What do Albert Einstein, Barack Obama, Bill Gates, Steven Spielberg and JK Rowling have in common? Apart from the fact they all found far-reaching success, they’re all self-confessed introverts.
But today’s world and workplace seem to be built for extroverts. Their confidence, charisma and gregariousness ensure greater visibility; they often quickly end up becoming popular, being paid more and climbing the corporate ladder.
The introverted worker may find it challenging to navigate the hyper-connected corporate world, but experts believe introversion can be channelled to become a superpower in the workplace.
Neuroscientist and author Friederike Fabritius says introverts often tend to be deeper thinkers, with a study by Harvard psychologist Randy Buckner showing they tend to have more grey matter.
"This means they spend a lot more time thinking before they act – an advantage,” says Fabritius.
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Fabritius, author of The Brain-Friendly Workplace, adds that the brain of an introvert works differently; they are more intrinsically motivated and worry less about rewards, which could keep them focused longer than extroverted peers.
A study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry revealed that, even in a relaxed state, the introverted brain was more active, with increased blood flow.
Extrovert vs introvert
Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung coined the two terms in the early 20th century, revealing that introverts were exhausted by social interaction, while extroverts became anxious when left alone. In modern times, a third category has emerged: ambiverts, people who combine introverted and extroverted traits.
Most people sit on the spectrum between extroversion and introversion, but extroverts dominate our world, on account of being more noticeable.
Business journalist Inihos Rettim says she has always struggled with people-facing aspects of her job, with extroverts gaining the upper hand as she, as an introvert, struggled to put herself “out there”.
“In organisations that value face time and self-patting on the back, it can put the brakes on growth,” she says. Yet Rettim believes that introverts have specific skills, including the self-awareness that comes with deep thinking, decision-making, problem-solving and analytical thinking.
Jennifer B Kahnweiler, author of Creating Introvert-Friendly Workplaces and host of Introvert Ally Podcast, agrees that most organisations tend to be geared towards extroverts.
“Introversion is an underrated aspect of personality at work. Introverts bring special skills – deep listening, observation, calmness, preparation, carefully worded and written responses and more – and can use these to lead and influence,” she says.
Sujal Guttal, a consultant at an IT company, believes she has managed to stay on top of things at work by learning to communicate effectively.
“About 20 per cent to 30 per cent of my job is people-facing, including focused interactions with extended teams, managers and customers,” she says, but adds that extroverts may have an edge due to their “ability to communicate easily in a group”.
“They are very active on various platforms; their visibility is established quickly within and outside the organisation,” she says.
Yet she believes her special skills have set her up for success. “Great listening abilities help absorb information, understand problems and offer innovative solutions," she says.
"Being detail-orientated helps identify minor issues before they become major problems.”
As Einstein summed it up: “It’s that I stay with problems longer.”
Power of introversion
Introverts are far from timid or unassertive; they can make for great listeners, creative workers and successful leaders.
In an interview with Dr John Sheehan for Mensa Education and Research Foundation, Marti Olsen Laney, author of The Introvert Advantage, said the general population is made up of approximately 75 per cent extroverts, but the membership of Mensa is nearly the reverse with “approximately 65 per cent introverts”.
Kahnweiler believes introverts tend to bring a variety of skills to the table: empathy, analytical thinking, creativity, attention to detail, adaptability, relationship building and better focus.
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Introverts also have the ability to consider all sides of a problem. “This careful, well-reasoned, collaborative approach has a much better chance of success than simply forging ahead with ideas, which might be more of the extrovert way of acting,” she says.
In Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, best-selling author Susan Cain writes that introverts focus differently as well. “Extroverts are more likely to focus on what’s happening around them," she says. "It’s as if extroverts are seeing ‘what is’, while their introverted peers are asking ‘what if’.”
However, many inward-looking people can often be invisible and ignored in a world that seems to be driven by the outgoing.
Rettim recalls being upset that the visibility of extroverts set them up for recognition and promotions, often at the cost of better-performing introverts. “But you also learn to manage expectations better. Most introverts are self-aware and this helps them stay content,” she says.
Contrary to popular belief, introverts also do very well as leaders. The CEO Genome Project, a study that spanned 10 years, assessed the performance of more than 900 chief executives and found that people with introverted personalities "exceeded expectations" of investors more often than extroverted ones.
Fabritius says it’s a misconception that one needs to be extroverted to be a good leader. “Introverted leaders allow people to work in a way that plays to their strengths," she adds.
"By contrast, extroverted leaders tend to be good at pushing people who they feel aren’t fulfilling their potential, so it's probably best to have a mix of both personalities in leadership roles – not just one or the other."
The extroversion hangover
Most extroverts, with their positive nature and communication skills, are looked up to in the workplace. This means introverts often feel the need to put on an extroverted face. Research published by the American Psychological Association shows that behaving this way can be mood-boosting and energising in the moment for introverted people, but can also lead to an “extroversion hangover”.
Proactively scheduling breaks and getting me time are some ways in which introverts can rejuvenate.
Former US president Obama, whose job necessitated extroverted activities such as giving speeches, meeting leaders and engaging in public debates, has said his alone time was "essential to help recharge”.
Others find their own path: mindfulness or meditation, journaling, long walks or quiet time to process feelings and ease anxiety and stress.
Kahnweiler says it is important to encourage introverts to leverage innate strengths, adding: “Both introverts and extroverts need to be flexible. We all have I and E qualities and can tap into them as the situation arises.
"But it can be very exhausting if you are flexing too much of the time."
Workspaces, too, need to be more cognisant to help introverted employees work better.
“Leaders need to pay more attention, identify skills and hold more one-on-ones, to tap into the value of introverts,” Rettim says, adding that all teams should be a complementary mix. “It is incumbent upon the workplace to bring out the best in introverts and not vice versa.”
Fabritius believes introverts can’t do their best work in a noisy office with constant distractions. She says: “The brain needs silence and solitude to innovate.
"Always being available and connected can reduce innovation, performance and collaboration. Even extroverts benefit from working with less distractions. So, an introvert-friendly workplace will benefit everyone.”
She suggests offering flexibility and autonomy – introverts may prefer email over phone calls and get drained by too many networking events. But the ideal situation is to create a “brain-friendly workplace” with team members “who are extroverts, introverts and ambiverts. Not just one or the other".
