The Emergence Of The Ambivert

A fabulous article in Forbes released some time ago, by Karl Moore entitled “Our Corporate World in Flux and New Challenges for the CEO” really brings some perspective into what it takes to be a CEO these days.

No one argues that at the core of business success and sustainment is leadership, and no role lives and dies by the sword as the one the CEO holds.  It’s a role that is coveted by many, and inspiration for those who dare but, one that has changed over the past number of years, exponentially.  That change has been a shift from its original purpose of inspiration, accountability, and stability to, in many cases, of celebrity, status and brand visibility.

A source within the article quotes Adam Bryant, Managing Director of the ExCo Group, who believes the world is at a turning point.  But perhaps more cheekily

states that the “the era of the superhero CEO is over”, and we think he’s on to something.  He goes on further to say ““You do not want to be that overwhelming presence in a room…. the CEO needs to know not only how to lead a team, but also how to play on a team.”

Now before we start chanting “down with the superhero” let’s remember that businesses have had to transform their images in the marketplaces quickly to remain relevant and continuously successful. And this is especially true during bad quarters, product failures and especially pandemics.  It’s why we’ve seen the cultivation of CEO’s into becoming “the face” of the brand. 

Moore quite insightfully says “Corporate values are now pertinent to company prosperity, but so is the charisma of individual company leadership. Maintaining this balance between social and capital success requires a significantly flexible skill set.”

Moore’s extensive research into the social personality traits of executive leaders demonstrates that greater flexibility of introversion-extroversion, also known as ambiversion, provides an avenue for CEOs to adjust their behavior to circumstances. Greater awareness and usage of ambiversion will lead to profitably and socially optimal outcomes for CEOs dealing with ever-changing job requirements in our dynamic corporate environment.

The concept of “ambiversion” has been around for some time, coined initially in 1927, but its value is clearly coming into sharper view, given what we need from today’s leaders.  While we have tended to gravitate towards the extrovert as a leader for years, it has sometimes been at the expense of the gifted introverted leader, because they have tended to avoid the camera or the microphone at all costs.

Many people assume that extroverts are the best at sales, the best leaders, and the most successful at work, and this is WRONG says Adam Grant, an associate professor at Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, who analyzed 35 separate studies and found the statistical relationship between extroversion and income was basically zero.  Grant theorized that ambiverts seem to strike a balance between the two more extreme personality traits saying “The ambivert advantage stems from the tendency to be assertive and enthusiastic enough to persuade, but at the same time, listening carefully to people and avoiding the appearance of being overly confident or excited.”

So how does one become an ambivert?  Can I just morph from extrovert to introvert after being on these two extremes for years?  Not likely, but a focused attempt could be useful to anyone and everyone.  Now your conversion won’t happen overnight but dedicating oneself to developing better listening and better socialization skills are at the core.  While many people tend to assume that they are either introverts or extroverts, research suggests that most people are actually ambiverts.  And while you may not convert completely into 100% ambivert status, your efforts to pull yourself away from living in the two outer extremes may be invaluable to your success as a leader today, and life in general.

In Closing

Extroverts have a way of schmoozing to get things done.  Introverts are calm and sources of inspiration at the workplace. Ambiverts have a better and a balanced way of leading a team to follow a vision.

Along with a strategic vision and strong directive, leaders today must demonstrate compassion, empathy, and vulnerability on behalf of their company, the very qualities that were formerly concealed or even discouraged to promote authority and control.  So, it may be time to enter the Ambivert.

Cambiara Group. – December 2024