Introverts Are Our Unsung Heroes!
Introverts Are Our Unsung Heroes!
Looking back over my career I’m aware of how often I tried to remain invisible at work. Not that I didn’t want to contribute or make a difference in the organizations that I worked for but more often than not I chose to do this quietly and behind the scenes.
Despite keeping a low profile I was often singled out for leadership roles and pushed into the “lime light”*. On at least one occasion I protested this unwanted attention but to no avail and in the end I became the manager of a day hospital for elderly patients. If truth be told this was one of the most satisfying times in my career and I am forever grateful to the senior leaders who saw the potential in me, despite my trying to remain out of their sight and “off the radar”.
You see, as an introvert, I was much more comfortable in the role of educator, coach or mentor. I loved networking and connecting people and ideas and coming up with novel solutions to problems. I also loved the concept of community building as it applied to the workplace.
But I wanted to do this on my own terms behind the scenes. In other words I wanted to remain invisible!
In 2014 David Zweig described invisibles as, “a breed of highly satisfied professionals who are outliers because they eschew wider recognition for their efforts.” In his book, Invisibles: The Power of Anonymous Work In An Age of Relentless Self-Promotion, he identifies people who operate behind the scenes in almost every field yet have a huge impact on the success of the firms they work for.
It is ok to be invisible if you want to be and this should come as a relief to introverts who often are encouraged to be gregarious and outgoing.
But, having said that, I would urge you to think about your career goals and to find ways to get noticed especially if it means the difference between being happy and satisfied in your work or unhappy and frustrated because you are not achieving the things you want in life.
Being invisible is one of the challenges faced by introverts who want to become leaders.
In The Dynamic Introvert I write, “We may be so good at “hiding in plain sight” that our ideas are ignored or we are overlooked for plum assignments or job promotions.” Does this sound like you?
Tired of being overlooked? Here are three things that you can do right now:
- Be clear on your goals and what you want to achieve and develop a plan to help you reach your objectives.
- If being invisible is important to you then stand tall and let people know why you feel the way you do. Remember, you can still make a difference and feel satisfied by being an “unsung hero”.
- If you want to raise your profile and move into a more visible role then find ways to manage your energy and get clear on your values. Being clear on what is important to you will make it easier to say “no” when you need to.
* Although today being “in the limelight” means being at the center of attention in the 19th century it had a very different meaning. The limelight was an extremely bright light used in surveying and as stage lighting. It was first used in the theatre in 1837 at Covent Garden in London.