Leading Extroverts
Are you a natural introvert leading a team with one or more extroverts on it? We often find it easier to empathize with people who share our personality traits, and we tend to avoid people who are different than us. However, avoiding different people means that we miss out on their special gifts.
Extroverts love meeting new people and spending time in a crowd. They don’t pause before they speak. Their speech is typically more abstract and free flowing rather than measured and concrete. They are comfortable expressing their emotions. They don’t mind being caught off guard, and they like surprises.
The important thing to remember when leading extroverts is to make sure you are providing a work environment where they can express themselves.
If they enjoy chatting up co-workers or clients, make sure they have spaces and times where they can do that, without distracting others.
Place them in roles where they can shine, like greeting visitors, giving tours or being a passionate spokesperson for your organization’s vision.
Don’t be afraid to pull them in on a large meeting spontaneously. They may actually enjoy being interrupted!
Think about the extroverts are your team. Do they have an outlet to express themselves or are they suffocating in a cubicle all day alone? How can you make small adjustments to the work environment that will allow them to shine?
