Judging by my social media feed, introverts are good, extroverts are bad.
Introverts are the Cinderellas of our world; humble, quiet, hard working and genuine. They will get their rewards when we finally appreciate what they do. Extroverts, on the other hand, are the ugly sisters. They’re loud and brash, bullies and charlatans. They’ll be the first with their backs against the wall come the revolution.
So, when I wrote the last edition of “Oil Your Business”, on the value of introverts, I felt I was doing good in the world. Today, strangely, in writing about the value of extroverts, I feel like I’m saying that White Lives Matter. So is it a job that doesn’t need doing?
Due perhaps to archetypes in stories and also to the prevalence, in Christianity at least, of the devout being encouraged to be quietly long-suffering, our society has come to associate quietness with virtue and loudness with vice.
But there’s no reason why this should be so. Introverts are stimulus-sensitive, extroverts are stimulus-seeking. Extroverts don’t put themselves at the centre of attention because they think they’re special (José Mourinho apart), but because it’s there that they get most stimulation.Extroverts are not there because they are more self-confident – there are plenty of highly confident introverts and oh so many extroverts with imposter syndrome.
Extroverts are energised in company, introverts get their energy from being alone.
Extroverts don’t take up more of the time talking because they don’t care about others any more than introverts talk less because they think they should – they do so because they think better when not talking. Extroverts, on the other hand, think better when talking.
And neither has the monopoly on being nice. Newspapers often report neighbours of criminals saying ‘He was a quiet bloke, just kept himself to himself, never would have imagined he would do this’.
Extroverts are Essential!
So, to paraphrase Monty Python, what did extroverts ever do for us?
Here are 6 Essentials that Extroverts bring to your team:
- Drive – they push us forward. Speed of response is essential in a fast changing world
- Adaptability – they’re not afraid of change. They can adapt fast.
- Directness – no time wasted trying to work out what they really think!
- Upbeat – they are less prone to pessimism, and their enthusiasm is infectious and motivating
- Fireworks – they can sparkle, bring joy, bring ideas to life, inspire
- Megaphones – sure they’re loud but that helps them reach a bigger audience
By trying to make them smaller, quieter, less expressive than they are, teams lose out on what they bring. Sure they can run amuck and inadvertently be destructive if not trained to be sensitive around others but to pour cold water on their energy is to waste their valuable assets.
Top Tips For Getting the Best out of your Extroverts
Instead of putting up barriers, why not learn to get the best out of them? Here’s how.
- Tell them what you want. If you want them to stop talking and listen, say so!
- Disagree overtly. They’re not going to notice your subtle disapproval. Man/woman up! It’s your responsibility to get your view across, so be overt. Always be kind though.
- Change track but don’t stop the train. These guys are happy to change direction if they are convinced of why, but don’t pour water on the engine.
How have you found best to work with Extroverts? Let’s hear about what works for you?
