Strengthening One’s Abilities 39Why did I make that call? Looking back at it now, I know it
was my own preference for introversion. Given a choice, I’d rather
stay in the office to read and think about companies than go to the
mall and check them out. My reaction to the Limited situation was
much like Lynch’s reaction to missing CML’s stock:One of the benefits of visiting a retail outlet is that it brings the
numbers alive. You can study a company’s earnings potential all
day long, but bullish forecasts always seem more believable after
you’ve seen the evidence in person at the mall. But I never gave
myself a chance to view the evidence. I stayed at home and ig-
nored all the positive signs, as CML’s stock price rose from a low
of $3.50 in late 1990 to $33 by the end of 1992 [“Best of the
Best,” Worth Online, Mar. 1998; <www.worth.com>].Of course, personal visits don’t always ensure huge gains. If
they did, we’d all be exhausted from racing around to as many
companies as our little legs could carry us. But in my case, I learned
to ask myself if I was being prudent—saving time and money—by
not visiting or just giving in to my preference for introversion. My
stretch as an introvert was to balance the amount of time reading
and studying reports with an equal amount of time kicking the
tires. The combination of the two, which is what each of the masters
has, is the winning balance.Sensing and Intuition: Stretching Exercises
Consider the investor who discovers that she has a strong prefer-
ence for intuition. She is wonderful with the big picture, themes,
brainstorming new ideas, following complex theories. But she is
much weaker in the sensing area. She doesn’t dig for facts, and
during management interviews often finds herself daydreaming
about points that the CFO brought up 10 minutes ago. (As one
intuitive friend said to me, “Facts are boring.” Einstein was sup-05 ware 39 1/19/01, 1:06 PM