Intro, Extra, Ambi vert
At the root of many personality distinctions is the idea of extraversion versus introversion. Carl Jung defined extraverts as those who focus their energy on the outside world and introverts as those who orient that energy towards their inner worlds.
Many modern business practices (interviews, brainstorming, power meetings) do tend to favour the extravert. In certain organizations – strong sales cultures, for instance – the extravert is golden, the introvert suspect. However, there are organizations – some research/think-tank hubs, for instance – where it is the introverts who dominate and the extraverts who are stereotyped and sidelined.
Companies who are looking to cross broad markets and innovate over the long term can benefit from a mix of introverts and extroverts on their teams. What are some considerations here?
The Introvert
Susan Cain – author of the enormously successful Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking voices an animation on the Power of Quiet while Molly Crabapple illustrates.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUaj7rj6MI8
The Extrovert