The earth is a noisy place, full of loud, cheerful and social beings — the exuberant extroverts. Amidst them, there is the other category of the withdrawn and taciturn lot, the inscrutable introverts.
Carl Jung, the Swiss psychiatrist first popularised the concept of extroversion and introversion. No one is born an extrovert or an introvert — life's experiences and environmental influences cause either of the traits to dominate a personality. The extroverts get noticed and, hence, we feel the world is full of them. There are as many introverts, but they prefer to remain unnoticed.
Extroverts have a sunny disposition — outgoing, social, and responsive — and are great at team play. Extroverts enjoy team sports and derive their energy from others. They avoid being alone, always seeking the company of family, friends or colleagues. Extremely communicative and warm, it is not surprising that they are the life of any party they attend. They tend to be aggressive and thrive in fast-paced settings.
Comfortable alone
Introverts can be the direct opposites. They are quiet people, who enjoy their solitude and are very comfortable about being alone. They find solace in their inner world and would like to quietly reflect, even introspect and think through their ideas. In this age of pace and progress, being heard and seen has more value that being observed and recognised. Style is preferred over substance, form over function and, hence, the classical introvert with a shy, retiring personality tends to remain in oblivion in this new paradigm.
`Speak when you're spoken to' is not part of the culture anymore. One has to be an active and eloquent conversationalist, demonstrating social skills with little or no inhibitions. In fact, extroversion is seen as a major ingredient in the recipe for success. In other words, you may be efficient but you need to be popular as well to reach the top.
The extrovert myth
This myth that only extroverts can succeed prevails in the world of commerce, politics, media, of course and, even in the field of education. Suave business executives blessed with the gift of gab are seen as great managers, even though their methods may not be always above board. In many television talk shows, it is considered more important that the anchor is excitable and loud, rather than putting forth a logical and coherent argument.
To groom outgoing extroverted professionals, business schools by and large follow the case study model placing strong emphasis on effective articulation. Students who are good communicators with a ready wit and repartee enjoy a significant edge over their quiet counterparts, who may actually have better insights and wisdom to offer to the group.
Play to your strengths
So, where does all this leave the introverted? Can the quiet ones survive in this hyper active, noisy world?
The answer is a strong affirmative. According to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator test (MBTI), one of the widely used psychometric instruments, more than 40 per cent of executives are introverts. Many highly rated and successful chief executives are ISTJ (Introvert- Sensing-Thinking-Judging) personalities in the Myers-Briggs type indicators. JK Rowling, the wildly successful writer, is a self-proclaimed introvert.
So is Bill Gates, the legendary founder of Microsoft. The father of our Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, had displayed typical characteristics of an introvert. President Obama, for all his superb communication skills, is an introvert by nature. Several illustrious writers, actors and diplomats have a quiet and reserved disposition.
The key is how you play to your strengths. Research studies indicate that introverts display superior reasoning and decision making skills and they are able to bring a calming influence to a frenzied situation. Advanced brain research using F-MRIs scans indicates that introverts have good supply of blood to regions in brain which are responsible for strong memory and executive functions like reasoning, planning and so on.
In the hyper-connected world where attention spans last mere seconds, being centred without getting dislocated and retaining one's equipoise are two very valuable qualities that every organisation and any human collective is need of. Introverts listen better and their receptivity to new ideas is very good. This makes them good leaders for a team full of extroverts. In a classroom situation, soft-spoken team leaders who are in-charge of project assignments are likely to be far more effective working with a set of proactive team members.
Power of introverts
Introversion, thus, is not an abnormality; it is a personality type. The allure to become an extrovert has resulted in emergence of a multimillion-dollar training industry and expensive self-styled gurus who offer magical remedies. Yes, there does exist a tiny percentage of extremely withdrawn people who shun any human contact. They may have psychological disorders and may need professional help in terms of counselling or other clinical interventions. For the rest, introversion is just fine and does not need any major change in behaviour or attitude.
Students and young professionals need to be aware of their personality traits in order to choose the right career. All of us intuitively know about our dominant trait and psychometric tools can further help in validating this.
Susan Cain, the author of Quiet, The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking , has listed out several world figures who are introverts and who made lasting contributions in their chosen field. One of the ways introverts make their mark is by writing extensively and effectively.
The annual letters of Warren Buffett to the shareholders of Berkshire Hathaway are watched closely by investors across the world for investment and management nuggets. Mahatma Gandhi, apart from being a visionary leader, was also a prolific writer and his written works serve as guide and inspiration to millions of people across the world.
So, do not feel shy if you are an introvert. For, the quiet are not weak and neither are the loud strong. To me, an introvert has a certain enigmatic quality that makes for an interesting personality.