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Can an introvert become a good manager & survive among extroverts?

Posted: May 12th, 2019, 9:21 pm
by MBACrystalBall
Query on Quora:
Can an introvert become a good manager & survive among extroverts?
My response:

As an introvert, during my student life & the early part of my career, I managed to stay in the shadows.

With time the responsibilities grew & so did the managerial aspects.

Plus, I moved from a technical role in software to consulting - where the pressures from the clients & employer are direct & significantly higher.

It was tough to balance the 'real' me with the professional facade that my employers expected me to put on in front of the client.

There was plenty of comparison with the extrovert peers who the bosses seemed to like more. It was quite annoying.

I learned to fake it in team meetings & pretend to be confident when I really wasn't.

During the rest of the time where the focus was more on delivery rather than making an impression, I would slide back into my comfort zone & focus on quality work.

Over time, I guess my brain got fooled into thinking that the confidence was real. The pressures of working in a team got easier to handle.

Try it out. It might work for you too.

Given the option, I still prefer sitting in a corner & focussing on work rather than being the life of the party. I finally have a job that allows me to do exactly that.