Why Management Is Going to Need More Introverts

All of the frenetic 24-7 urgency of contemporary economic culture has generated some impressive successes. But it may not be the best attitude - or preparation - for the future. 

Design has made tremendous advances in assisting us with the crucial task of interpreting all of that important data our devices are pumping into the system. But the equally important business of assuring that those assessments are correct, that the implications have been thought through and that the results are then deployed in a manner that improves the odds of outcomes being attained remains as much art as science.

To enhance performance, leaders and their management teams, as well as the empowered work force they have selected and incentivized must do a better job of figuring out what this all means. Data without contemplation is like activity without purpose: it may be self-reinforcing, and it may make superiors who - for wont of any better information - take action for results, but it is unlikely to deliver a meaningful and sustainable competitive advantage.

The challenge is that the more information we are able to derive and the more accurate it becomes, the more likely we are to assume this means it will lead to obvious and ineluctable decisions which, in turn, provide the certainty that all institutions crave.

The problem with such assumptions is that they betray a belief in a linear vision for the future which was already questionable in 1914 but is almost certainly inappropriate a century later. Processes co-evolve, innovations disrupt and well, stuff happens. More than we would like or think reasonable, all continuing to threaten our belief in the great march of progress which we think our technology and our intelligence and our rationality entitles us.

So we need people who, sacrificing neither optimism nor positivity, are capable of and willing to reflect on the what-ifs and the subtle twinges and the shifting breezes that constitute the uncertainties in which we often find ourselves as we hurtle forward. JL

Eddie Yoon comments in Harvard Business Review:

Introverts focus on the meaning of events: people who will spend more time listening than talking, reflecting deeply on meaning, and building fewer, deeper relationships.
Susan Cain’s book “Quiet” has provided wonderful insight to me, because I am an introvert. Cain’s core premise is that western culture overvalues extroverts and under-utilizes introverts. Introverts prefer less stimulation and quiet concentration. We listen more than we talk, think before we speak, and focus on relationships. Introverts focus on the meaning of events around us, while extroverts focus on the events themselves.
If I had to bet, the best marketers of tomorrow will likely be far more introverted than the average marketer is today. I would even argue that marketing needs more introverts—people who will spend more time listening than talking, reflecting deeply on meaning, and building fewer, deeper relationships.
Three fundamental trends will drive this.
First, as power continues to shift to the consumer, listening becomes a more valuable asset. Consumers have more products, brands, and retailers to choose from than ever. Pricing is much more transparent. And it is far easier to complain and talk back to brands, thanks to social media. According to Nielsen, nearly half of U.S. consumers use social media for that purpose. How leaders react to feedback is now paramount. The authors of a 2010 HBR article shared two test situations with introverted or extroverted leaders and tested how they reacted to proactive suggestions from employees.  The introverted leaders performed much more strongly and yielded better business results—14% higher profits and 28% higher productivity in the two test situations. In a world where consumers are increasingly proactive, introverted marketers may have the edge.
Second, advertising will continue to shift from advertiser monologues to dialogues–and even reverse monologues—as highly engaged consumers showcase their creativity and love for certain brands. Since introverts listen more than extroverts, it makes sense that introverted marketers will be more willing to loosen their control of their brands and listen to consumers for inspiration. As Cain recently noted, “An extrovert can quite unwittingly get so excited about things that they’re putting their own stamp on things and other people’s ideas may not bubble up to the surface.”
Finally, superconsumers—the top 10% of highly engaged consumers who can drive 50% of category profit—will continue to increase in importance and determine which brands win and which don’t. Superconsumers have always been important, but finding them is easier than ever via traditional marketing, digital marketing, and geographic/local marketing. This creates more time to engage in a deeper conversation with a few key consumers, something that introverts by nature prefer. Reflecting on fewer, deeper discussions increases the likelihood of uncovering emotional and life aspirational insights—the ones that create real pricing power.
Time will tell if I am right. But the more I’ve considered Cain’s praise for introverts, the more I’ve realized that during my career, some of the best marketers I’ve worked with have been introverts. One marketing vice president at a former client launched a new product quietly in a few select markets that came up as a result of quiet reflection as he listened to superconsumers, retailers, and his R&D staff. It grew to nearly $100 million in sales with minimal advertising support. This marketer eventually left the corporate world because he couldn’t stand the pontificating, posturing, and politics that are sometimes required in corporate America—behaviors that are probably due to the prevalence of extroverts in that world. He’s now a happy, thriving, and self-employed options trader—a profession that better suits his personality.
I also know of a crew of very talented marketers with a strong track record of success who left traditional marketing jobs for new roles within retail. They’ve found it to be an introvert’s paradise. They spend more time launching new brands and products than lobbying for resources. They spend more time listening and responding to their shoppers’ and consumers’ feedback about their new products in real time than telling them about the products in the first place. One of the telltale signs of success is that they built a $300 million new brand in a fraction of the time it would have taken elsewhere.
Of course, the conclusion is not that extroverts can’t be great marketers or that all introvert marketers will succeed. But hopefully the marketing departments of corporate America will become increasingly introvert-friendly. Introverts have traits that will be even more valuable for success in tomorrow’s world—and I, for one, am tired of seeing them leave marketing.