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are progressing. They can reflect

and respond on their own terms,”

Gottschalk writes on her blog. Intro-

verts can be seen as passive or aloof,

when in fact, they are just thinking.

To prevent their colleagues or bosses

from getting this impression, they

should politely inform others that

they need to shut their office door

or turn off the phone to get a project

finished.

Introverts often choosecareers in

which they can work independently;

for example, as an artist, doctor, mu-

sician, photographer, psychologist,

scientist, or writer. But they can be

good managers, although they may

have to overcome negative stereo-

types. “The status and reputation of

quiet, introverted leadership is un-

dervalued and underappreciated,”

executive coachRay Williams writes

in Psychology Today. “[E]xtroverted

leaders are still favored in recruiting

and promotingdecisions.” Williams

believes that the emphasis on extro-

verted leadership has led to business

failures, most spectacularly the bank-

ing crisis of 2008. A balance between

aloof [E(lu:f] zurückhaltend,

reserviert

cautious[(kO:SEs] vorsichtig, behut-

sam

CEO (chief executive Firmenchef(in)

officer) [)si: i: (oU*]

crave sth. [kreIv] etw. ersehnen,

erbitten

engagement Sich-Einlassen

[In(geIdZmEnt]

executive coach Trainer(in) und Be-

[Ig(zekjEtIv koUtS*] rater(in) für Füh-

rungskräfte

inclination [)InklI(neIS&n]Neigung

on one’s own terms zu den eigenen

[)A:n wVnz )oUn (t§:mz*] Bedingungen; hier:

nach den eigenen

Vorstellungen

promoting Beförderungs-

[prE(moUtIN*]

recruiting [ri(kru:tIN] Einstellungs-

stereotype [(steriEtaIp] Klischee(vorstel-

lung)

underappreciated: be ~ zu wenig geschätzt

[)Vnd&rE(pri:SieItEd*] werden

important for introverted bosses to

get away from their desks, too.

“There was one CEOwho had to re-

mind himself when walking down

the hallway to make eye contact and

greet people, because his natural

inclinationwould be to walk lost in

thought, solving some problem. But

impulsive, extroverted managers and

cautious, introverted managers and

employees is necessary, he says.

“Introverted bosses need to re-

member that their role requires a lot

of engagement— that employees

cravefeedback from the boss,” Susan

Cain told The Washington Post. It’s

An office made up only of introverts

or extroverts would not function well –

at least not for long

Getty Images

Introverted leaders: don’t

forget to make eye contact

4

* This symbol marks standard US pronunciation.

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