When Introverts Lead
Everyone is talking about personality these days. Consequently, a leader’s personality and every move is often highly scrutinized in the media. This can work for extroverted leaders, who gain energy from others. However, it can be difficult for an introverted leader who prefers to think before speaking and gains energy from within.
A Fast Company article featured an interview with Susan Cain, author of Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking, who talks about the importance of making organizational space for both introverts and extroverts.
For example, most organizations hold large group brainstorming sessions and regular meetings that result in the same people speaking up over and over again. In this example, the ideas of introverts often remain unspoken and unexplored because they were not given the space to process information before thinking. The result? Loss of ideas and a lack of diversity of thought.
Here are three takeaways that will help your organization include ideas from your introverted employees:
Encourage idea-generation outside of meetings. Some people work better running their ideas by one person who can help validate and be their advocate. Informal meetings and run-ins work better for introverts. How could you encourage this? Ask employees to partner with one other employee to brainstorm together in preparation for a larger session.
Take advantage of the Internet as an idea-management medium. Before meetings, establish online discussion forums (or even a bulletin board in a common room) where people can post and introduce ideas (anonymously if they wish). Provide discussion points ahead of the larger meeting, after reviewing the different ideas presented within these forums.
Host smaller brainstorming sessions during the larger meetings. If possible, try to host smaller group sessions within the larger meeting. With smaller groups, you can go around the room and ask everyone’s opinion to actively involve everyone in the idea-generation process.
Are you an introvert? What works best for you when it comes to speaking up and getting your ideas out there for your organization to use and discuss? Let me know in a comment below.
