With all of our different personalities, we sometimes experience a huge difference between extroverts and introverts. If you're an introvert or work with someone who is, this book is for you.

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Quiet: The Power of
Introverts in a World That
Won’t Stop Talking
Susan Cain
Jen Runkle, PhD
Runkle Consulting
www.runkle-consulting.com

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Executive Summary
 Goal of book: get people to be accepting of the strengths of
introverts, and also to stop thinking of extroversion as the
only way to success in business, public life, and relationships.
 Key lessons:
 Yep, the world is extroverted
 Introverts can adapt, influence, fake it, lead in this world
 Introverts tend to be more empathetic, modest, deep-thinking,
innovative, ask What If?
 Key is to be aware of yourself, strengths and weaknesses, needs
Jen Runkle, PhD
Runkle Consulting
www.runkle-consulting.com

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How We Got Here
 In the wake of the Industrial Revolution moving from an
agriculture-based economy to manufacturing products – now
we need a flash of a brilliant smile.
 The 1899 model of success: citizenship, work, honor, integrity,
manners
 The 1921 model of success: magnetic, fascinating,
energetic, stunning, attractive
 What are the five celebrated traits in your organization?
Jen Runkle, PhD
Runkle Consulting
www.runkle-consulting.com

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How Extroversion Influences Us
 Hyper extroversion is now considered synonymous with
leadership.
 Harvard Business School teaches us: “Even if you believe
something only fifty-five percent, say it as if you believe it a
hundred percent.”
 We had 500 square feet/employee in the 1970s and now it’s
only 200 in 2010. We are in each other’s space! We’re taught
collaborative processes are valued over all else.
 Extroverts found, on average, 72 decibels "just right,"
whereas introverts averaged 55, much less stimulation.
Jen Runkle, PhD
Runkle Consulting
www.runkle-consulting.com

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Why Introversion is Good
 In a study by Jim Collins of high-performing corporations,
successful leaders are most often described by their employees
as modest, humble, reserved, shy, mild-mannered.
 They are empathetic. Inside fMRI machines, their amygdala’s
go crazy when they are shown pictures of scared faces, accident
victims, etc.
 Counterintuitive to the way we brainstorm - eek - subjects in 23
of 24 groups produced better ideas working individually than on
their own.
 One may say extroverts are considering "What is" whereas
introverts are in the domain of "What if?"
Jen Runkle, PhD
Runkle Consulting
www.runkle-consulting.com

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Free Trait Theory
 While we have certain fixed traits, we are able to act out of
character (one might say act in character) to achieve a certain
goal.
 This is offensive to the sensibilities of many who are sympathetic
to Shakespeare’s imperative “to thine own self be true.”
 The playing of roles seems, in this light, fake, or a matter of
selling out.
 If we are doing so in the service of a career or something else
about which we’re passionate, we are being true to ourselves, at
least if we consider the professional side of ourselves to be
ourselves.
Jen Runkle, PhD
Runkle Consulting
www.runkle-consulting.com

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Advice for Introverts
 Remember Free Trait Theory.
 Follow your envy. If envy is an ugly emotion, it also leads one to
powerful truths. Stop to think about what makes you jealous (it
probably isn’t public speaking), and do that (it’s probably more
like writing).
 Go deep. When pairs of introverts get talking, they tend to talk
about serious topics, when paired with an extrovert, they tend to
take on the listening, advising, empathetic role.
 Hang out with your friends. "In the rest of the world," one
introvert hanging with other introverts said, "you make a
statement and people may or may not discuss it. Here you
make a statement and someone says 'What does that mean?’”
 Don’t make the Al Gore mistake. We know that American
politicians are almost all extroverts, which we now know means
they draw their energy from debate, conversation, lots of outside
input. They are not going to be moved to fear by a photo of a
little crack in a glacier. Jen Runkle, PhD
Runkle Consulting
www.runkle-consulting.com

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Teaching Introverted Kids
 Don’t think of introversion as something that needs to be cured.
 Try to bring them out from time to time, but without making
them self-conscious.
 Think of them as having a different learning style.
 Studies show that half of us are introverts. You have more
introverts in your class than you think. Therefore it makes sense
to mix up learning activities to appeal to various styles.
 Introverts may be very passionate about a couple of things that
their peers may not be.
 Encourage them for their interests and don't allow them to feel
weird.
Jen Runkle, PhD
Runkle Consulting
www.runkle-consulting.com