Leaders Come From All Parts of the Orchard

People who want to be leaders often ask me: “Do I have the right personality to lead?” My answer: There’s no personality type that designates someone a leader. This doesn’t mean you ignore your personality, preferences and foibles. It means you become aware of them so you can lead yourself first, then others.

To gain that self-awareness, I often use assessments (Performance Style & Ambitions, Values, DISC, TeamTrust, Conflict Management, 360s). I remind people (multiple times) that the data is a starting place for a meaningful conversation, never a stopping place. Data’s useful – it’s never the whole story.

New data from psychologists studying personality characteristics is now focusing on people in the middle of the introvert-extrovert spectrum and calling them “ambiverts”, much to the delight of those who consider themselves to be “in the middle.” (You may be one of them!)

No more only Either/Or

The terms extrovert and introvert have been in our personality vocabularies since coined by Carl Jung in the early 20th century and indicate where each person gets their energy from.

On one end of the spectrum, INTROVERTS become energized internally by being alone, spending time with one person or a small group.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, EXTROVERTS become energized externally through social interaction. The more the merrier.

Bilinguals

Ambiverts have introverted and extroverted traits; neither trait is dominant. As a result, they tend to have more balanced personalities. They aren’t the folks yammering your ear off. Nor are they the totally silent ones happily ensconced in the corner.

Ambiverts move between being social or being solitary, speaking up or listening carefully with greater ease than either extroverts or introverts. “It is like they’re bilingual,” says Daniel Pink, a business book author and host of Crowd Control, a TV series on human behavior. “They have a wider range of skills and can connect with a wider range of people in the same way someone who speaks English and Spanish can.”

Introvert	Ambivert	Extrovert
Energized internally, while being alone Craves solitude to balance out social time Speaks only when they have something to say Thinks before speaking, processes thoughts internally	Socially flexible—comfortable in social situations or being alone Intuits when to listen, when to talk Moderate in mood—not overly expressive or reserved Adaptable — no default mode, change approach to fit situation	Energized by external stimulation—with people, environment, activity Processes thoughts while talking Motivated by external rewards, recognition, feedback Outgoing—easy to get to know

See where you fall on the spectrum: Take Daniel Pink’s short, free online quiz .

Drawbacks for Ambiverts

More than half the population is ambiverted, according to Wharton’s Dr. Grant, an organizational psychologist and professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. “Ambiverts are like Goldilocks—they offer neither too much nor too little,” says Grant.

One drawback to being an ambivert is that it can sometimes be difficult for them to know which side of their personality to lead with in a given situation. Unlike extroverts and introverts, who tend to know what energizes them and have fewer decisions to make regarding how to be in any given situation, ambiverts may not always be so sure. That means they can sometimes get stuck—not realizing that they need to change their approach to feel more motivated. Ambiverts need to read each situation carefully and ask themselves, ‘What do I need to do right now to be most successful and happy?’

Another drawback may be those folks around them. Others may want an ambivert to be either/or because it’s easier for them to deal with. If this is the case, it’s up to you, the ambivert, to educate them about your preferences and adaptability. As with any preferences and strengths, if we ignore them and “try to fit in”, our performance will suffer and we’ll burn out.  Because ambiverts can be both/and, moving like a free-range chicken about the farm, if they stick with one or the other end of the scale too long, they might feel drained and burned out.

Wondering who makes the best leaders: introverts, extroverts or ambiverts? Any and all. Being shy, outgoing or some of both has nothing to do with being a leader. Being a leader is a matter of commitment, action and example.  Use what you’ve got, where you are at, and who you are to be a leader. Leaders come from all parts of the orchard.