Continuing the Quiet Revolution: Developing Introverted Leaders in Academic Psychiatry (original) (raw)

Academic Psychiatry

Abstract

Leaders are generally perceived to be charismatic extroverts, able to walk into a room and capture a crowd’s attention [1]. Personable and outgoing, these individuals appear in many ways the antithesis of the quiet introvert. Approximately one-third to one-half of the population exhibits a preference for introversion, yet introverts are underrepresented in leadership roles [2]. Introverts also contend with strong cultural bias against their promotion to leadership positions. A 2006 survey revealed that 65% of senior corporate executives viewed introversion as a barrier to leadership, and only 6% believed that introverts make more effective leaders [3]. This bias does not just exist in corporate America. Medical education is increasingly incorporating teaching strategies that require group work and “thinking aloud” models of training, which may disadvantage introverted learners who prefer solitary learning and deliberate reflection [4]. Introverted students tend to have overall lower evaluations related to interpersonal behavior during clerkship rotations [4]. Focus groups of introverted medical students reveal the following themes: feeling like misfits, struggling to get a word into conversation, questioning a need to change their identity to achieve success in school, and being judged as underperformers [4]. Because of these challenges, introverts are more likely to experience stress and burnout during medical school than their extroverted counterparts [5]. This has important implications for introverted individuals whose professional identity and leadership potential may be significantly impacted by these early experiences in their training [1]. Social scientists have increasingly recognized the value and unique perspective that introverts bring to leadership roles. A 2011 study examining leadership style and productivity showed that teams with proactive employees were more productive when led by an introvert as compared to an extrovert [6]. Jim Collins, a business consultant who studied highperforming companies, determined that many of those leaders were known for drive and humility rather than charisma or gregariousness [7]. Similarly, a separate review of 15 metaanalytic studies found conscientiousness to be a more consistent predictor of job performance across occupations than extroversion [8]. These results suggest that introverts can bring significant worth to a leadership position. While this article will focus primarily on the strengths of introverts, we do not intend to minimize the strengths of extroverts, as leaders or otherwise. In fact, data would suggest that teams work best when introverts and extroverts are able to work together [6]. Ultimately, we believe that encouraging leadership in introverts represents an opportunity to enrich leadership in academic psychiatry.

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