Career Acceleration Secrets for Introverts

Are you an introvert trying to get ahead at work?

• Being modest and reserved, do you ever struggle with self-promotion?
• Do you feel like you should speak up and share your ideas more in meetings - but the thought of it drains your energy?
• Do you feel daunted at the idea of “putting yourself out there” at networking events?

If you answered yes to any of those questions, this post is for you.

First, we’ll unveil the two Universal Principles that give extroverts the unfair advantage at work – and the two Introvert Secrets that can tip the scale in favour of introverts. Then, in recognition of the pivotal role of networking in career acceleration, we’ll hare 5 networking hacks to help introverts get ahead.  

Universal Principle #1: Tough Truth - Hard Work Isn’t Enough: I’m sorry to be the one to tell you this, but it’s better you hear it from me than from no-one: don’t kid yourself into thinking your results will speak for themselves. They won’t.

Take Patrick for instance. He’s a diligent, soft-spoken lawyer at a big multinational company Frustrated, he came to see me after a colleague was promoted ahead of him. “I don’t understand it” he said “I thought if I worked hard and did a good job, I’d eventually get recognition. But this guy’s lazy and just got promoted because he’s good at talking and complimenting my boss!”

Introvert Secret #1: Promote yourself with examples through Storytelling. Valentina shared how she did this during one of my career acceleration workshops: “Our head of Department was frustrated because his team wasn’t preparing briefing materials on time. I remembered what you said about self-advocating through storytelling, so I said to him ‘Yes, Clair, my director, used to struggle with that too because everyone’s so busy they sometimes forget. What worked for us was when I created a template with a timeline for everyone and went through it as part of our staff meetings to keep everyone on track.’ I offered to share the template with him, and he was very appreciative. It felt really good to help and I was proud of myself for self-advocating my organising skills with an example rather than blowing my trumpet. It worked really well!”

Universal Principle #2: Extrovert Advantage Decades of research agree that extroverts are more likely to be promoted because of their out-going nature, sociability and problem-solving through initiating collaborative efforts (Judge et al 2002; Zalenski 2012). To top it off, studies show that Extroverts are also happier! Their extra human-to-human contact compared to introverts gives them more feel-good hormones.

Introvert Secret #2: Beat Extroverts at their Own Game. A newer body of research shows that when introverts ‘pretend’ to be outgoing and take on extrovert traits, they can outperform extroverts, whereas the opposite is not true. This is because Introverts combine the positive extrovert traits with their natural tendency to empower and motivate others, leading to increased team proficiency and proactive behaviours.

Take Deb Liu, the introverted CEO of $4.7 billion company Ancestry.com. She decided to look at extroversion as a skill she could learn instead of a character trait she lacked. By pretending to be extroverted, she climbed to the top of her company. Research indicates that extroverts are happier because human beings are wired to find pleasure in social interactions. A fascinating is a study by Andrew Spark in 2018 discovered that when introverts pretend to be extroverts – by acting outgoing and sociable – they experience greater happiness and satisfaction. So, you’d think we introverts would pretend to be extroverts all the time! The reason we don’t is because of what psychologists call “Forecast Affect Error.” This is where we predict (or forecast) that social situations will be unenjoyable, boring, or tiring – so we avoid them. When’s the last time you found a last-minute excuse not to go to a networking event or a friends birthday party because you just didn’t have the energy for it? But, because of Forecast Affect Error, this prediction is often wrong – and when we introverts do engage socially and ‘pretend’ to be social and out-going, we usually enjoy ourselves. Can you relate?

Just this Saturday I woke up dreading the birthday party I’d accepted. I tried to think of every believable excuse not to go… but she’s a good friend, and I ‘forced myself’ and had a lovely time! That’s Forecast Affect Error in action.

So, the Secret here is simple: pretend to be outgoing and sociable – the science says you’ll enjoy it and accelerate your career in the process!

5 Networking Hacks for Introverts

Recognising the critical role of networking in career progression, here are five hacks:

#1. Pick just ONE event. Choose a single event to attend instead of multiple ones. This way, you’ll avoid last-minute excuses and show-up.

#2. Set ONE goal. Aim to have a meaningful conversation with just one person. This keeps things simple and less overwhelming.

#3. Celebrate small wins. Once you’ve met your goal, celebrate! Feel proud of yourself. Whether you stay longer or head home, you’ve achieved what you set out to do :-)

#4. Capture the moment. Take a selfie or group photo as proof that you’ve got this! Share it on social media for a bonus point!

#5. Schedule re-fuel time. Socializing can be draining for introverts. Plan some down-time afterward to recharge, whether it’s reading, listening to music, or enjoying a walk outside.

You’ve got this!

In the journey towards career success, as an introvert you possess unique strengths that, when leveraged effectively, can propel you to new heights. By understanding and applying these secrets and hacks, you can navigate your professional path with confidence, authenticity, and strategic finesse! Good Luck!

Author's note: this post was originally printed in the Practically Perfect PA following a training I did for their annual Practically Perfect PA Summit, 2024