Can I choose to be an Extrovert?

[Canopus]

I'm always interested in what a successful leader like Jack Welch has to say about innate human qualities. He's not an expert on genetics, but he's certainly an expert on human nature.

 

According to Welch:

 

* Many introverts stagnate in large organizations. They can work hard and deliver to expectations or beyond, but they rarely get their due

 

* Big companies are constantly looking for people to move across divisions or around the world, and extroverts, by rights or not, appear more prepared for such opportunities

 

* With their charisma and superior verbal skills, [extroverts are] thought to be more "out front," able to communicate powerfully and motivate their people, especially during tough times

 

* Extroverts also tend to forge relationships with more ease, another boon in complex hierarchies

 

* Extroverts tend to outshine introverts because early on, their outsize personalities earn them chances to make presentations to higher-ups, always a good way to accelerate the career-changing process of getting out of the pile.

 

Welch says there are exceptions where a "reserved, shy, or awkward individual who has risen through the ranks to run something big". But that's a rare exception.

 

An introvert recently wrote Welch asking for advice on how to be more extroverted.

 

Welch replied:

 

* How do you feel about the prospect of putting on a perky face and a big voice and trying to chit-chat and "ho-ho-ho" your way into your team's heart? Panicked? Depressed? A bit of both?

 

* Do you simply feel worried, knowing how much people generally dislike phonies?

 

* You have no choice ... Get out there, mix, speak more often, and connect with both your team and others, deploying all the energy and personality you can muster.

 

* You may find that being more outgoing is a reward in itself.

 

This is a variant of the "if you want to be confident, first be confident" adage, as if confidence is simply a choice, a mask you can simply wear at will.

 

The reason Welch rose to become CEO is his ability to wear masks, or choose his attitude at will. (That's one of the rare genetic traits for which he's so highly paid.) He knows how to motivate people, and push their buttons. Some people are motivated by being yelled at. Some are motivated by guilt. Some are motivated by money or power. A good leader knows that, and can choose his own mask for the situation.

 

What leaders seem to ignore is that others simply can't choose to be this way. Our brains are not wired to allow us to smile at will. My favorite example is selective mutism, whereby someone cannot choose to speak in public, no matter how hard they try. Because leaders don't have this gene, they don't see how others differ from themselves. They figure everyone else can chose their mask, just like they do.

[ian stuart-hamilton]

What published research data from refereed psychological journals and similar does Mr Welch provide in support of his arguments, please?

Edited March 26, 2009 by ian stuart-hamilton