Introvert? Extrovert?Somewhere in the Middle?
Why being somewhere in the middle is a huge asset as a leader. And how do you do that?
I am a very social, outgoing person. I always describe myself as an ‘extrovert’.
Yet, it’s never felt right because I need my alone time. Quiet solitude to journal, read, binge watch Netflix, and recharge. But, I can recharge at a backyard gathering of friends or in a busy coffee shop working. What the heck?!
I was having an identity crisis y’all! 🤪
Then I came across an article called, Why Ambiverts Are Better Leaders, By Bryan Lufkin (I’ll link to it at the end). At last, I had a name for this blend of extrovert and introvert. Whoa, we can do that?! We can be a little of both? 🤯 Mind. Blown.
And there’s a name for it!
AMBIVERT
This isn’t a new concept. It was developed by American social scientist Kimball Young in 1927. But it’s new to me and it was very intriguing.
This article went on to discuss how a good leader is actually a mixture of both introvert and extrovert personality traits.
👉 Introverts are better listeners (because they aren’t talking so much). They also ask questions and then wait for people to respond.
👉 Extroverts are better at starting conversations and meeting people. They excel at being the cheerleader to rally and boost morale.
To be a good leader having both is a huge advantage. A study was done at McGill University breaking out the percentage of all three personality types. They estimate that 40% of top business leaders are extroverts, 40% are introverts and 20% are "true ambiverts".
This hybrid type has been coined 'the ambivert advantage' in 2013 by Adam Grant, a professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania.
They adapt to the situation and what is necessary.
"What [the pandemic] means is that the CEO needs to listen a lot – a great leader is a great listener," says Karl Moore author of We Are All Ambiverts Now. "But [they] also need to be able to give the inspiring 'guys, I am confident we can make it through this crisis'."
Now, this doesn’t mean you have to change your entire personality. The article actually suggests micro-adjustments throughout the day. This helps to bring more awareness when, for example, you should step up and express your thoughts in a meeting (that’s you introverts). Or, sit back and let other people on your team give their thoughts, and then ask a follow-up question (that’s you extroverts).
🗒 Mark a notepad with a line every time you do this and aim for 3-6 times daily of these micro-adjustments.
I'm not shy in meetings and often say what’s on my mind. When I was working as the Regional Marketing Director for Wolfgang Puck Catering in Dallas, we had weekly conference calls with the various teams across the country. I never gave it a thought when questions were asked and asserted my opinion/answer freely.
One week I had a really bad cold that left me voiceless for 5 days! 🤭 I could not get words out. On the call, a question was asked. I had an answer but as I was trying to speak it, nothing came out. There was a long (much too long for this extrovert) quiet pause, then someone on my team spoke up. She had an amazing answer. Even better than what I had!
It was at that moment that I realized, I needed to shut up and give others a chance to shine. 🤫🤫🤫
As you practice these micro-adjustments know that you are going against your natural instinct. So practice self-care. If you need to take a quiet lunch break in the park to recharge, do that. Or if you head to a loud, busy restaurant after work to feel others’ energy, good for you. Working towards the middle can make you a better leader and a more rounded person.
Here’s the original article that caught my eye. It’s a good read!
https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20210319-why-ambiverts-are-better-leaders
This blog was written by Kristina Kury, Founder & CEO of Sprout Creative. We work with small business owners and entrepreneurs who are busy running their business, overwhelmed with marketing, and whose growth has plateaued to turn their marketing into a more manageable, automated marketing machine.
You can follow her at @SproutCreativeLA on Facebook and Instagram.