If you’re a sports fan or lived through the 1980s, you inevitably heard or read about the rivalry between basketball greats Ervin (Magic) Johnson and Larry Bird. A recent documentary highlighted the two stars, and I was struck by the contrast in their personalities and styles.

Magic Johnson is very much the extravert. As a player, he consistently wanted to engage the fans and throngs who sought him out, and he eagerly made himself available. Larry Bird is both shy and introverted. When he left a sports arena, he preferred to find a side door to avoid the crowds. Magic reveled in attention, and Larry shied away from it.

What was most impressive in the documentary was the respect and admiration each man had for the other’s personal strengths. Acknowledging the introvert preference for in-depth relationships, Magic noted that, in Larry, you have a friend for life. Larry commented about the energy and excitement that accompanies Magic wherever he goes. Each wished he had some of the traits the other possesses. Yet each was a successful player, and a successful team leader, despite having such different preferences.

Their rivalry inspired superlative play as each battled for pre-eminence, and their spectacular performances reawakened interest in basketball in the 1980s.

As career coaches, working with both extraverts and introverts, we can help our clients embrace their natural preference and capitalize on the accompanying strengths. In terms of career choice, introversion or extraversion need not be a limiting factor. While many introverts might be drawn to more solitary occupations, others are quite happy and successful in those that require more social interaction (e.g., a man I worked with had a career in sales, with earnings in the neighborhood of $250,000).

What’s important is recognizing what aspects of a job – or a work environment – may be draining for someone and what aspects will be energizing, and then identifying additional strategies or opportunities for the individual to “re-energize.” For example, introverts may need to seek solitude in the middle of a highly social day; extraverts, in contrast, may need to seek out a group of people to recharge with if they work in more solitary occupations or environments.

Being mindful of the choices people make and the “energy costs” associated with those choices will contribute to our clients’ job satisfaction and success.

“Introvert” is not a four-letter word – so why do people have so many negative associations with it? For example,

• I was asked in an interview, “If you’re an introvert, is it the end of the world?”
• A man told me he wanted to buy a book on introversion for his wife, but he was afraid she’d be insulted.
• A woman questioned whether it was possible to be both successful and an introvert.

That got me thinking about synonyms, stereotypes, and stigmas. What words do you associate with “introvert”? The Microsoft Word thesaurus offers “recluse.” Ewww! The negative connotations that word has are practically palpable. Along those lines, I frequently see “loner” connected with “introvert” and occasionally “antisocial” (and, sadly, often in stories about people who have committed horrific crimes). There are some words that are less negatively charged – “reserved” or “quiet” come to mind. But still it’s clear that those qualities go against the norm in our culture.

And then there’s “shy,” which people often confuse with “introverted.” In fact, the Microsoft thesaurus lists that as the first option, and lists “shy” as the first option for “introverted.” Look at the others: Retiring – Withdrawn – Timid – Bashful – Diffident – Inhibited – Reticent – Reserved – Quiet. When people admit to any of those traits, it’s always in an apologetic and embarrassed manner.

Part of our job as career coaches is to empower our clients, and my mission is to spread the word that being an introvert means having some powerful strengths that in fact can contribute to success, leadership, excellent performance, and many other wonderful outcomes. If you do a Google search for “famous introverts” you’ll find lists of highly accomplished people in all areas of life. Also, if you search the biographies of hundreds of well-known people (some of them probably extroverts, in fact), you’ll discover that they are or have been shy but nevertheless are known for some amazing achievements.

Shyness and introversion do not have to stand in the way of success – and can even contribute to it.

So I hope the other 50.7% of the population who are introverts will join me and say it loud, and say it proud – “I’m an introvert!”

One of the things that makes our work especially enjoyable is the diversity of people we deal with. Our clients come from a variety of occupations and bring a wide assortment of career challenges. They come from different backgrounds and have different values and beliefs. And, of special interest to me, they represent an assortment of personality types. I will be blogging about job search, career choice, and career management with a focus on those clients who are shy and/or introverts.

First, though, I’d like to distinguish between shyness and introversion. We use the terms interchangeably in everyday language, and yet they don’t actually mean the same thing.

In psychological terms, the introvert is someone who draws energy from the inner world of ideas and thoughts. By way of contrast, the extrovert draws energy from the outer world of people and activity. Introverts frequently appear to be more quiet and reserved than extroverts, but often that’s because they’re deep in thought. Many are quite outgoing and enjoy interacting with people. They aren’t necessarily shy. And they often don’t know they’re introverted – they may recognize that they are different from others and feel out of sync with society but they don’t know why. They make up slightly more than half of the population.

The shy person feels inhibited and self-conscious and fears being judged or criticized. Shyness is frequently experienced in the presence of strangers and people in authority. About 50% of the population identify themselves as shy, with up to 95% saying they are or have been shy in some circumstances. I think it’s safe to assume that a job search is one of those circumstances, as the hiring process itself consists of judging people. In addition, when people hire us as career experts, we are seen as “people in authority” – and working with us may bring out the shyness in some of our clients. Rather than relate to us as collaborators, they may assume a more subservient role simply because we’re the experts and must know what we’re talking about.

Future blogs will address some of the specific concerns that people who are shy or introverted have raised, and will offer insights into the unique strengths and job search challenges of this segment of the population.

Recommended Resources:

• The Introvert Advantage: How to Thrive in an Extrovert World, by Marti Olsen Laney, Psy.D., Workman Publishing, NY, 2002.

• Shyness: A Bold New Approach: Bernardo J. Carducci, Ph.D., Quill, 1999.