Are strategic thinking introverts suddenly in style?
Is this unique type of introvert gaining popularity?
These may seem silly questions because personality types don’t go in and out of style.
However, when economic, political, and social environments change, particular personality types and skills are best suited to thrive within these environments.
And although they are trending, many people won’t know because introverts are less likely to brag, boast, and reveal their best practices.
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a Trend as “A general direction of change: a way of behaving, proceeding, etc., that is developing and becoming more common.”
Individuals globally are experiencing financial constraints, political upheaval, and social unrest. And to top everything else off, the Covid-19 pandemic keeps mutating into other forms.
Additionally, since the popularity of social media sites, individuals have opted to live out loud. A supervisor’s firing of an employee might be fodder for a Facebook rant by the terminated employee.
Social media has become a forum for individuals to have tantrums where the fallout can be catastrophic for a business.
As a result, hiring managers are investigating the digital footprint of applicants as part of the hiring process.
Nicely quaffed and tailored applicants that look squeaky clean in person may be denied hiring opportunities due to pictures on Facebook of them participating in a drinking binge in Cancun.
Hiring managers serve the needs of the corporate entity, which does not have political opinions, hidden agendas, or controversy.
Corporations exist to produce value, increase profitability, and improve stakeholders’ investment.
They do not participate in initiatives antithetical to their corporate interests or long-term sustainability.
This applies to small “Mom-and-pop” businesses and multinational corporations.
These entities cater to the needs and wants of the markets they serve, done quietly and thoughtfully.
Consequently, strategic thinking introverts might be hardwired to adapt, innovate, and prosper the most effectively for corporate growth.
In short, strategic thinking introverts are good for business.
2020 gave everyone a 20/20 vision of where they stood on the world’s stage and what needed to change.
That year exposed the gaps in my life and gave me a laser beam focus in ways I’ll never be the same.
I wanted to become more valuable to myself and any business opportunities I sought.
2020 taught me about people as much as it taught me about myself.
As an introvert, I realized that my lifestyle had already been geared towards solace and solitude as a source of my productivity. The most significant change I made was installing a fitness room within my house.
Amazon and online retailers became my preferred mode of shopping.
And I canceled my cable company’s services and digitalized my entire home.
All that was relatively simple.
My most significant transformation was how I viewed people and the new social contract I had created in interacting with them moving forward.
2020 brought everything to a boil, although my transformation was years in the making.
I had observed that civilization was becoming more and more uncivil.
People with like-minded interests were aligning to accumulate power, and it was a winner take all proposition.
Entrepreneurs and captains of industry abdicated basic business principles in favor of political correctness.
And education reform was being passed around like a political football.
All this informed me that society had become more dystopic that required an intellectual transformation.
Based on some conversations within introverted online forums, I wasn’t the only one witnessing these changes.
These insular groups had found like-minded introverts who were maneuvering and operating in ways that can be described as organized, strategic, and transactional.
They were abdicating the idea of appeasement and compromise in favor of cold rationale, self-interest, and the pursuit of personal power.
Those who supported these ideas were welcomed, while others were dismissed.
All of this was occurring under the radar and out of the glare of prying eyes.
Strategic thinking introverts are trending in ways that the larger society is unaware of.
Although boisterous extroverts will continue to yell through their megaphones, strategic thinking introverts will wield quiet power and influence that businesses find more attractive.
Here are five trending skills that make strategic thinking introverts your best Investment.
Using data to solve problems and think more critically
Mike Bugembe, a leading expert on how organizations can gain valuable insights through data, said:
You must learn how to ask the right questions. If you don’t know what to ask, then the data won’t provide any insight. When you couple the right questions with the key decisions you need to make, the data practically drops out onto the paper.
For example, using data can deliver game-changing insights into employee well-being and performance. With the right questions, we can find out who is likely to be more productive in the mornings or even identify the toxic individual at work whose mere presence reduces productivity. This gives leaders the ability to identify those situations and find ways to help people be the best they can be (Pope, 2020).
Problem-solving and critical thinking skills will continue to top the list as the most desired skills sought-after by hiring managers.
Generating Ideas for efficiency
Jean Kim, a psychiatrist and a clinical assistant professor of psychiatry at George Washington University, said:
Introverts tend to prefer the mental space to problem solve and analyze issues. Accordingly, they can come up with great solutions to organizational tasks at hand. Introverts shouldn’t hesitate to proactively look at issues or bottlenecks that have been plaguing systems for some time, and then let everyone know what they come up with. Demonstrating the ability to generate innovative ideas and solutions will help introverts win over everyone’s good graces.
Individuals who can increase productivity and profitability within an organization are extremely valuable in a global economy.
Sticking to business
Jennee Rasavong, a freelance content marketer, said:
Introverts have the tendency to keep to themselves at the office but that doesn’t mean they aren’t thinking of the entire organization. It’s actually quite the opposite since introverts are led by a different internal compass when it comes to careers: they try to build beyond themselves.
Business-minded people who are focused and logical rather than emotional and inattentive thrive in competitive environments.
Being self-sufficient and needing little supervision
Dr. Robin Buckley, writing for Entrepreneur magazine, said:
Because of their preference for independent work, introverts won’t tend to need excessive supervision to get a task done. They are used to relying on themselves and their skills to accomplish a goal. Very often, they will work hard to figure out a solution rather than, or before, going to someone to talk it out.
Self-governance and independence are critical when there are many moving parts within an organization. Individuals who are curious and self-reliant are most attractive.
Being resilient during critical times
Michaela Chung of Introvert Spring said:
Have you ever talked to someone who just loved to play the victim? The world is against them, and they are completely powerless. Mentally strong introverts have the opposite mindset. They see themselves as captains of their own ship. No matter what life throws at them, they focus on what they can do, instead of what seems impossible.
The ability to bounce back from setbacks is essential now more than ever. Having a solid backbone allows you to overcome any adversity.
If the world is genuinely economical and transactional, strategic thinking introverts are made for success.
Economic, political, and social environments require intellectuals who diagnose and create viable solutions to compelling problems.
The days of the clowns are waning.
If civilization has the greatest chance for survival, strategic thinking introverts must usher in a New Age of Reason.
Otherwise, a world without reason is pointless.
—Amy R. Grunberg
References
Buckley, R. (2021, Sept. 16). 6 overlooked superpowers of introverts in the workplace. Entrepreneur. Retrieved from: https://bit.ly/3q6fB4q.
Chung, M. (n.d.). 10 secret habits of mentally strong introverts. Introvert Spring. Retrieved from: https://bit.ly/3HJ9OHO.
Kim, J. (2018, Mar. 21). Ten strategies for introverts to excel in the workplace. Psychology Today. Retrieved from: https://bit.ly/3r0qOCM.
Pope, C. (2020, Dec. 18). Rise of the introvert (and other 2021 business predictions. Forbes. Retrieved from: https://bit.ly/3JYiOL6.
Rasavong, J. (n.d.). 12 everyday situations that introverts are especially good at handling. Lifehack. Retrieved from: https://bit.ly/3q9bBjB.