The Power of Introverts

Quiet.

This is the lifeblood of the introvert, their deepest need and desire.  Not necessarily the quiet of a total absence of sound, but the sort of quiet that allows for solitude, a time for internal reflection and thought.  Today's workplaces though allow for few opportunities for individuals to break away from group meetings and discussions, or from group-think brainstorming sessions, and truly have time to think and process ideas on their own.  Without this time though, introverts suffer and we rarely then get the best ideas from them.

In her new book, Quiet, Susan Cain speaks out not only about the inherent differences between Extroverts and Introverts, but why we need to modify the way we live, teach and work in an effort to truly allow introverts, and not just extroverts, to shine.  With a third to half of North America's population being more introverted by nature, our failure to create cultures that recognise and embrace their natures often results in poorer decisions, ideas and insights.

I have attached a Ted-talk given by Susan Cain that you will surely find interesting and enlightening.  For you extroverts out there, I hope that you gain some insights about how you might work with, manage and mentor your more introverted co-workers better.  And for my introverted brethren...  I hope you discover in this talk the message that you are not alone, that you are not 'wrong' for wanting to spend time on your own and, perhaps most importantly, that you come to realize how much the world needs and counts on the insights you develop in those solo flights of mind.