It’s no secret that I am an introvert. Before the first time I took a Myers-Briggs personality profile test back in my senior year of high school, it was quite obvious (to me) that I wasn’t that guy who craved all the attention of the party or always needed to be around others to be content. I find I usually can more fully and more clearly express myself in written word. I have an inner circle of friends that are close to me and I would rather spend lots of time with them than short bursts of time with strangers or acquaintances at a party small talking about the weather.
While I’ve had an intellectual fascination about personality profiles to better understand myself and others for quite some time, this interest has been piqued again recently by a TED talk I ran across almost 2 months ago. Susan Cain gives a fantastic talk on Introverts and why they are so important to our world. It inspired me to go out and buy her book, “Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking“. I’ve been reading it only since last weekend and I have been challenged to rethink so much of the world around me and reevaluate the social structures I’m a part of and question if they are ideal. The book (so far) has me processing how I as an introvert tap into my leadership skills and style, particularly as I constantly evaluate how to best manage an IT department full of unique people, skills, and personalities. It also ties in well with my intent to focus on leadership this year.
Expect more response to this topic and various subtopics as I continue throughout the book and process my thoughts on the matter. I encourage anyone reading this to take some time to watch and listen to Susan’s TED talk, embedded below. I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below.