Was Steve Jobs an Introvert?
by Kathy Seaton
Probably not. But Steve Wozniak was and maybe there’s some substance behind the idea of an introvert leading the extrovert. In fact, Wozniak has been quoted that the reason he could become an expert and invent the first Apple computer was because he stayed at home while growing up.
Other thought leaders like Gandhi, Eleanor Roosevelt, Rosa Parks, and Dr. Seuss were all introverts.
Check out Susan Cain’s “The Power of Introverts” TED.com presentation—it’s fascinating, with over 11 million views. She provides a very thought-provoking and in-depth look at why introverts are they way they are.
Whether you believe it or not, introverts are powerhouses at the office. They bring extraordinary talent and ability to the world. We should encourage and respect their points of view.
Although we might view introverts as modest, demure, closed-off, and anti social—in reality their notion of socialization is just different than what the typical extrovert practices. And when it comes down to it, being social isn’t the only way to prove oneself as a bold and assertive person. In fact, when an introvert tries to become an extrovert, it’s actually at a boss’s loss. The introvert has a whole different perspective on creativity and leadership that has been found to bolster and drive teams of very successful people.
One of the key differences between the “quiet” and the “boisterous” is environmental. Not surprisingly, introverts thrive in more low-key settings and require less stimulation than an extrovert. What’s important here is that supervisors and peers recognize this need and help establish an atmosphere for such people to maximize their talents in a more comfortable zone.
An environment like an ad agency is probably the last place an introvert wants to find himself. At an agency, it’s loud with open spaces and no walls. “Group think” is highly valued and only from the group can come creativity and productivity. The same idea is a play in our primary and secondary schools, where students are now forced to work in teams because someone believed that better ideas come from a group.
But what happened to the introvert that can brainstorm and solve problems on his own? He’s somehow lost in the shuffle of a gregarious work place. Somehow we’ve come to trust that the extrovert is the only person that can lead, leaving the introvert behind and passed over for leadership positions. And as Cain said perfectly, we have the tendency to “favor the man of action over the man of contemplation.” And that right there is a serious problem. There is no correlation around the point that the best talker (the man of action) has the best ideas.
Research actually has proven that introverts are very good at exchanging and advancing ideas—all without the distortion of group think. The truth is that introverts, given the freedom, are performers and can manage proactive employees because they are more likely to allow peers to run their own show, rather than squashing their ideas like some extroverts are known to do by putting their “stamp” on everything.
The point here isn’t to knock the extrovert—because I am one. And I’m in no way proposing that we avoid the group dynamic. I’m just suggesting that we shouldn’t judge people. Extrovert or introvert—we all have our special abilities. Its important to realize the quiet one in the office is just as smart, productive, and able for success as the most charismatic.
And Steve Jobs wouldn’t have been the apple of everyone’s eye without a powerful introvert by his side.