Challenging preconceptions about extroverted, aggressive, and competitive leadership ideals
While extroverts draw energy from mingling with large groups of people--picture former President and extrovert in chief Bill Clinton joyously working a rope line--introverts find such social interactions taxing. Simply being an introvert can also feel taxing--especially in America, land of the loud and home of the talkative. From classrooms built around group learning to open-plan offices that encourage endless meetings, it sometimes seems that the quality of your work has less value than the volume of your voice.
And as if the world weren't slanted enough toward the extrovert, study after study has made sociability seem like a prerequisite for good health, right along with low cholesterol and frequent exercise. Very shy and introverted people have been shown to succumb more rapidly to diseases like HIV and to be at greater risk for depression than their extroverted counterparts. In schools, it's the bolder kids who get attention from teachers, while quiet children can too easily languish in the back of the classroom. "Our culture expects people to be outgoing and sociable," says Christopher Lane, an English professor at Northwestern University and the author of Shyness: How Normal Behavior Became a Sickness. "It's the unstated norm, and against that norm introverts stand out as seemingly problematic."
-Time Magazine article, The Upside of Being an Introvert (and Why Extroverts are Overrated), by Bryan Walsh
And as if the world weren't slanted enough toward the extrovert, study after study has made sociability seem like a prerequisite for good health, right along with low cholesterol and frequent exercise. Very shy and introverted people have been shown to succumb more rapidly to diseases like HIV and to be at greater risk for depression than their extroverted counterparts. In schools, it's the bolder kids who get attention from teachers, while quiet children can too easily languish in the back of the classroom. "Our culture expects people to be outgoing and sociable," says Christopher Lane, an English professor at Northwestern University and the author of Shyness: How Normal Behavior Became a Sickness. "It's the unstated norm, and against that norm introverts stand out as seemingly problematic."
-Time Magazine article, The Upside of Being an Introvert (and Why Extroverts are Overrated), by Bryan Walsh
Introvert: a person who is energized by being alone.
If that definition reminds you of yourself, chances are you have received some grief from extroverted family members, friends, or co-workers about your "loner" tendencies. In the United States, we are the minority, but not so minor as many would think. Studies estimate that between 25-40% of the American population are introverts, yet many of us continue to feel as though we are different, out of step with a society that congratulates aggressive and competitive behavior with loud and boisterous celebrations.
Of course, it should not be surprising that a population characterized by quiet deliberation and introspection, which values listening over speaking, finds it challenging to be heard among our more vocal colleagues. Extroversion continues to be the trait most often found in leaders across the board. However, extroversion does not necessarily predict effective behavior in leaders. One study found that leaders who score very high on assertiveness are less effective than those who are moderately high; another supported the hypothesis that introverted leaders work better with high-performing, independent employees than extroverted leaders (Robbins & Judge; Grant).
This is important information for introverts to know. We may be less likely to assert ourselves as leaders than our extroverted co-workers, but that does not mean that our co-workers would perform better as leaders. However, it does mean that those people who speak up and put themselves forward will be much more likely to be chosen for a promotion than those who do not assert themselves. Luckily, introverts can develop assertiveness, and as we are more likely to think a proposal through thoroughly, we can learn to present the case for ourselves very effectively.
Of course, it should not be surprising that a population characterized by quiet deliberation and introspection, which values listening over speaking, finds it challenging to be heard among our more vocal colleagues. Extroversion continues to be the trait most often found in leaders across the board. However, extroversion does not necessarily predict effective behavior in leaders. One study found that leaders who score very high on assertiveness are less effective than those who are moderately high; another supported the hypothesis that introverted leaders work better with high-performing, independent employees than extroverted leaders (Robbins & Judge; Grant).
This is important information for introverts to know. We may be less likely to assert ourselves as leaders than our extroverted co-workers, but that does not mean that our co-workers would perform better as leaders. However, it does mean that those people who speak up and put themselves forward will be much more likely to be chosen for a promotion than those who do not assert themselves. Luckily, introverts can develop assertiveness, and as we are more likely to think a proposal through thoroughly, we can learn to present the case for ourselves very effectively.