Turns Out, You Don’t Need to “Own the Room”

I think that most people fall short of professional goals because they lack the belief they can lead. Leadership doesn’t necessarily mean commanding a room full of people. It could be one-on-one with clients, in a small group at work, teaching a class, anything where how you project your communication directly influences the results that you get.

We’re long sold the notion of the quintessential charismatic leader. Guy or gal who owns the room. The magnetic personality we all just can’t get enough of. But that’s just as much fiction as it is fact. Turns out, that isn’t actually the way leadership works at all.

By way of Adam Grant, I introduce to you: The Ambivert.

Ambiverts fall right smack down in the middle of introvert and extrovert, sharing qualities of each depending on the circumstance, and recent studies at the Wharton School of Business concluded that ambiverts are the most persuasive personalities and effective leaders. Even more than extroverts, who often get all of the credit.

“Many introverts – especially those in leadership roles – don’t fit the stereotypes of being timid and quiet. Many unexpectedly excel at activities like public speaking – though post-speech networking may be draining for them.”

Traditional leadership coaching doesn’t fail the ambivert personality, but they don’t address it either. I’m not going to dive into my philosophies of leadership and impose those on you, I’m just a gym owner. I just simply want to offer the perspective today that all personality types can lead. If you’ve been selling yourself short based on how you perceive your personality, don’t.

Embrace all aspects of yourself and you might just find that the things you thought were your weaknesses, might just be something people actually prefer.

-Dave