership positions.?

It is interesting to then look at a parallel analysis on the temperament gap in leadership! Research reveals that although 50% of the workforce self-identifies as introverts, 96% of leaders and executives self-identify extroverts!? These biases are conscious or implicit: but let’s face it, we are still living in a world that privileges the male, extroverted leader: the masculine, loud and bold leader.?

This matters hugely to me, as I have dedicated much of my life to trying to dismantle biases and fight against discrimination in the workplace. I have also personally lived this bias, as an executive in male-dominated boardrooms, and I’ve often found myself trying to suppress my boldness or extroverted character traits to better fit the stereotypical female leadership style: calm, composed and accomodating.?

Heidi Kasevich, Ph.D. Kasevich’s investigation of the intersection of gender and temperament provides great clues as to what is holding women back. As she explains, “women leaders are expected to navigate a tightrope between being seen as competent (with related stereotypical male qualities of competitiveness and assertiveness) and compassionate (with related stereotypical female qualities of nurturance and sensitivity).?

When women ambitiously “take charge” with a sense of conviction and act in stereotypically masculine ways, they are often deemed unlikable, demanding, bossy or rude.?

When faced with this criticism, women are more likely to adapt their behaviour than men, and to act in a more quiet manner. In this way, “quiet” becomes a cultural reflex for women, as women simply learn to refrain from sitting at the table or speaking up in meetings! This makes my blood boil. Such behaviour has enormous consequences for women’s advancement, as shown by the Yale Law Women’s Report on Gender Dynamics . Women end up participating less in classes or meetings, which then contributes to widespread perceptions that they are passive, or unassertive. This study also shows that women in management positions in Silicon Valley are likely to be viewed as less technically competent and less fit to lead than their male peers.?

Looking at this issue, what can we do??

How can we lead extroverted women and introverted women to be themselves in the workplace, without being subjected to criticism, biases and discrimination??

I have asked the wonderful Carol Stewart MSc, FIoL , an Executive, Career and Leadership Coach specialising in introverted women who are senior leaders, to write a section of this newsletter and share her incredible expertise on the topic, and share a little advice for all introverted leaders out there!?

The Value of Visibility for Introverted Leaders

By Carol Stewart

?Introverts are typically known for not wanting to be in the limelight. Unlike extroverted colleagues who draw energy from being around people, for introverts, spending too long around others can be draining because it is overly stimulating.?

When feeling drained, you may feel like retreating and not engaging with others. Because of misconceptions about introversion, if you have a quiet, reserved nature, it could be misinterpreted that you are standoffish or aloof.

As a leader, you do need to be visible. When leaders are visible, not only do the people they lead benefit, the organisation, stakeholders, and the leader benefit too. It does not mean you have to put on a loud or gregarious persona to appear relatable. If you do and that’s not natural for you, you will come across as inauthentic.

However, it does require you to promote yourself, to open up about yourself, and to show a little bit of vulnerability too.

?Benefit to employees

If leaders are visible and approachable, employees are more likely to be engaged and feel connected to the organisation. Engaged employees are more motivated, more productive, and happier. Studies even show that there is a correlation between engaged employees and customer satisfaction, staff retention, and reduced absenteeism. As a leader, who would not want that?

?Being visible to your employees and team members is not just about holding large Q&A sessions for everyone to attend. It is also about connecting with people on a personal level. Whilst you may not be able to connect individually with everyone, you can be intentional about connecting with individuals you come in contact with.?

You can also go out of your way to meet individuals you would not necessarily come into contact with, in your day to day.Get to know them, find out their interests and be genuinely interested. Don’t fake it because feigning interest will show and will do more harm than good.

In these days of hybrid working, visibility is even more important and may be more challenging for you to do. But technology means that you can work around this. Hold video calls with your staff and have Q&A discussions. Send out regular communications via email, video, and blogs, and let them see the real you.

Visibility in times of crisis

In times of crisis, visibility is even more important for leaders. Even though in a crisis being constantly on show may be the last thing that you want. Your teams will want reassurance that you have things under control.?

In times of crisis, stakeholders want assurance from those at the top. They want to feel connected to organisations that they have a vested interest in. In times of crisis, stakeholders want to see that leaders are responding well and leading their organisations through the storm.

Customers want to see that organisations understand the challenges that they are going through and want leaders who are visible. Whilst you may not even have direct contact with customers, in times of crisis they want to see that you have things under control.

We saw this during the pandemic with the daily press conferences by the Prime Minister (or another senior Minister) and Chief Medical Officer and Chief Scientific Adviser. People across the nation tuned in daily looking for direction and reassurance from the country’s leaders.

Benefits to you

‘Research suggests that extroverted workers receive more opportunities because their performance is more visible’ – McCord & Joseph 2020

Whether you want to increase your influence and leadership effectiveness in your existing role; go for promotion; or make a career transition, being visible will help you position yourself to achieve this. When it comes to increasing your leadership effectiveness and influence in your existing role, your job will be much easier if you have high employee and stakeholder engagement. Visibility will help with this.

?In competitive environments, it can be hard to stand out above all the noise, and that is where being visible through self-promotion comes in. Many introverted leaders don’t like self-promotion. The thought of it can feel like bragging and boasting, something they are uncomfortable with.

Showcasing your ability and achievements so that others see the value you bring to the table isn’t bragging or boasting. Utilising social media and other digital platforms is a great way to do this. It helps you to demonstrate your thought leadership, knowledge, and expertise, whilst raising your profile and visibility.

Suggestions include writing articles that showcase your knowledge and expertise for industry publications, your organisation’s intranet, and newsletters. Speaking at events and conferences, or sharing your thoughts on LinkedIn, are other ways to raise your visibility.??

Not all leaders find it comfortable being visible, and for some, it can bring up different fears. Fear of rejection, self-doubt, imposter syndrome. The good thing is, feeling confident about being visible is something that can be developed.? If visibility is something that you are not comfortable doing, investing in your development regarding this pays dividends further down the line.

Visibility in a hybrid world

In the present climate where many are doing hybrid working along with working globally, visibility is even more important and may be more challenging for you to do. But thankfully technology means that you can work around this. Hold video calls with your staff and have Q&A discussions. Send out regular communications via email, video, and blogs, and let them see the real you.

?During the pandemic, one CEO took to sending frequent video messages to their teams, taken whilst in their garden with children in tow. This raised the CEO’s likeability factor 100% and helped to keep employees engaged and motivated during that difficult time.

As an introverted leader, being visible doesn’t have to be draining, it is about finding ways to do it that work for you. If being ‘on show’ depletes your energy, make sure you build in time to recharge.?

?

“Not all leaders find it comfortable being visible”, says Carol. This made me wonder about celebrities! Not all celebrities must feel comfortable with being in the constant limelight. And what kind of personality traits do they have? What we see on our screens is only a portion of their being: one that is overly planned, rehearsed and often performed. It was so enlightening to watch Oprah’s interview with Amy Schumer . I was stunned to find out that both of them admit to being “secret introverts”! This was pointed out in this fantastic post by Carol. As she explains, there is a great misconception that charismatic people are always extroverted and introverted people lack charisma. Evidently, introverts can be just as charismatic, or even more than extroverts. Being charismatic doesn’t mean being loud and bossy, or being slick and smooth. The real essence of charisma is simply the ability to attract and influence others from the heart, and show empathy, solidarity, and trust in others!?

As Carol points out, Oprah is a well known introvert who has a lot of charisma. But people won’t believe that Oprah is introverted! How can one of the most popular women on television be an introvert? Being constantly in the public eye and having to entertain audiences doesn’t automatically make you an extrovert! Oprah has evidently found ways to adapt her introverted character traits to her extremely visible and high-pressure position: it is not easy, but it is doable! Amy Schumer equally admits to having introverted character traits, despite being one of the loudest, most provocative comedians and addressing some of the most uncomfortable subjects to huge audiences!

There are many ways to develop charisma, courage and boldness as an introverted leader! As Carol explains, these ways include smiling, engaging with others, listening actively, exuding presence, being empathetic and authentic, displaying confidence and exercising humility.?

Do watch Amy Schumer and Oprah’s excellent conversation !?

I was also fascinated to watch this BBC video on The quiet power of introverts , made by Sofia Umarik, an animation director and illustrator with a passion for storytelling! Do have a look, and let me know your thoughts! I just love the way Sofia explains what being an introvert means, and how she copes with it!

“I am an introvert and I love it. And I’m not alone. Introverts are everywhere, and our quiet approach to life, our need for solitary time, isn’t a flaw - it’s a gift. But as an introvert, it’s not always easy to realise how wonderful you are. The world feels like a place that rewards extroverts” she explains.

She also delves into scientific notions about being introverted, and what happens in introverted brains. Totally fascinating!

“ There’s a scientific theory for this. There are two important chemicals found in all our brains - dopamine and acetylcholine. Dopamine is like a hit of energy when we take risks or meet new people - and it makes extroverts feel great. But introverts are more sensitive to dopamine and get quickly over-stimulated. That’s why we prefer the more slow-burn feeling we get when our brains release acetylcholine!”?

And to top it, I’ve got another great recommendation: The Power of Quiet Leadership , by the amazing Dr Professor Jacqueline Baxter ! I listened to it, and here are a few amazing points they raise!?

1. Extroverts still dominate leadership positions?

Great leaders are too often seen as classic confident extroverts who can speak without thinking and react rapidly to challenging situations. It’s what best-selling author Susan Cain calls “The Extrovert Ideal”. Leaders are seen as loud, ’shark-like’ figures, who intimate and dominate the room. Jacqueline argues that the crises of our time need a more considered approach. A quieter one! As we’ve already seen, extroverts are over-represented in senior leadership positions. One study finds an incredible 98% of top executives scoring “very high” or “above average” on the extrovert scale. But people aren’t on the whole satisfied with their leaders. Could there be a connection between the two?

2. The Power of Introverts

There are lots of examples throughout history of successful leaders who’ve taken that quieter approach. For example, Rosa Parks, Mahatma Gandhi, or Bill Gates. Research shows that introverts often bring a great deal to the table. They’re more likely to listen and process the ideas of their team, and consider those ideas deeply before acting on them. They may be humble and more likely to credit their team for ideas and performance.?

3. It is time for quieter leadership

Now, it is essential to re-examine the way our society views effective leadership, and whether we are really allowing the space for all team members to thrive. Research suggests that between 40 and 60% of employees tend to the quieter, more introverted, side of things. They can often feel invisible in meetings, because their thoughtful approach means that they have difficulty responding to on the spot questions.?

Many leadership courses tend to focus on extroverted team activities: networking, presentations etc. This leaves quieter people perhaps mistakenly believing that they just don’t have the qualities of a “good” leader. An approach that fails to bring out the best in around half of us is not just bad for quieter people, it’s a disservice to us all. Leadership is complex, but in a world of soundbites, sledgehammer tactics and black-and-white thinking, perhaps standing back and listening can be empowering to leaders and their followers.?

As the Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu puts it, the best leaders are those that “talk little” and when their work is done and their aims fulfilled, their followers will say “we did it ourselves!”.

Now, we’ve seen that being ‘loud’ doesn’t necessarily make you a good leader. Leaders should constantly try and avoid talking over people, interrupting, and dominating the conversation. I love this article on the power of… not speaking up in meetings! You don’t have to make yourself heard all the time. On the contrary, sometimes, silence can be your most powerful input in the conversation. As a natural born extravert, it has taken me a while to recognise this.?

We have all experienced frustrating meetings, where people feel the need to say something just for the sake of reminding the rest of meeting groups of their presence. The conversation eventually fades into comments randomly thrown in, and everyone loses sense of what was meant to be achieved.

I am learning it is not necessary to speak up during a meeting. Most of the time, active listening is more important than participating out loud!

So, supported by HBR’s article, here are tips on how to effectively contribute to a meeting:

1. Redefine “value.

Traditionally, there are four main roles that can be filled during a meeting, and each role contributes value in a different way.

- The leader: the person who convenes and leads the meeting

- The timekeeper: the person who keeps the meeting within its time limits

- The facilitator: the person who keeps the discussion going, and moves the decision-making process forward

- The recorder: the person who takes notes on the discussion and solutions reached.

These roles are naturally not fixed and can be interchangeable, and they rely on different types of expertise and skills. In order to make meaningful and helpful contributions, it is important to have a good understanding of what your role is before you enter the meeting.

2. Take on the recorder (scribe) role.

I find this role one of the most interesting ones. In order to quickly process information and record key insights from the meeting, you must develop a precious skill: that of putting down information you might not immediately understand, in a timely and understandable way. This role may sound a little “junior”, but the recorder is incredibly powerful: his listening skills and ability to connect dots between the ideas discussed will directly affect the effectiveness of the meeting!

In certain situations, it might even be possible to steer the direction of the conversation by asking the right questions to help you take clearer notes!

Love these fantastic examples here! You might ask:

“What is most important to our key customers in this market segment?"

"Are there any unmet needs in this market segment that we can fill?"

"How do our current strategies need to evolve to prepare for new market entrants?”

As we transition out of the pandemic and face new realities with workers having different expectations and demands, it is essential to start thinking about how companies will continue growing and reaching their top goals in the most effective ways. Sometimes, effectiveness is achieved by… not speaking!

I wanted to delve into another crucial point. In order for women to successfully transcend the gender and temperament biases they have to face daily in the workplace, they must build confidence. While confidence is an ostensibly gender-neutral concept, research finds that confidence is not just gendered : it’s weaponized against women!?

This outstanding article by Dr Darren Thomas Baker and Dr Juliet Bourke GAICD , which was shared by the wonderful Laila Khan, explores this issue so rightly. The authors conducted thorough research on the impact of confidence on men and women’s career trajectories, and the results are fascinating. The vast majority of the women they interviewed raised confidence (or lack thereof) as a central factor obstructing their own career progression. For example, one female interviewee castigated herself for failing to negotiate a pay increase to meet the level paid to a male colleague. In stark contrast, the men they interviewed did not mention confidence as a factor relevant to their own career trajectories.

This is something I have noticed abundantly in the workplace throughout my extensive career, and I wanted to lay out a few tips for leaders to tackle this global, persisting issue:

1. Declaring a moratorium on the word “confidence.

Until leaders can be certain that the confidence narrative is not gendered and weaponized against women, the focus on confidence must be suspended, particularly in feedback sessions, performance, and promotion reviews. This will force leaders to look for alternative ways to build women’s capabilities (e.g through visible leadership opportunities).?

2. Valuing vulnerability

A more diverse workforce is calling into question old styles of leadership behaviour and normative standards that have privileged incumbent groups. Placing more value on demonstrating humility and vulnerability can help to correct the overweighting of value placed on exuding confidence.?

3. Redesigning training programs

Some organisations offer “women only” confidence building courses, reinforcing confidence as a gendered need. If individuals do require help in building their self-esteem, then as a bare minimum we suggest that such courses are based on individual needs , i.e. not limited by gender identity.

I hope that this newsletter has allowed you to gain a clearer understanding of personality types within the workplace, the importance of identifying them, accepting them, adapting to them, as well as challenging the biases that come with them. As a huge extrovert, I have learned throughout my life and career to be more careful around introverted colleagues and friends, and to actively listen to their voices, understand the ways in which they think and work, and give them the right space to blossom and shine. Crucially, I hope that I have shed light on the interrelations of temperament and gender in discrimination in the workplace. To this day, women still suffer from blatant stereotypes that prevent them from building the necessary confidence, skills and respect to get to those leadership positions.?

Every day, introverted leaders battle strong headwinds that are created either by bias against them or bias favouring extroverts. Every day, women are called ‘bossy’, ‘rude’ or ‘pushy’ while trying to assert confidence, authority and leadership. Let’s talk about it more, and act together to once and for all end culturally accepted personality type bias and discrimination in the workplace!?

Our lovely daughter in law Alice very rightfully pointed out: “I wonder, outside of being labelled a leader either socially or in an organisation, who designates that role? Do introverts subconsciously elect extroverts to those public roles, or do extroverts hold the majority because of their greater desire for social interaction. In a team environment do we need one another to maximise the breadth of skills required. I would say personally, I am introverted by preference, but when I am in environments I am comfortable in, I am a strong leader. Does it come back to authenticity? Introverts and extroverts can only lead well when they are true to themselves, and what then of the power of the first follower ....”

As she says, at the end of the day, the importance is being true to yourself. Many people stand outside of the strict, designated boxes of introversion and extraversion: there might be leaders who are introverted at home, and extroverted at work! Or vice-versa. This is why it is so crucial to find out who you are working with, and truly take an interest in those who surround you every day.

As always, do reach out to me with any insights or questions, and let’s keep the conversation going!?

With love,?

Harriet??