extroversion - The Dynamic Introvert

Make 2015 The Year of The Dynamic Introvert

By Lesley TaylorPosted on December 30, 2014Posted in IntrovertsTagged dynamic introvert, extroversion, extrovert, introversion, Introvert, legacy, New Year's resolutions, Patricia Cranton, personality

Make 2015 Your Year – The Year of the Dynamic Introvert Whether you are ready or not 2014 is rapidly coming to a close and it’s time to prepare for the New Year. Not everyone makes New Year’s resolutions but even if that is not your thing you can still benefit from these four recommendations: 1.Know thyself. This wise saying is most often credited to the Greek philosopher Socrates. It applies as much today as it did back in ancient times. People often make wrong assumptions about introverts because they have little or no information to base their judgements on. You may also be acting or reacting to this lack of understanding about what it means to be an introvert. The best advice I can give you is to know thyself. You can create a SWOT Analysis to determine your strengths and areas for improvement. The SWOT tool was originally developed for the business leader who wanted to understand his or her company compared to its competitors. Today the SWOT is also used as a personal planning tool. SWOT stand for: S personal strengths that you can build on W personal weaknesses or areas for improvement O opportunities present in your workplace or industry T threats which include changes that might impact your career 2. Honor Who You Are. Knowing who you are and acting with integrity are the hallmarks of authenticity. As you become more aware of what it means to be an introvert and by tapping into your strengths you will become more confident and able to take some risks. This may include identifying and challenging some of the barriers that are getting in the way of your success. For too long now many of us have been made to feel inferior because we are not more extroverted. As introverts, it is not always easy to accept who we are when the world tells us that we should be more social, outspoken, energetic, exciting and forceful. By learning more about what it means to be a dynamic introvert we can build on our strengths and be confident about what we have to offer the world. 3. Develop Your Personality. You can be authentic and honor who you are and at the same time develop your personality. Sounds like a contradiction doesn’t it? Some say we are born with certain personality traits and these traits stay pretty much the same throughout our lives. But author and university professor Patricia Cranton argues in her book, Personal Empowerment through Type, that “we can consciously develop our personalities.” She goes on to say that “although we generally have a preference for introversion or extraversion we are likely able to function in both.” 4.Create Your Legacy. The start of a New Year is a great time to consider the legacy that you want to leave. Most of us do not think about our legacies when we are young and I had not thought about mine until I started teaching leadership classes. We all leave a legacy whether or not we are aware of it. One of the benefits of thinking about your legacy at an early age is that it can help guide you as you move forward in your life. Here are six questions to get you thinking about the legacy that you want to leave: – What difference do I want to make? – What will be my greatest contributions? – What do I want to create for myself and for those I care about? – How would I like to change the world for the better? – How do I want to be remembered? Whether you are ready or not 2014 is rapidly coming to a close. Even if you don’t like New Year’s resolutions I encourage you to challenge yourself to try something different this year…something that will take you out of your comfort zone and into the realm of new possibilities. Happy New Year! The Dynamic Introvert Team

What Makes a Dynamic Introvert?

By Lesley TaylorPosted on August 19, 2014Posted in IntrovertsTagged Dynamic Introverts, extroversion, introversion, Judy Curson, The Dynamic Introvert, Yellow Point Lodge1 Comment

Have you ever wondered what makes a dynamic introvert? As I was writing The Dynamic Introvert a lot of people asked me to describe the difference between introverts and extroverts. I was also asked if I could tell the difference between these two personality traits. As other writers have already tried to address this question in their books or on their websites I would like to take a different approach in this post. If I have learned one thing while researching and writing my book it is that we are all different and none of us can be “pigeon holed”. Of course there are introverts who are quiet and reserved. These are the people who prefer their own company to the company of others. But I believe that these introverts may be in the minority. This is due partly to the fact that introversion and extroversion exist on a continuum and that, like many things in life, the majority of us sit somewhere in the middle of the continuum and so we have the ability to shift one way or the other depending on which situation we find ourselves in. So, what makes us dynamic introverts? One of the most brilliant descriptions of a dynamic introvert comes from Judy Curson, a medical doctor in the UK 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 Judy describes but many of us are also very social and dynamic in the same way that 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. The difference is that these dynamic introverts need “down time” or time to recharge their batteries. This spring my partner and I spent six days at Yellow Point Lodge on Vancouver Island. Yellow Point Lodge was built in the 1940s and hasn’t changed much over the years, or so I’m told. Guests stay in a variety of rustic cabins. Each cabin sits facing a body of water called The Stuart Channel. There is also accommodation on the second floor of the main lodge. The main floor of the lodge consists of a large communal dining room, kitchen, offices and a great room which has windows on two sides and a massive stone fireplace on the third. This is where people congregate before and after meals and at any time during the day when they are not outdoors enjoying the spectacular scenery. The dining room houses large round tables that seat 9 or 10 people. At each seating we have the opportunity to meet new people and interact with people we have gotten to know over the years. On the surface it appears that the majority of guests are extroverts, due to their outgoing, friendly, behavior. But I know, having stayed at Yellow Point for a number of years that things are not what they seem and in fact many of my fellow guests are in fact dynamic introverts. What is not so obvious, unless one looks for it, and what sets these dynamic introverts apart from their extroverted companions, is that the introverts often disappear throughout the day to recharge. They quietly leave the group and return to their rooms or go for solitary walks in the woods.