…for I am fearfully and wonderfully made… – Psalm 139:14, KJV

Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary defines an extrovert as “a friendly person who likes being with and talking to other people : an outgoing person.” MWD defines an introvert as “a shy person : a quiet person who does not find it easy to talk to other people.” An ambivert would be someone who possesses both traits, exhibiting one or the other trait depending on the situation.

I have learned that I am an ambivert; I have tendencies in both directions. You put me in front of a microphone in a radio studio or in front of a live audience of any size, and I am very extroverted. You put me in a Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours setting or some other large networking or social event, and I want to run to a corner and hide!

Our society, for as long as I can remember, has praised extroversion as the personality type that generates success in just about every arena of life. Most organizations have followed this line of thinking, gearing their workplace cultures to encourage extroversion and to shun the introversion that society has deemed unworthy. As a result, many with introversion tendencies (including ambiverts) have experienced what actress Emma Watson (aka Harry Potter’s Hermione Granger) describes in this quote, “If you’re anything other than an extrovert you’re made to think there’s something wrong with you.”

Susan Cain is the author of the New York Times Bestseller Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking. She is an honors graduate of Princeton and Harvard Law School, and she is one of the foremost experts on the subject of introversion. According to Cain, research shows that somewhere between ⅓ and ½ of the US population has some level of introversion as part of their personality, meaning people like me (and maybe you) are far from alone. As a result of Cain’s research and the research of others like Adam Grant, Francesca Gino, and Dave Hofmann, much has been discovered about the power of introverts to impact those around them. For example, the aforementioned researchers have found that:

1. Extroverts and introverts were equally successful overall [as leaders]—and excelled with different types of employees. When employees were passive, looking for direction from above, units led by extroverts had 16% higher profits. But when employees were proactive, voicing suggestions and improving work processes, units led by extroverts had 14% lower profits. Extroverts had the enthusiasm and assertiveness to get the best out of passive followers, but they hogged the spotlight in ways that stifled the initiative of proactive followers, leaving them discouraged and missing out on their ideas. Introverted leaders thrive by validating initiative and listening carefully to suggestions from below. Successful introverts include Doug Conant, the former CEO of Campbell’s Soup, General Charles Krulak, the former commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps, and Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft.
2. Introverts can be just as good at networking as extroverts, although extroverts are often tagged as making the best networkers. Studies of workgroups show that extroverts actually elicit more negative emotions in others, have slightly more difficult relationships with teammates, and start out with higher status but lose it over time. In a recent publication, Fortune magazine tapped an introverted computer engineer as the best networker it had found.
3. When most people here the words “successful salesperson,” they automatically think “extrovert.” However, the researchers found that the average correlation between extroversion and sales performance was a whopping zero. Ambiverts brought in more sales revenue than introverts or extroverts. While extroverts are prone to dominating the conversation and coming on too strong, and introverts are sometimes too reserved and reluctant to pitch, ambiverts have the flexibility to adapt to the demands of the situation.

What does all of this mean? God created each of us with a unique personality, and each of us is naturally motivated to interact with the world in various ways. Regardless of what anyone says, no personality type is better than another – each has its pros and cons, and each has its value. If you are an outgoing, extroverted person, great! If you are a quiet, introverted person, great! If you are an ambivert displaying both tendencies, great! Celebrate who you are. Be at peace with how God made you. Understand that God fearfully and wonderfully made you with the unique package that you are, and understand that you have no need to be like anyone else. Just be you. God did, after all, make you a special, unique, one-of-a-kind human being. Be thankful for that, accept who you are, and go serve Him in the way He intended!