Leading as an introvert in an extroverted world webinar slides october 2016

Editor's Notes

• #2: In today’s extroverted organizations introverts may feel overlooked, excluded, and misunderstood even when they are in the majority. Why is this important? For individuals this may mean a loss of potential (careers may stall), loss of earnings, poor grades (if they are in school), and a decreased feeling of engagement. For organizations this may mean a shortage of leaders/leadership, loss of engagement = decreased productivity, poor decisions, overall loss of talent (as the best people may leave the organization).
• #3:  At least 50% of the population has introverted personality traits but in the early 1960s Isabel Myers one of the developers of the Myers – Briggs Personality Type indicator or MBTI estimated that introverts were in the minority…somewhere in the 25 – 30% range of the population. This was the % mentioned in books and articles written about introverts/introversion until just recently. New research has shown that in fact introverts make up half the population.
• #4: When I began doing research for my book (in 2012) I found that definitions such as the one above were quite common. This definition on this slide, from a physical education text book, prompted Dr. Judy Curson, a medical doctor in the UK, to question what was being taught in schools (this was a textbook being used by her son’s teacher) and to want to raise awareness about introverts…particularly about their leadership potential. As a result she helped create a valuable website for introverted leaders and providing leadership development for physicians in the National Health Service in the U.K. As an aside. This text book is still in use and the definitions have not changed.
• #5: The purpose of the MBTI® personality inventory is to make the theory of psychological types described by Carl Jung understandable and useful in people's lives. The MBTI is a self-report questionnaire designed to indicate psychological preferences in how people perceive the world and make decisions. The questionnaire was developed by Isabel Myers and her mother Katherine Briggs based on their work with Carl Jung's theory of personality types. Today, the inventory is one of the most widely used psychological instruments in the world.
• #6: Introversion is a personality trait…and sits at one end of the introvert/extrovert continuum. The main difference between introverts and extroverts is where they get their energy from. Introverts draw energy from our internal world of ideas, emotions and expressions BUT many of us also derive energy from physical and social activities. Introverts are often described as being passive, withdrawn, quiet, and as we saw in a previous slide, not looking to lead. But many introverts describe themselves as social, enthusiastic, and even dynamic. Blogger, James Pratt, Jr. notes that to be dynamic is to be every changing, every growing and every developing…NEXT SLIDE…
• #7: Dr. Judy Curan told me that she believes….”many of us are dynamic…but we are still fighting stereotype of limited perceptions of introverts…NEXT SLIDE…
• #8: We believe that talkers are smarter than listeners even though IQ tests and GPA prove this to be wrong. This is a list of some of the challenges faced by introverts while they are in school and in the workplace.
• #9: This young man knew enough about himself to realize that he needed to some quiet time during his busy student placement at a hospital. How did he know that he needed to find a way to recharge? I have spoken to a few young introverts. One young woman told me that her mother realized that she was an introvert and “coached” her during high school. Her mother also encouraged her to join Toastmasters. A young man who I met at a Toastmasters conference told me that he thought he was shy and needed to change to become more extroverted.  But when he read the definition of introversion in high school text book and understood about energy expenditure, with introverts "recharging" more from alone time and "expending" more energy in large social situations with extroverts being the opposite. When he realized that he was an introvert he felt that he no longer needed to change in order to be a success. ”I found this definition much more practical as well since, being close to graduation, my social life and academic demands had been growing, so, by realizing my need to "recharge" alone, I was able to remain calmer, and less stressed during my final year of high school, being named one of the top 5 students from my graduating class in the process (I was named one of the top 5 in grade 11 as well, but I had been much more frazzled during that year if I recall correctly).  The definition also made being an introvert into less of a dirty word to me, and, when people are puzzled by my self-declaration of being an introvert these days (as many of my roles require interpersonal skills, a friendly and outgoing manner, as well as public speaking and group leadership), I explain the energy expenditure definition as it serves as a stress-management tool so that I do not burn myself out by being too social and ignoring my own needs.”  
• #11: We are conditioned to believe that the traits typically associated with extroversion are desirable in our leaders. But Level 5 leadership (which I’ll touch on in a minute) comes only through listening actively, engaging your teams and creating a culture where people feel that they have a voice and where their opinions and ideas are listened to, encouraged and nurtured.
• #12: There is 0 correlation between being the best talker and having the best ideas. Susan Cain, author of QUIET: The power of introverts in a world that can’t stop talking.
• #13: Shyness and introversion are often confused. Introvert is not another word for shy. We are born with introverted preferences but we are not born shy. Shyness is different, shyness is a fear and avoidance of social situations. Unlike introverts who feel energized and enjoy spending time alone, shy people often want to connect with others but are afraid to do so. Both introverts and extroverts can be shy. If you think you are shy its important to confirm your suspicions. Indiana University Southeast has a Shyness Research Institute where you will find some resources. Try new things. Keep a success journal. Join Toastmasters. See a counsellor.
• #14: Many of you will have read or at least heard about the book Good to Great, the 2001 an international best seller. As a result of his research Jim Collins coined the term Level 5 leader. By studying the behaviors and attitudes of these Level 5 leaders, Collins found that many of them displayed an unusual mix of intense determination and profound humility. These leaders focused on mentoring and developing people rather than taking all the credit themselves. Their focus was on the long-term benefit of the team and the company. The Leadership Challenge is another best selling leadership book that is based on over 30 years of research. The book focuses on the experience of a wide range of leaders: men and women, young and old, volunteers and paid employees. The authors, Kouzes and Posner did not study introverts and extroverts per se but their research supports the growing argument that organizations need all types of leaders in order to succeed.
• #15: We now have research to explain why introverts make good leaders. A recent collaboration between Harvard, Stanford and Chicago universities was published by the National Bureau of Economic Research and suggests that we might have been looking at our leaders all wrong. In a study of 4,591 CEOs, researchers found that companies run by introverted CEOs outperformed their peers. Publicly traded companies run by extroverts averaged a 2% lower return on assets. Although this research did not prove causation it does support the research done earlier by Jim Collins and his associates. More research needs to be done. Correlation vs causation. Adam Grant told me in an email conversation that he thought the introverted leader advantage is growing because the need for employee proactivity is growing. Organizations have become flatter, and work has become more dynamic and unpredictable, so we rely more heavily on proactive employees to take initiative and create change from the bottom up. His studies showed that introverted leaders tend to be highly effective when paired with proactive employees. Why? Because we are able to listen to and engage people.
• #16: Dr. Brian Little, a former Harvard University psychology professor was described by his students as an “entertaining” professor and often received standing ovations at the end of his lectures. He was so effective at what he did that he won awards for his teaching. What might surprise you is that Dr. Little is an introvert. How did he manage to accomplish what he did? He pretended to be an extrovert or what he later termed “pseudo extroversion”. Like many other successful introverts he was able to do this because he was passionate about the work that he was doing. Some introverts don’t want to push themselves to be more extroverted and that is ok, but I think that in order to succeed in many jobs introverts need to learn how to speak in public, deal with conflict, teach, facilitate meetings, etc. etc. But they also need to learn how to manage their energy so that they don’t burn out. Dr. Little wrote Me, Myself and Us: The Science of Personality and the Art of Well-Being.
• #17: For introverts to succeed as leaders they need to understand how they access and manage their energy. Introverts prefer to focus inwardly in order to re-energize while extroverts boost their energy by focusing on the world around them, e g introverts might read, go for a walk, or do yoga. Extroverts need people around them in order to boost their energy. In the book The Power of Full Engagement, authors Jim Loehr and Tony Swartz emphasize the need to balance stress and recovery. We need to stress our bodies by challenging ourselves mentally and physically but we also need to find time to rest. As introverts we need to learn how to “pulse” – to move between expending energy and renewing energy and we need to learn how to do this consciously if we want to be successful leaders. NEXT SLIDE…
• #18: It takes an introvert longer to recover when her energy is depleted. Recharging is different for each of us and will depend on the type of work we do and the industry that we work in. We will all develop different strategies to help us recover our energy. Perhaps the most important thing we can do is to be clear about our needs and communicate this to the people we are engaged with at work or at school. This may feel awkward at first but people will get used to it and you will become a role model for other introverts (and extroverts…we all need to stop and breathe throughout the day). If you can slot some respite time into your week, either during or after work, and tell people that these commitments are non-negotiable, you will find that your energy levels improve. Senior leaders of some of the most successful companies schedule time during the day so that they won’t be interrupted. NEXT SLIDE…
• #19: Cubicles may be a thing of the past in some organizations but at least they afford some personal space. In many organization’s today workspace is meant to be shared by everyone and there is little privacy. Saving money on office space is one reason cited by companies that move to an open plan. A question that must be asked though is “will introverts be as productive in open offices and will they feel engaged if their needs for privacy and personal space are ignored?” NEXT SLIDE…
• #20: There is a lot of interest these days about work environments and since collaboration among co-workers can lead to creative problem solving and innovation many companies are experimenting with open offices. These open plan offices might be ideal for extroverts but can be challenging for introverts if there is no-where to go and be quiet, to think and process what they are learning. Here are some questions to ask yourself when you are looking for a job: What type of work environment would make it difficult for me to get my work done? What type of environment inspires me and energizes me? Which organizations or jobs will provide me with this type of environment? Consider asking questions about the work environment at your next job interview.
• #21: Your work environment includes more than physical pace. It also extends to something called “job fit”. The best personality fit will also decrease job turnover and stress, absenteeism, and poor job satisfaction. Personality-job fit theory or person-environment (P-E) fit is a match between a worker's abilities, needs, and values and organizational demands, rewards, and values. Questions to think about when you are looking for a job or a career advancement: What is a typical day like? Does this job allow you to focus on one task at a time, or is multi-tasking more the norm? Can you manage your own time or is the day structured for you? How much interaction with other people is there? What's the nature of the interaction - your role in the interactions, number of people at a time, frequency of interactions, opportunities for breaks? If the job responsibilities are less than ideal, what (if anything) can you do - in or outside of work - to manage your introvert preferences and make the job work for you. Questions to think about: How - and how often - will your manager want to communicate with you for updates and progress reports? Face-to-face? Phone? Email? What is the energy level of the hiring manager and others; how does it mesh with your own? How often are staff meetings held? How are they structured? How are group decisions made? Are there opportunities for individual contributions, or are most activities/projects team-oriented? If the people you'll be working with and communication styles are less than ideal, what (if anything) can you do - in or outside of work - to manage your introvert preferences and make the job work for you. Companies have personalities, and even if the job itself is a fit, and a specific manager seems compatible, the culture of the company may be at odds with your personality. This may be reflected in expectations made of employees with regard to frequency and kind of interactions, as well as in the physical environment itself. You can uncover much of this information through observation and informational interviews. Questions to think about: Does the company promote camaraderie through social functions that employees are expected to attend? How does the company view those who don't participate? Do people typically eat lunch together? What is the physical layout of the offices? Are there cubicles with little privacy, conversations that waft over the cubicle walls, or people interrupting your flow of thought? Do you have a private work space with the opportunity to concentrate on your work without interruption? Are there places to go to recharge your battery? If the company culture is less than ideal, what (if anything) can you do - in or outside of work - to manage your introvert preferences and make the job work for you. How does the job “fit”. What can you do to accommodate?
• #22: In summary, become aware of your personality type. Learn as much as you can about introversion. Learn to understand and manage your energy needs. Human resources departments in many organizations are becoming aware of the needs of introverts and the importance of ensuring that introverted employees can succeed in their organizations. As Adam Grant’s mentioned to me, this may also be the best time in recent history to be an introvert. Since the publication of Susan Cain’s block buster book, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking, there has been an explosion of interest in the topic of introverts and introversion: new research, blogs, books, articles, TED talks etc.