The Wild Introvert

Why Quieter People are also Excellent Leaders

Susan Quinn, Library Director
Ocean County Library, Toms River, NJ
 Learn how the
Libraries are full of quieter introvert's ability to stay
people who have the potential calm, organized,
determined and focused
to be excellent leaders
can lead both them
in their organizations. and their teams to
success and transformation
- and to the top of the
organization chart.
This webinar will provide an overview of
successful leaders past and present
who were introverts but also had the
wild idea that they could succeed in
their chosen professions.
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking

Cain, Susan. Quiet: The Power of Introverts

in a World that Can’t Stop Talking. New
York: Crown Publishers, 2012
 Favorite Quotes
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking

“Introversion
is a preference for environments
that are not overstimulating
which is different from shyness.”

Page 12
 Favorite Quotes
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking

“Introverts often work more slowly and deliberately.

They like to focus on one task at a time

and have mighty powers of concentration.

They’re relatively immune to the lures

of wealth and fame.”

Page 11
 Favorite Quotes
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking

“They listen more than they talk,

think before they speak,
and often feel as if they express themselves
better in writing than in conversation.

They tend to dislike conflict.”

Page 11
 Favorite Quotes
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking

Description of Extroverts
“We also see talkers as leaders.
The more a person talks, the more other group members
direct their attention to him, which means that
he becomes increasingly powerful
as the meeting goes on.”

Page 51
 Favorite Quotes
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking

“Introverts, in contrast, may have strong social skills

and enjoy parties and business meetings,
but after a while wish they were home
in their pajamas.”

Page 11
 Favorite Quotes
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking

“They prefer to devote their energies

to close friends, colleagues, and family.”

Page 11
 General population
is 65% extrovert versus 35% introvert

Cooper, Tom and Deborah Ladd. “Quiet in the Library: Working with Introverted Personalities”, Public Library Association: Public Libraries Online,
May/June 2015 http://publiclibrariesonline.org/2015/06/quiet-in-the-library-working-with-introverted-personalities/
 63% of Librarians
are introverts versus 37% extrovert

Cooper, Tom and Deborah Ladd. “Quiet in the Library: Working with Introverted Personalities”, Public Library Association: Public Libraries Online,
May/June 2015 http://publiclibrariesonline.org/2015/06/quiet-in-the-library-working-with-introverted-personalities/
Well, someone has to listen
to the public
and help them discern
the true facts…

…find accurate answers

to a question…

…. or a solution
to a problem…

…and teach the children

how to read
and listen carefully
to a story.
The Secret Lives of Introverts: Inside Our Hidden World

Granneman, Jenn. The Secret Lives of

Introverts: Inside Our Hidden World,
New York: Skyhorse Publishing, 2017
 Key Concepts:
The Secret Lives of Introverts: Inside Our Hidden World

Traits of Introverts:
1. Persistent and stick with problems longer.
2. Work harder on a team.
3. Love learning.
4. Happiest in jobs that are people-centric.
5. Like making a difference in people’s lives.
6. Tend not to micromanage.
7. Enjoy jobs where they get to be creative.
Pages 3 -10
 Inc.com
“11 Reasons You Should Only Hire Introverts”

Introverts work well in collaborative environments:

1. Think before they speak. 7. Seldom grandstand and cringe at

throwing a hissy-fit in public.
2. Are quieter.
8. Can buckle down and focus on
3. More innovative. the task at hand.
4. Better at selling because 9. Avoid long meetings.
they are good listeners.
10.Adapt better to online work…
5. Less political. and prefer it.
6. Make better team members 11.More productive and would
because they share credit. rather work than talk.
  Weed a book shelf that
looks messy and needs
immediate attention.

TRUE…but Introverted library  Hide in the computer lab

leaders know that in order to when it is vacant to finish
thrive in a collaborative work working on a presentation.
environment they need to
take breaks from it too!
 Find a quiet corner
for their work break
and immerse themselves
 Eat lunch by themselves in the car. in a book.
 Go for a walk – preferably alone.
Myers-Briggs Personality Types

http://www.myersbriggs.org/

https://www.keirsey.com
Myers-Briggs Personality Types
Myers-Briggs Personality Types
 Myers-Briggs Personality Types:
The Introverts (I)

• Sensors (S)
• Intuitives (N)
• Thinkers (T)
• Feelers (F)
• Judgers (J)
• Perceivers (P)
 The most common
ISTJ: (17% of Librarians)
Myers-Briggs Personality
INTJ: (12% of Librarians)
Types for Librarians

Cooper, Tom and Deborah Ladd. “Quiet in the Library: Working with Introverted Personalities”, Public Library
Association: Public Libraries Online, May/June 2015 http://publiclibrariesonline.org/2015/06/quiet-in-the-
library-working-with-introverted-personalities/
Did You Know January 2 is World Introvert Day?

You know you are an Introverted Librarian Leader when you are relieved
that all the business socializing and fundraising over the holidays is over
and you can just go home after work to a cup of hot tea, a good book,
and the latest episode of “The Crown” on Netflix…

…and watch Queen Elizabeth II, deal with the Prime Minister of Great
Britain, the Country of Great Britain, and the business of Buckingham
Palace in London…

…when she would rather spend time at her country estate

Balmoral Castle in the highlands of Scotland with her husband,
children, grandchildren, corgis and horses.
ISTJ: Guardian/Inspector

• Most common MBTI type of Librarians

• High Level of Integrity
• Practical and Organized
• Analytical and Fact-Minded
• Accurate
• Logical & Fair
• Reliable
• Leaders Devoted to Tradition Queen Elizabeth II
and Dedicated to Duty
More ISTJ: Guardian/Inspector

Thurgood Marshall Warren Buffett Katniss Everdeen

Supreme Court Justice Financier The Hunger Games
INTJ: Rational/Mastermind
• 2nd most common MBTI type of Librarians
• Observant
• Private
• Confident
• Efficient
• Logical & Strategic
• Excellent Planners
• Prefer to Stay in Background
• Capable and Pragmatic Leaders Mr. Darcy
Who Excel in Planning & Executing Strategy From Jane Austen’s
Pride and Prejudice
More INTJ: Rational/Mastermind

Bill Gates Mark Zuckerberg Jane Austen

Founder Microsoft Founder Facebook Author
 Myers-Briggs Personality Types:
All the Introverted Librarian Leader Types

• ISTJ: Guardian / Inspector (17% of Librarians)

• ISFJ: Guardian / Protector

• ISTP: Artisan / Crafter

• ISFP: Artisan / Composer

• INFP: Idealist / Healer

• INFJ: Idealist / Counselor

• INTP: Rational / Architect

• INTJ: Rational / Mastermind (12% of Librarians)
ISFJ: Guardian/Protector
• Loyal
• Dutiful
• Diligent
• Dependable
• Polite
• Ready to Defend Loved Ones
• Value Being of Service to Others
• Safety & Security is a Priority
• Leaders Who Take Care of Their Team Louisa May Alcott
Author
Little Women
More ISFJ: Guardian/Protector

Dr. Watson Mother Teresa Colin Powell

Sherlock Holmes Nobel Peace Prize 1979 United States General
& Saint of the Catholic Church and Statesman
ISTP: Artisan/Crafter
• Independent
• Curious & Ingenious
• Hard to Get to Know
• Unemotional
• Expert with Tools/Equipment
• Lives by Own Standards & Schedule
• Ignores Things That Don’t Interest Them
• Insubordinate to Authority/Confinement
House Cat
• Fearless Leaders Who Take Risks and
Mascot of Libraries
Inspire Their Subordinates
Everywhere
More ISTP: Artisan/Crafter

Catwoman Steve Jobs Michael Jordan

Batman Founder Apple Inc. Captain, Chicago Bulls
Greatest NBA Basketball Player
of All Time
ISFP: Artisan/Composer
• Creative Artists
• Charming
• Free Spirits
• Compassionate
• Sensitive & Kind
• Adaptable
• Adventurous
• Spend Long Hours Mastering a Skill
• Empathetic Leaders Who Inspire Devotion
More ISFP: Artisan/Composer

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis J.K. Rowling’s Ulysses S. Grant

First Lady of the United States Harry Potter United States President
Book Editor, Doubleday and Viking Commanding General
of the Union Army in the Civil War
INFP: Idealist/Healer
• Serene
• Diplomatic
• Passion to Heal Conflict
• Kind & Caring
• Altruistic
• Shy, Distant or Reserved
• Follows Heart More Than Head
Frodo Baggins
• Idealistic Leaders Who Inspire Others J.R. R. Tolkien’s
to See Possibilities for the Future The Lord of the Rings
(Tolkien was also an INFP)
More INFP: Idealist/Healer

Isabel Myers-Briggs Princess Diana of Wales Derek Jeter

American author and co-creator of Captain, New York Yankees
the personality inventory
Myers–Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI).
INFJ: Idealist/Counselor
• Idealistic
• Passionate
• Deep Concern for Others
• Sense of Righteousness
• Needs Quiet Time to Re-Charge
• Talent for Written and Spoken Language
• Highly Developed Sense of Integrity
• Passionate Leaders Who Work Tirelessly Nelson Mandela
President of South Africa
for Justice & Civil Rights Leader
who Fought Apartheid
More INFJ: Idealist/Counselor

Carrie Fisher Oprah Winfrey Atticus Finch

Actress & Author To Kill a Mockingbird
INTP: Rational/Architect
• Thirst for Knowledge
• Detached
• Deep Need to Make Sense of World
• No-Nonsense
• Logical
• Inventors Who Enjoy New Ideas
• Precision in Thought & Speech
• Innovative Leaders who Help People
Albert Einstein
Think Outside the Box Nobel Prize in Physics, 1922
 More INTP: Rational/Architect

Marie Curie Meryl Streep

Violet Baudelaire Academy Award
Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1911
A Series of Winning Actress
Unfortunate Events
by Lemony Snicket
 Introverts should aspire to leadership positions
in the library profession…

…They make excellent, intelligent and caring leaders

who are highly capable of leading
organizations and people.
P.S. Introverts in library leadership
positions sometimes
get their own office…
…with a door!
Example of a Quiet Introverted Leader
in Charge of the Flock

…The oval eyes are the focus of

an intelligent expression—an
intense gaze, the Border Collie's
famous “herding eye,” is a breed
hallmark. In motion, they are
among the canine kingdom’s
most agile, balanced,
and tireless citizens.

American Kennel Club

http://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/border-collie/
Introverted Q&A

1. What is your process of preparing

to speak in front of a crowd?
Introverted Q&A

2. How do you decompress at the end

of the day when you have really
had to be on all day long?
Introverted Q&A

3. How do you create a balance between

being an introvert when you are required to
do extroverted activities as part of the job?
Introverted Q&A

4. Why is there a perception that

introverts don’t like people, and how has
that had an effect on you as a director?
Introverted Q&A

5. What are the duties or things as

an introverted Library Director
where you feel you aren’t as strong?
Introverted Q&A

6. What advice do you have for introverts

in the library profession who want to
take a leadership role?
Bibliography

Bookriot, “Myers-Briggs Types of 2012 Fictional Characters”

https://bookriot.com/2016/01/28/myer-briggs-types-202-fictional-characters/

James, Geoffrey, “11 Reasons You Should Only Hire Introverts,” Inc., December 15, 2017,
https://www.inc.com/geoffrey-james/11-reasons-to-hire-introverts-not-extraverts.html

Cooper, Tom and Deborah Ladd. “Quiet in the Library: Working with Introverted Personalities”, Public Library
Association: Public Libraries Online, May/June 2015 http://publiclibrariesonline.org/2015/06/quiet-in-the-library-
working-with-introverted-personalities/

Cain, Susan. Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking. New York: Crown Publishers, 2012

Granneman, Jenn. The Secret Lives of Introverts: Inside Our Hidden World, New York: Skyhorse Publishing, 2017

Kiersey, David and Bates, Marilyn Please Understand Me: Character and Temperament Types, Del Mar, CA:
Prometheus Nemesis Book Company. 1984

Kiresey.com https://www.keirsey.com

Myers Briggs, Isabel. Gifts Differing: Understanding Personality Type, Mountain View, CA: CPP, 1980

The Myers and Briggs Foundation http://www.myersbriggs.org/

Tieger, Paul., Barbara Barron, Kelly Tieger, Do What You Are: Discover the Perfect Career for You Through the Secrets
of Personality Type, New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2014.
Contact Information

Susan Quinn, MLIS, CPM

Library Director
Ocean County Library
101 Washington Street
Toms River, NJ 08753
Email: squinn@theoceancountylibrary.org
Phone: 732-349-6200 ext. 5400
www.theoceancountylibrary.org
THE END