Introverts - The Dynamic Introvert

Introversion is My Superpower!

By Lesley TaylorPosted on January 15, 2025Posted in IntrovertsTagged Extroverts, Good to Great, Introverts, Jim Collins, Leadership, The Dynamic Introvert, The Telegraph, War on TalentNo Comments

It’s been 10 years since I wrote The Dynamic Introvert. Last fall I was curious to see what people were saying about introverts and what I found surprised me. The first articles I read focused on introversion as a superpower. The one written by Adrian at the London University was directed toward students. The other, an article which appeared in the Telegraph, was written by Helena Morrissey. Morrissey’s article was entitled “Being an Introvert is a Workplace Superpower.” Both articles were published in the fall of 2024. Progress is Slow But despite having made a lot of progress in the last ten years there is still a lot of work to be done. We are still not seen as equal to extroverts when it comes to our leadership abilities. How do I know that? “In October, 2024 The World Economic Forum reported that “When you look at the average salaries of different personality types, one overarching theme emerges: Extroverts tend to earn more than introverts.” Personality Impacts How Much You Earn. And there have been other studies looking at how personality traits, specifically introversion and extroversion, influence lifetime earnings and career prospects. Why, despite all of the work that’s been done to advance introverts, are we still seen as being lesser than? Of course since 2014 more and more companies have recognized the value of diversifying their leadership teams. And individuals are more likely to be aware of their personality traits and how to showcase them to their advantage. “In his 2002 bestseller, Good to Great, Jim Collins popularized the idea of “getting the right people on the bus”. He was referring to an organization’s mandate to hire employees with the right combination of skills, attitude, experience and knowledge. And while Collins was not thinking about personality types specifically, his findings support the need for a quiet leader, one who listens and creates opportunities for others to contribute their ideas. Introverts Make Great Leaders Introverts are ideal candidates for this leadership model; they present a hidden advantage in winning the “war for talent”. 10 years has passed and thanks to the groundbreaking work of authors Marti Olsen Laney, Laurie Helgoe, Susan Cain and others we know that being an introvert is something to be celebrated, even envied. Over the past 10 years we have learned a lot about introverts and introversion. Some even see introversion as a superpower but there is still a lot of work to do to combat the negative perceptions of introverts.

What Is A Dynamic Introvert?

By Lesley TaylorPosted on December 12, 2024Posted in IntrovertsTagged Extroverts, Introverts, Leadership

“What is a dynamic introvert?” “What does the title of your book mean?” I was taken by surprise by Colleen’s questions. I thought about them for a moment and then I mumbled something unintelligible. As the author of The Dynamic Introvert: Leading Quietly with Passion and Purpose and an introvert myself I should have had the answers on the tip of my tongue. Colleen’s questions were spot on and my subconcious must have been on overdrive because shortly after I returned home, it hit me. The title of my book The Dynamic Introvert is a play on words. Perhaps not in the truest sense–according to Wikipedia a play on words is a literary technique, a form of wit, in which the words that are used become the main focus of the book. I certainly didn’t intend for The Dynamic Introvert to be a comedy (and there is nothing funny about how introverts are compared with extroverts and seen as wanting) when you feel overlooked and undervalued. What I did intend though was to grab the reader’s attention; to have them think about what it means to be an introvert and how our understanding of introverts and, in particular, introverted leaders, is changing. If I have learned one thing while researching and writing The Dynamic Introvert it is that we are all very different and none of us can be pigeon-holed. Of course there are introverts who are quiet and reserved. These introverts may prefer their own company to the company of others. But most of the introverts I’ve met along the way defy how introverts are typically portrayed. One of the most brilliant descriptons of a dynamic introvert comes from Judy Curson, a physician and educator in the U.K. who wrote, “I think many of us are dynamic. We just make less fuss and noise about being dynamic than some extraverts. Our energy and enthusiasm is often hidden from the external world.” Many of us are dynamic in the way that Dr. Curson describes. We can be social and dynamic the same way extroverts can be dynamic. Words such as gregarious, outgoing, fun, interesting and energetic could be used in place of dynamic here. These are words that I would use to describe the many dynamic introverts who I know and who could easily be mistaken for extroverts. Unlike extroverts who recharge by being with other people; dynamic introverts need down time to recharge their batteries. The above is an excerpt from an earlier blog post.

Writing Is Hard Work But Worth It

By Lesley TaylorPosted on December 3, 2024Posted in IntrovertsTagged Introverts, Jesse Q. Sutanto, John Green, Writers Block, Writers Digest

Is writing easier for introverts? Great writers know that spending time alone working on their craft is the key to success. For this reason writing may provide the perfect career choice for introverts. As best-selling author John Green said, “Writing is something you do alone.” But just because we are introverts and enjoy spending time alone doesn’t mean we will become great writers or that we will find writing easy. Writing is hard work! I love to write and over the years I’ve written blog posts, articles and a non-fiction book which I self-published. Now I’m working on my first novel. During the pandemic I started my novel with a bang. I thought I was doing all the right things (more about this in future posts) but what I didn’t anticipate was writer’s block. About halfway through the first draft of my manuscript I ran out of gas, juice, enthusiasm. Call it what you will but I had hit the wall. I couldn’t write. What was I afraid of? Years ago when I published The Dynamic Introvert: Leading Quietly with Passion and Purpose I expected (hoped) people would read my work and I wanted it to be perfect. After publishing The Dynamic Introvert I found myself waking up at night thinking “what have I done?” I was terrified of being criticized. More recently I’ve been looking into what creates writers block and came across the blog A Brilliant Mind written by Dr. Gayannee Kedia who is a neuroscientist, psychologist and mentor. Dr. Kedia’s on-line questionnaire and guide helped me understand that the root of my writer’s block is perfectionism. Perfectionism and writing don’t mix. And this might explain why I stopped writing for over a year. Deep down inside I was afraid of being criticized. And this criticism can feel like we are being attacked personally. No matter what we write it will be personal on some level. We will leave a part of ourself on the page in full view for others to see. Memoirs are probably the most personal but no matter what genre, our writing is an expression of who we are. Is There An Answer? In my pursuit of an answer I came across a lot of suggestions from other writers. Finally I started doing timed-writings: 15 minutes became 30 minutes and 30 minutes became an hour. I discovered this idea in a Writer’s Digest interview with Jesse Q. Sutanto author of Dial A for Murder and other best selling books. When writing her books Jesse uses a timer to keep her on track. Each day she does 4 x 15 minute sessions during which time she writes 2000 words. And then she stops. No editing. She goes on to something else and then the next day she repeats the process. I also kept reading about “the messy first draft” and it finally hit me. I just need to keep writing even if it’s nonsense. I don’t think anyone actually said this but that’s how I interpret it. Keep going! I have to remind myself to get those 85,000 words on the page and then I can start editing. Writing may be perfect for introverts but it won’t necessarily be easy. What works for you? How do you keep going day after day, month after month? Happy writing!

Writing About Writing

By Lesley TaylorPosted on November 21, 2024Posted in IntrovertsTagged Introvert, Mystery, Writers Block, Writing

Yesterday I attended a presentation hosted by the Vancouver Writers Fest. The speaker, Daniel Levitin — psychologist, neuroscientist, musician and best-selling author, told the audience that it was not unusual for him to write 50 drafts of a manuscript before moving onto the next step. 50 drafts! Hearing Levitin’s confession I was suddenly taken back to a writer’s festival in Richmond many years ago. One of the authors presenting told the audience that it took him 10 years to finish his book. I remember thinking how ridiculous. But, since then I have come across successful authors who have taken even longer from start to finish usually with years when there was no writing going on at all. I’m not that young and don’t have the luxury of taking 10 or more years to finish my book. But I am now feeling that it’s time to continue working on my manuscript. The challenge for me will be to make it messy and focus on getting the words on the page. I have been struggling to finish the first draft of my novel The Mexican Connection. This is the working title of course and I’m pretty sure it will change more than once before its published. Perhaps it’s an understatement to say that I’ve been struggling. After a pretty good start in which I wrote 45,000 words I stopped writing period. I stopped writing blog posts, I stopped writing articles and sadly I stopped writing my novel. Writing is a confusing venture at the best of times. But writing a mystery novel can be tricky. As with any novel you need an intriguing story that makes readers want to keep turning the pages. But you also need to keep the reader guessing. Who is the villain? What’s the story behind the story? You have to create a challenging whodunit but not so challenging that readers can’t solve the crime. Everyone has their reasons for hitting the wall. I think I was trying too hard to write the perfect first draft. In the meantime, I’m learning the craft of writing mysteries.

Loneliness And Solitude Are Not The Same

By Lesley TaylorPosted on July 25, 2023Posted in IntrovertsTagged Loneliness. Introverts. Extroverts. Social Isolation. Jenn Granneman. Introvert Dear. Rae Williams., The American Institute of Stress.

Healthy Solitude is Good for Everyone–Especially Introverts Loneliness is not the same as solitude. Too much time alone can be bad for your health. On the other hand, not enough time alone isn’t good either. How does this apply to introverts? Introverts, like Jenn Granneman author of The Secret Lives of Introverts, love being alone, “Like many introverts, when I don’t get healthy solitude, I feel stressed and tired. Every little annoyance becomes magnified, and I get frustrated with people around for no good reason.” I too feel this way when I’m inundated with too many people, too much noise, and no time to recharge. The connection between loneliness and health problems was being highlighted even before the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2018 Great Britain appointed a minister for loneliness. At the time, research studies argued that loneliness was “a silent killer” because it increased inflammation, heart disease, and dementia. Also in 2018 a survey by the Angus Reid Institute in Canada found that 27% of Canadians felt somewhat lonely while 21% felt very lonely. Almost half of the population! What is Loneliness? The following descriptions are taken from Loneliness at Work, a British Red Cross report published in February 2023: General loneliness: Refers to feelings of loneliness reported without reference to when or where they were experienced. Isolation: Refers to a lack of social contacts. Isolation and loneliness are different but related and one may impact or lead to the other. Loneliness at work: Refers to loneliness experienced specifically at or in relation to work. Solitude is not the same as Loneliness All of us need to find solitude in order to be healthy. Spending time in solitary pursuits is not the same as being lonely. In 2003 a groundbreaking paper on the benefits of solitude was published in the Journal for the Theory of Social Behavior by Christopher R. Long and James R. Averill. Up until 2003 scientists had focused on the pathological aspects of solitary behavior. Authors Long and Averill discovered that there were 4 main benefits of solitude including: freedom creativity intimacy spirituality Sadly the focus on the negative aspects of solitude has been slow to change. Many introverts are made to feel that there is something wrong with them for spending time on their own. Leadership expert, Ray Williams writes, “We’ve been wired to believe that solitude is our enemy. We’ve also confused ‘being alone’ with ‘being lonely’. They are not necessarily the same thing. Being alone doesn’t necessarily cause loneliness and many people can feel lonely despite being in the constant presence of other people. The truth is, solitude is necessary for our well-being and potential success.” Today, many of us are addicted to busyness. Our 24/7 society makes it possible to avoid being on our own. In fact, we are rewarded for being good team players and for being constantly connected with other people and with our devices. Extroverts find it a challenge to spend time alone because they benefit from socializing with others. But even extroverts can feel overwhelmed with the busyness of life and need time away from the crowd in order to regroup. How can you tell when you are ready for some time alone? You may feel irritable, tired, anxious, or unable to focus and think clearly. Not being able to spend time alone may even affect your relationships. Solitude Looks Different Depending on Who You Are According to The American Institute of Stress you can enjoy solitude in countless ways: sitting in a quiet room, going for a walk by yourself, listen to music, cooking or engaging in a hobby are just a few. Solitude and loneliness is not the same thing. Solitude is a necessary part of a healthy lifestyle. Loneliness, on the other hand, has been linked to a range of health problems. The first step in determining whether or not you are lonely is to determine what is causing you to feel the way you do. You may want to talk with a health provider or do a self-assessment using one of the many on-line tools.

Have Introverts Benefited from the Quiet Revolution ?

By Lesley TaylorPosted on June 17, 2023Posted in IntrovertsTagged Aaron Fedor, extrovert, Introverts, Quiet, Susan Cain, The Dynamic Introvert, Vanity Fair

Susan Cain’s blockbuster book Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking unleased a ‘quiet revolution’ that changed, for the better, how introverts are perceived. Before the Quiet Revolution launched introverts were compared with extroverts and were found lacking: “Introversion existed somewhere between a disappointment and a pathology, something to be overcome.” Thanks to Susan Cain’s advocacy, introverts were suddenly seen as having characteristics that were different but just as important as extroverts. What are some positive characteristics of introverts? Positive characteristics of introverts include the ability to, focus and concentrate, listen deeply provide a type of quiet leadership so badly needed in our frenetic, unfocused society All of a sudden it was ok to identify as an introvert and to ask for a quiet space in which to work or to be given time to think before asking questions in an important meeting. Following the release of Quiet many other writers and educators jumped onboard the introvert train and a flurry of articles, books, podcasts, and workshops appeared in rapid succession. I followed Cain’s work and the work of others for some years and then moved on to other things. What is new in the introvert universe? Fast forward to last month when I checked in with Google to see if anything was new in the introvert universe. The Quiet Revolution has changed the culture of many workplaces and schools but it seems that we still have “a long way to go” as Cain noted in a 2022 Vanity Fair article. In this article, Susan Cain, Chief Introvert, Ventures Into the Sublime, Aaron Fedor asked Cain if she believed that introversion had surpassed its status as a second-class personality trait. Cain replied, “there’s still a long way to go…before introverts feel like they don’t have to disguise who they are in some way.” Where is all this leading you may ask? After not keeping up with The Dynamic Introvert blog I’ve decided to start blogging again. First of all I want to know why introverts continue to be seen as second-class citizens when it comes to their personalities. Secondly, I’ll go through The Dynamic Introvert Leading Quietly with Passion and Purpose to discover what is still relevant and what is outdated. The idea is not to revise the book but to share what I learn with readers of The Dynamic Introvert blog. We’ve come a long way since the publication of Quiet but according to Susan Cain, we still have a way to go before introverts are seen as important as extroverts. What do you think? [contact-form][contact-field label=”Name” type=”name” required=”true” /][contact-field label=”Email” type=”email” required=”true” /][contact-field label=”Website” type=”url” /][contact-field label=”Message” type=”textarea” /][/contact-form]