A third to a half of the population are introverts. In our society, we don’t really notice that. We usually think it’s a small percentage of people. Introverts usually have to conform to the habits and actions of extroverts. This is known to actually stop introverts from being able to function as well as they possibly can.
This week’s HBR podcast goes over the intrinsic differences between introverts and extroverts. Introverts have a tendency to work better in quieter environments. Psychologists have studied the effect of noise on introverts and extroverts, and found that introverts worked worse in loud environments. Introverts usually feel more energized in lower key environments. Introverts aren’t necessarily the quiet girl in the room who dislikes talking to anyone.
Introverts usually work better by having one-on-one conversations where decisions may be made by arriving at a consensus. On the other hand, extroverts are much more likely to thrive in environments where many people are giving input on one topic. Often, in this environment, dominance, control, group think, and other methods of decision making are employed that disrupt the thought process of introverts.
In the HBR podcasts, Susan Cain talks about how she wishes that people in organizations would end the constant creation of group work. It can lead to group think, and people often begin to create similar opinions as other people within the group. The group often creates a point of view about how people should work. The most creative people actually have thrived on the use of solitude in their life. Solitude allows many of us the ability to grow on our own and create our own opinions.
Introverts should not be seen as weak people. If you give introverts and extroverts a difficult problem to solve, introverts usually spend more time setting up the problem. Introverts will also spend more time on developing a solution to a problem before giving up. Susan Cain quotes Einstein as a fantast who voiced his willingness to solve problems well because he tended to spend more time on developing a solution.
Introverted leaders are known to, according to research, lead proactive employees better than extroverted leaders. Introverted leaders are more likely to allow proactive employees the ability to shine and grow. Introverted leaders let their subordinates grow and take on more responsibility than extroverts normally do. In a company like Google, where employees are constantly creating innovative ideas, an introverted leader would help its employees grow the organization and grow their own spirit. I wouldn’t be surprised is Larry Page and Sergey Brin were not both introverted leaders. (Cain 2012)
Works Cited
Cain, Susan. “The Power of the Introvert in Your Office.” Harvard Business Review – HBR Idea Cast. Harvard University. 19 Jul 2012. Podcast. 23 Jul 2012.
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