He wore large glasses with black rims, slicked his hair back and hardly turned a head with his drab-colored suit and tendency toward slouching. His introverted personality didn’t exactly help matters. But give him a crisis and a phone booth and soon Superman emerged, ready to save the day.
The introverted leader in your office may differ somewhat in appearance from Clark Kent — aka Superman — but like him, his real gifts could go unnoticed until a crisis occurs.
Leaders, don’t wait until a crisis to gain your investment’s return on your workplace introverts. Identify them, learn their real value to your organization, and put their super-powers to use to save your workday.
Characteristics
An introvert tends to be quiet, likes his cubicle space, prefers to work independently, relishes his lunch alone and likely won’t be found swapping stories around the office water-cooler. Not exactly a perfect match for today’s extrovert-friendly workplace culture that constantly shouts “Mingle!”, “Network”, and “Groupthink!” Workplaces reward gregarious participants plenty while the introvert is often misunderstood and labeled as cold, backward or boring.
The most illuminating fact about introverts is that they are energized by their inner world, and that inner world is anything but boring. Thoughts go deep and an introvert’s persistence helps develop them toward usability.
Think the introverted leader isn’t participating in your meeting? Think again. Her brain is going 90 miles an hour. You just can’t see it. She’ll likely share those ideas after the meeting when she has had time to process. And her ideas can easily match those of genius Albert Einstein and Google co-founder Larry Page — both introverts. Just wait and see.
Why You Need Introverts
While lack of people skills can be an introvert’s worst weakness, his strengths far outweigh its negative effect and can bring both pleasure and prosperity to your office dynamic.
Perseverance. An introvert is a plodder. While your dynamic personalities may give up on an idea at the first negative sign, an introvert has the strength and determination to carry it out until completion.
Panorama. While big-picture thinking is essential to keeping focus while moving toward your goal, you need a close eye on the details to make it all happen. Believe it or not, introverts have the best of both worlds. While their team members are high on the mountain enjoying the view, the introvert’s panoramic mind is effortlessly sweeping the whole picture — not just the big one.
Passion. Who says passion has to be visible? He won’t show it, but the more an introvert thinks about a plan or an idea — the more passionate he becomes. And nothing is really possible without it.
Action Steps:
How to Appreciate — and Benefit the Most From — Your Office Clark Kent
Touch base. Don’t assume you got all the best ideas during the meeting. Pick your introverts’ minds after meetings to make sure you have all you need to make your decisions.
Allow downtime. If your introvert’s day calls for multiple highly-extroverted activities like sales calls, meetings or networking events, make sure he has downtime to recharge between appointments.
Be open-minded. Avoid stereotyping and give an introvert the benefit of the doubt. Just because she eats alone doesn’t mean she’s lonely and just because he’s quiet doesn’t mean he doesn’t like your company.
Delegate tasks accordingly. Researching, process implementation, writing and strategizing are all tasks in which introverts excel. Give these to your office introverts and watch the job get done well.
Just ask. It’s easy to love those employees who provide feedback freely, but introverts may be uncomfortable sharing their thoughts — especially on touchy subjects. Make it a point to check in with them on a regular basis and be sure to ask how you can serve them better as a leader.
Show appreciation. You may not want to make a public service announcement thanking your introverts for what they bring to the table, but be sure to privately recognize them and thank them for their special qualities. If the words “Superman” or “Super Woman” slip from your lips, you’ll likely see a smile on theirs.
So . . . hire the guy!