Extraverts Hold All the Keys to Success...

Posted on August 23, 2012 by Beth Siragusa, One of Thousands of Business Coaches on Noomii.

Learn to leverage your subtle nature in a loud and ‘out there’ world.

Are you butting your head against the dominant cultural thought of how to achieve success? Do you struggle with knowing you can achieve great things but the ‘putting yourself out there all the time’ method of getting there just plain stresses you out? Ahhh… welcome to my world friends, you are most likely part of he 20% introverted population. Congrats! You’re about to discover why your particular modus operandus is so special and how it can be your greatest ally and advantage. And for the extroverts reading this, read on and benefit from a bit of insight into your mysterious and covert colleagues, friends and family members.

Most books, audio and seminars on ‘getting ahead’ and ‘achieving your dreams’ are hand-crafted for extroverts – they are a bigger market after all. But what about us ‘quiet’ and ‘thoughtful’ types? What about accuracy? Precision? Where is there room for our success in this world? Oh, and ‘shy’ is a complete misnomer because we can be and often are fiercely loyal, dependable, courageous, strong and will work till we drop. We’re not bashful, just more reserved on the surface and a little more thoughtful before speaking. We’re not slow at all, our brains are 10 steps ahead and our mouths just can’t keep up. Before we form a sentence our brain is already revising it into a better one and thus the lag time ; )

Introverts can miss out on the payoff of our hard work at times, because in this world we’re supposed to ‘make some noise’ in order to be heard, jump in there and ‘just do it’ in order to be recognized and, well, rewarded. There are ways that we can use our natural inclinations to best the majority and come out on top without stressing ourselves out by trying to be what we’re not, a flash in the pan.

Here’s a few ways to be your amazing self and grab that success you deserve:

1) Sometimes you have to be an extrovert – you gotta be Brazen! I know… I just contradicted everything I said, right? Not really, because no one can be ‘all in’ or ‘all out’. Introversion and extroversion are simply ways of being based on dominant brain functionality. Also, there is no ‘cure’ for introvert-ism friends, as some well-meaning extrovert public speakers would have you believe ; ) But extroversion in spurts is advantageous – as an introvert, you want to plan your extroverted moves and use them strategically.

2) Extroverts have problems too. Extroverts make just as many mistakes… but guess what? Theirs are louder! However, the advantage they have when errors come along is that they are typically just as ‘out there’ about the solutions they will then employ. Also they tend to involve other people in their solutions. With introverts, when mistakes are made we try to keep them quiet and fix it all by ourselves. This can sometimes backfire or seem shady. So, next time think of a way to involve others in your solution – it makes positive connections and pays off in strengthening your network of people who ‘have your back.’

3) Introverts are planners extraordinaire! I mentioned plan in #1 and I did so because as introverts we plan… and plan and plan and plan. Our brains work differently, it’s actual science. All variables are considered, different angles are approached and examined, we adjust, we contemplate and we plan some more! Some of the greatest thinkers, scientists and inventors in history were introverts. Elanor Roosevelt, Ghandi, Albert Einstein, Audrey Hepburn, Fredrick Chopin, Rosa Parks, J.K. Rowling. But action dear friends – ACTION must follow – at least sometimes.

4) We tend to be unselfish. Introverts experience more empathy and deeper, introversion can also be referred to as HSP (or the Highly Sensitive Person). Thus, we tend to consider/help others more and think of our needs less. Uh oh… How are we going to achieve success if we don’t acknowledge what we need and want and go for it? It’s time to be a little selfish. Give yourself permission to do this. Trust me, your future self will thank you.

5) Seek out reliable sounding boards. Introverts like to test their theories before putting it out there. This is where having at least one dependable person to sound off with is very helpful. Make sure to choose this person carefully, perhaps it’s a mentor, but make sure this person already embodies the characteristics you desire and have demonstrated success in their own lives. Life coaches make excellent sounding boards ; )

Think about these 5 things, and realize that you have a unique edge. You don’t HAVE to be ‘all out there’ to have the life you want, the business you desire. Steady, meticulous and smartly timed moves will get you there and you have all these tools already available to you.

I’ve personally struggled with my introversion throughout my life, but when I learned to balance a little more – to accept myself a little more for my strengths – it brought me to a whole new level of the game. You can bring yourself there too.