{"id":32644,"date":"2022-09-10T16:17:38","date_gmt":"2022-09-10T21:17:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/7-tips-for-introverted-leaders\/"},"modified":"2022-09-10T16:17:38","modified_gmt":"2022-09-10T21:17:38","slug":"7-tips-for-introverted-leaders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/7-tips-for-introverted-leaders\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Tips for Introverted Leaders"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Some people are surprised when, as CEO of a large company, I confess to being an introvert. Admittedly, it\u2019s an odd combination. I\u2019m required to be out front leading and speaking every week when, honestly, I\u2019d rather be alone.<\/p>\n

Being an introvert doesn\u2019t mean I don\u2019t like people or that I\u2019m quiet all the time. Introversion has to do with where I get my energy.<\/p>\n

Think of an introvert as an automobile with a tank of fuel. The longer an introvert is in a meeting or public setting, the more fuel is depleted. At some point we introverts run out of fuel and become almost non-functional. We can only refuel by moving to a more private setting. I\u2019m personally fueled by the time I spend alone with my thoughts, in deep study or writing.<\/p>\n

Introverts are usually comfortable communicating behind the quiet clicks of a computer with no face-to-face interaction. We relish times of solitude, reflection and personal study.<\/p>\n

Surely, other introverts can identify with my dread at being placed at a dinner table where I\u2019m expected to carry the conversation. I don\u2019t like being the center of attention. To the contrary, a lone corner of a room with no one noticing me suits me just fine.<\/p>\n

Introverts are often perceived as unfriendly. I am not gregarious or outgoing, but I am deeply loyal to friends and family. Still, I have to work on my appearance of unfriendliness. <\/p>\n

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Compensating for Introversion<\/h3>\n

Through the years, I have tried to compensate for my strong tendencies toward introversion. Indeed any leader must compensate to lead effectively. Here are seven principles for leading as an introverted leader. <\/p>\n

1. Practice\u00a0leadership by walking around. <\/strong><\/h3>\n

I shouldn\u2019t stay confined to the comforts and seclusion of my office. I must be seen by my staff, as well as by constituents and customers. I need to be around people in order to develop relationships. The same goes for pastors. While an introvert should not plan too much interaction, force yourself to get out among the members of your church frequently, even if only for brief periods of time.<\/p>\n

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See also  Do Pastors Care Too Much?<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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2. Be transparent about your introversion.<\/h3>\n

Being open will allow people to understand you better. If people know you are an introvert, they will be less likely to misinterpret a quiet and reticent nature as a lack of interest or unfriendliness. <\/p>\n

3. When possible, I try to keep meetings short.<\/h3>\n

The longer a meeting, the more I get drained. <\/p>\n

4. As much as possible, I try to have an extrovert with me when I\u2019m in public or group settings.<\/h3>\n

That extrovert can help carry the conversation. I can nod my head and smile. <\/p>\n

5. Be accountable to an extrovert. <\/h3>\n

It\u2019s important to have someone you trust who can speak to you truthfully and remind you when you are sinking into extreme introversion. If I appear to be acting like an uninterested jerk, that friend does not hesitate to tell me. He tells me how my actions or lack of actions may be perceived. <\/p>\n

6. Use social media as your voice. <\/h3>\n

Introverts often struggle with being social in person, but typically don\u2019t mind writing. The more people see you on Facebook, Twitter, or a blog, the more they will feel like they know you, even though you don\u2019t have one-on-one interaction with them. Social media is a great tool for introverts. <\/p>\n

7. Schedule time to recover. <\/h3>\n

If I don\u2019t recharge my batteries often, I become a useless leader. But I can\u2019t succumb to the temptation to perpetuate my downtime. I must return to all of the principles stated above.<\/p>\n

It is possible for introverts to lead. But it takes effort. Don\u2019t allow your personality to be an excuse to keep you from doing what God has called you to do. <\/p>\n

THOM S. RAINER <\/strong>(@ThomRainer) is president of Lifeway Christian Resources. Read more at ThomRainer.com.<\/em><\/p>\n

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What Do Pastors Believe About the End Times? What Do Pastors Believe About the Book of Revelation? 3 Ways to Reach Non-Religious People in Your Community <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Some people are surprised when, as CEO of a large company, I confess to being an introvert. Admittedly, it\u2019s an odd combination. I\u2019m required to be out front leading and speaking every week when, honestly, I\u2019d rather be alone. Being an introvert doesn\u2019t mean I don\u2019t like people or that I\u2019m quiet all the time. … Continue reading “7 Tips for Introverted Leaders”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-32644","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sermons"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32644","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32644"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32644\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32644"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32644"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32644"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}