Why is every company searching for the next extroverted leader?
Quiet people have changed the world…
I have this problem. Whenever I log onto a big company’s website to apply for a job they later ask for an online assessment test; which am happy to take because it mean I’ve passed round one but Ive actually come to dread these tests.
Typically if you fit their minimum requirements you qualify to take an online assessment to know more about the kind of person you are. The instructions are friendly with a “no wrong answers” quip just to make sure you feel confident enough to be yourself when you’re answering those questions. But really there are wrong answers because not everyone qualifies especially if you’re not an extroverted outspoken person who doesn’t enjoy conflict or dealing with it in a certain fashion.
Now I’m one of those people and I’m saying to all these profitable companies that you don’t have to be at the center stage to be a leader, to be employable, or to become a shortlisted candidate.You don’t have to lead a team to be good at what you do. Nor do you have to have been a member of multiple clubs and societies to be good at something. It’s tiresome when you feel like you have to achieve certain qualifications and characteristics that are not part of your personality to fit in with a company or to get the job.
I agree that a leader in any field does get the attention just because their skills speak for themselves but can it just end with your skill set? Does it have to go on and on about how you played hockey or were a member of the athletics team. You lead a group of girls to collect trash or whatever. Some people enjoy solitude and like doing things on their own or in a very small close knit group.
The description goes like “you must be an individual who thrives in a fast paced environment whose able to deal with a lot of pressure”to be the best person for the job. What about the people who like working at 3 am with their headphones and eating lunch alone or who’d rather have quiet conversations with their colleagues than go on a team building hike? Where do they fit in?
Where does an introvert fit into a society that praises extroverts and diminishes introverts just because we don’t talk so much or didn’t opt for the position of chief officer?It’s hard taking these personality assessments when you know it’s not you they’ll pick because of who you are, if you’re answering those questions honestly.Why can’t they just pick me because I do my job well? Why do we all have to be the same peas in a pod to make it to the team?
Reminds me of the Divergent movies/books, where everyone was grouped into their temperament and unfortunately the extroverted guys decided they’d rather push everyone around and be their boss just because the others were not comfortable with certain situations or to make certain decisions. Some were humble, others kept to themselves or were organized. This didn’t make them good enough to lead the rest.
The top companies today pride themselves in employing the creme with top grades with the best qualities for a leader but they forget the people who made these companies were actually introverts who spent a lot of time thinking and challenging the status quo and because they did so they came up with something remarkable. Only for the same kind of person to be locked out of these same companies in the future.
Introverts can be more than quiet. We can be funny and sociable. We also like to have fun and do more than just read books. We deal with pressure in our own way and we stay quiet because we have loud minds and we’d rather sort out the colorful stuff in our brains before spewing it out. We don’t say hi to everyone not because we’re arrogant but because it takes a bit more time for us to acclimatize to our environment. We need time and space to adjust and then we really thrive. Don’t rule us out yet and given the chance we really do shine. I don’t speak for all introverts because everyone is different but I sure can identify with another introvert when I see one; and I think it’s safe to say someone else has been in my position.
