Introverts are all around us. They come in all different sizes and personalities. They are your customers, employees, friends, and family members. I’m an introvert and you might be one too.
Whether you’re an introvert or not, having a better understanding of what makes them tick will benefit you personally and in your business dealings.
Susan Cain’s book Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking offers an in-depth and well-researched treatise on how introverts act and what you can do about it.
As an introvert myself, I found this book very satisfying as it underscores the value that relatively quiet people contribute to society, which typically celebrates the loudest and most vocal of its members.
If you are an introvert, you’ll find this book helps quantify why you act the way you do. You’ll find ideas of how you can make the most of your introversion and overcome some of the challenges that it brings.
Looking outward, this book will help you better deal with introverts you interact with everyday. From inside your own family to those in the work place, you can’t always follow the golden rule of doing unto others what you’d like done if that doesn’t meet their individual needs.
How you structure your team and reward your employees should take into account their personality types. Introverts and extroverts don’t need or want the same recognition in the same format. One size doesn’t fit all. This book will help you realize the differences and how you can best leverage everyone on your team and help them feel valued.
My Recommendation: Read the Book and Change Your Behavior
You should read Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, and evaluate both yourself and how you interact with others.
Identify your introvert or extrovert tendencies and how they impact others around you. Audit your personal and professional relationships and see what you can change to improve them.
Armed with the knowledge and patterns explained in this book, you’ll better know how to deal with yourself and those introverts around you.