That’s right, you read it right…there are some powerful secret weapons that you – as an introvert – have over extroverts that tip the scales in your favour in your life and business.
Even though the majority of the population tend toward being introverted in most life situations, there still exists this stigma that somehow introverts are at a disadvantage when it comes to dominant extroverts.
The truth is that many high achievers, happy and successful people tend to be introverts, so why would that be?
1. Listen Better
Learning, cooperative relationships, understanding and empathy all come from the ability to listen rather than constantly push information out into the faces of others. Introverts have the inherent ability to be better listeners, to actually HEAR what is being said and to reflect and compare experiences over time giving them a much deeper ability to learn, to engage with others in relationships and to lead and manage teams.
2. Introverts Know Themselves Better – Strengths and Weaknesses
A major part of life is knowing what you are good at and what you are not. Understanding your strengths and what makes you happy is CRITICAL to both directing your own life and to building relationships and teams around you to get things done. I recognized this trait early in life when seeing a few highly extroverted leaders rampage into leadership roles only to burn out in less than 12-months because they themselves were not happy nor were they able to play to their strengths or build a team around filling their weaknesses. Extroverts tend to surround themselves with others who have the same strengths and weaknesses which usually leads to great competition, dissent and poor team dynamics.
3. Sober Second Thought
There are times in life and business where jumping into a situation turns out for the best, however there are many other situations where taking some time to reflect, think, compare data and consider outcomes is actually the best approach. The higher the risk, often the more important it is to at least have SOME time for reflection – a skill that comes naturally to introverts. The key is to not go overboard becoming paralyzed by thought and introspection – there must be a balance here.
4. Long-Term Relationships Built On Give & Take
Extroverts can often dominate their way into a short-term relationship or transaction…however their inability to understand, consider and reflect on others point of view, thoughts, beliefs and opinions typically leads to dissolution of these relationships rather quickly. I have worked with many sales organizations, while the extroverted sales person may get short-term attention (and used properly, that can be a very valuable trait), but often burn out relationships and engagements over time…knowing this, having a mix of extroverts and introverts as part of a sales team is absolutely necessary
5. Last Longer, Stay Focused & Get The Job Done – Eventually
Having many introverted people as friends and as co-workers I have noticed that those who tend toward introversion typically stick with you or an assignment longer, are less prone to being distracted and taken off-course, can overcome challenge for a longer period and are far more likely to demonstrate reliability whether that be in a relationship, a life goal or business leadership position. Extroverted people can certain kick-off tasks quickly and can go for the jugular when it comes to getting short-term results, but often lose focus and are not as likely to stick with a project as long.
All-in-all, having a balance of people who have introverted tendencies in certain areas of your life balanced with extroverted people is desirable…understanding a little more about the tendency they have in a given role or situation is important not only for your own sanity, but to maximize their role in your life and/or business. That said, let’s once and for all STOP looking at introversion as a BAD thing when in fact it can be an advantage.
Lastly, please do not mistake introversion for lack of confidence...in fact introverted people often have a much higher degree of self-confidence than extroverted people do. If your struggle is self-confidence, then use this highly effective 4-part system for getting Unstuck and Growing Your Self-Confidence no matter what your past experience may have been.
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