The Power of Introverts: Finding a Voice in the Pandemic
By: Camilla Zanon
Tags: Voices, Introvert

Bill, 11 years old, lived with his parents and two sisters in Seattle. He was extremely good at school, especially math and science. His favourite hobbies were playing board games and reading books.

Yet his parents worried about his behaviour, but decided not to force Bill to change his hobbies and passions. During high school, Bill spent almost all of his time by himself, but this time in the school computer lab rather than his room. With silence as his only companion, Bill could clearly hear his thoughts and solve problems. He could think, imagine, and create. Today, Bill is 65. He is a software developer, investor, author, philanthropist, and the co-founder of Microsoft Corporation.

In the world, one in three people is an introvert. We all know one. It might be you, your best friend, your spouse, your boss, your colleague. If you are an introvert, you know the power that lies in silence and quietness. That magic ingredient that allowed Bill Gates, JK Rowling, Abraham Lincoln, Eleanor Roosevelt, Albert Einstein, Steve Wozniak, Larry Page, Warren Buffett and many others to create unimaginable things that changed our world. What would have happened if these people had been forced to discuss their ideas in groups rather than in their heads? Play a team sport instead of writing? Talk instead of thinking? Google, Harry Potter and the theory of relativity probably wouldn’t exist.

Often, people think that introversion means being anti-social, but this is not true. It’s all about stimulation.

I am an introvert but it took me some years to fully understand what that meant, and to find the courage to make unpopular choices to protect my wellbeing and unleash my power. Living in a society with a cultural bias toward extroversion, I often saw introversion as a burden rather than a gift. I spent too much time justifying my choices, pretending to feel good surrounding myself with people, conversations, and noise. Trying to be an extrovert when you are an introvert is like asking a bird to walk instead of fly — exhausting and counterproductive. A bird will look at his short and fragile legs with disappointment, without realizing he was gifted with wings.

Being an Introvert at the GSB

With participation a significant part of grades, and with group projects and peer pressure to participate in social activities, a day at the GSB can be very draining for an introvert. “Before Covid-19 I had to take one day per week completely off,” an MBA2 said. “I needed to be in my room by myself to recharge.”

Asked the most challenging part of their MBA life, introverts shared a common answer: class participation.

“Every time I sit in class I feel the pressure to talk, but I need time to gather my thoughts and put together relevant things to say,” shared an MBA2. Said another MBA2: “You are aware that frequency, rather than quality, of participation is very important. I became more concerned about the frequency of my comments. I needed to remind myself, ‘You haven’t talked in this course yet.’ ”

Rewarding students who talk the most also affects how introverted students think about their leadership style. “Sometimes I doubt myself — can I really be an inspiring leader?” said an MBA2.

The Impact of Covid-19

While it has been a very challenging year for everyone, introverts seem to have found a silver lining in the pandemic.

“Some of the rules for socializing are actually playing in my favor,” said an MBA2. “Engaging in small groups rather than large gatherings. Going on a hike rather than to a party. This is where I feel most comfortable.”

While everyone agrees that Covid-19 worsened the MBA experience, introverts seem to participate more in online classes than they did in-person. Zoom has introduced new ways students can contribute, and most match introverts’ thinking style. To speak, there is no need to interrupt someone or wave your hand higher than others; you simply need to click a button. Want a few minutes to gather your thoughts? You can always write your comment in the chat.

“Participation in Zoom classes is so much better,” said an MBA2. “I love the chat. I feel I can contribute to the class discussion with relevant content. I wish all professors would count the written comments as participation points.”

Extroverts seem to appreciate the broad range of participation by their classmates as well. “I feel the smartest comments in the chat are by people who never spoke in class,” said an MBA2. “I would be very sad to see the chat go away,” shared another student.

Looking Forward

In a world that rewards socializing and talking it is no surprise that business schools place a large emphasis on speaking up. But what if instead of teaching birds to run, we teach them to use their wings? What if we create an environment where both personality types contribute in their own ways? Both introverts and extroverts have special capabilities that, if used correctly, can unleash magic.

As teachers, students, parents, colleagues and leaders, we need to take into account differences in learning, thinking and contributing.

We need to stop assuming that silence is disengagement and talking is intelligence. We need to help others to become aware of their stimulation preferences, rather than forcing them to adapt to a one-size-fits-all learning model.

We need to respect and celebrate our differences, instead of limiting them. We need to assure that kids like Bill will not spend their lives thinking they are lonely and weird, but rather that they can think, imagine, and create great things that will change the world.