[WesAnderson]

So for my job I speak with at least 100 different business owners every single day. And today a pattern popped into my mind that I have not realized for a while.

Extroverts Are Usually Better At Business

Now, many of you might ask how do you know if you are talking with an E or an I. The answer is that I do not. Its a guess. Remember, this is a theory of mine and I am still working out the kinks. But generally you can tell if you are dealing with a person who likes and enjoys talking with people and people who do not.

Why would an extrovert be better at business? Easy---> they genuinely like being around people and are better at networking. They talk to everyone and more people know them.

Example:

Kate: Hey do you know where I can find a people who makes birthday cakes?

Amy: Oh yeah, I was just talking with Lauren and she just started a business a year ago doing that. She was telling me blah blah blah..........

My point is that an extrovert will naturally talk to more people and build a bigger net of connections and therefore will have a higher chance of succeeding in any business he or she gets into.

Introverts will have to work at being personable and will have a hard time making connections beyond their immediate friends.

 

[LadyO.W.BernieBro]

yes, IMO.

*shrug*

An introvert may take the time to develop a business plan better, that's why you need both types. Y'all are the networking people and in business, the extroversion preference isn't "typist", it's reality.

I'm working to pull off an extrovert act better because I do want to get ahead, I don't care about having some kind of "introvert pride". I am on the I/E border anyway but I just don't measure up to the business and people skills the mega extroverts bring to the table.

I really wouldn't want to, I'm just working to become convincing enough to do business with these types.

 

[Donovan]

i see what you're saying, but you'd have to look at it from the perspective that just because they appear to like talking to you doesn't mean they're extroverted. they could be heavily introverted but be really excited about their proposal and this causes them to recognize the importance of stepping outside of one's comfort level.

to really get at this you'd have to narrow it down. business doesn't in itself demand that you like to interact with other people, or even demand you to be good at it. certain aspects of business may lend itself to extroversion, where being extroverted would naturally be more helpful and less harmful to a person, such as managing, but even then, what type of managing?

short answer: no, although you could find commonalities if you specified your theory, but even then you'd have to leave it open-ended enough to allow for the reality that no two people are alike, in which case the specifying or narrowing becomes harder.

 

[DreamStepper]

Well my mom is extroverted and has this giant network... Which happens to include almost everyone.

I live alone and disconnected. *sigh*

 

[Samia]

But introversion and extroversion is how a person generally gains or loses "energy" or whatever. Not whether they are talkative or not and whether they have thought out how a situation would probably turn out to be like.

 

[LiquidLight]

It depends on how you define 'better.' I don't know that its a given that Extraverts will have better businesses or make better products or be able to appeal their line of work to people in meaningful ways. I think introverts generally are better at this.

That being said, the prevailing model of the day is Extraversion. We expect people who are to successful in business or in life to have extraverted qualities. It just is what it is and has been that way for a while. Jung writes extensively about the modern world's predilection toward extraversion (especially Extraverted Thinking which the business, academic and scientific communities revolve around these days). If you can't, or are unwilling to play by those rules, there really is no place for you in the system. The reality is people who are too idealistic, or have no sense of practicality, or stability might have the potential for great things in a business sense but may never actually stick with something or see it through to fruition (especially true of Ne-doms who often bounce from project to project never reaping the rewards of anything).

The language of business is Extraverted Thinking. Period. It really is no accident that the vast majority of CEOs, Wall Street types, and business leaders are Te-types. Just look at job applications and almost all of them (save for maybe some creative boutiques) basically list a laundry list of Extraverted Thinking qualities that they want in employees (organized, good with money, categorical, plays by established rules, orthodoxy, believes in company doctrine, etc). So it just is what it is (it's also why you might see Ti-doms go into fields where the rigidity of Extraverted Thinking is not an issue like Information Technology, web, graphics, Silicon Valley, etc -- notice how different the culture of Silicon Valley, where Ti/Fe prevail is compared to Wall Street where it is very Te/Fi).

 

[Narrator]

There was a study into the big five on the BBC (with Child of our time), the people who really seemed to suceed (Though not exclusively of course) were extraverted, but not strong extraverts.

 

[WesAnderson]

yes, IMO.

*shrug*

An introvert may take the time to develop a business plan better, that's why you need both types. Y'all are the networking people and in business, the extroversion preference isn't "typist", it's reality.

I'm working to pull off an extrovert act better because I do want to get ahead, I don't care about having some kind of "introvert pride". I am on the I/E border anyway but I just don't measure up to the business and people skills the mega extroverts bring to the table.

I really wouldn't want to, I'm just working to become convincing enough to do business with these types.

Good point. I read this book a couple weeks ago called "The Introvert Advantage." I think the woman who wrote that book did a good job and brought out some very interesting points.

Her numbers are off. She claims that 75% of the world are extroverts and that 25% of the world are introverts. That seems a little much. Where did she get these numbers from?? Other sources put it at a 52-48 split.

No matter what the numbers say when it comes to business all Introverts I feel, at least initially, are at a slight disadvantage. They tend to be smarter than Es but usually dumber and less qualified Es move past them because they are better with people.

But, once a I figures this out and make slight tweaks and the unnecessary adjustments they can usually blow other Es away. Why? Because now they are combining the thinking ability with "people ability."

 

[LadyO.W.BernieBro]

Good point. I read this book a couple weeks ago called "The Introvert Advantage." I think the woman who wrote that book did a good job and brought out some very interesting points.

Her numbers are off. She claims that 75% of the world are extroverts and that 25% of the world are introverts. That seems a little much. Where did she get these numbers from?? Other sources put it at a 52-48 split.

No matter what the numbers say when it comes to business all Introverts I feel, at least initially, are at a slight disadvantage. They tend to be smarter than Es but usually dumber and less qualified Es move past them because they are better with people.

Yeah, I think the E/I split is almost 50/50.

But, once a I figures this out and make slight tweaks and the unnecessary adjustments they can usually blow other Es away. Why? Because now they are combining the thinking ability with "people ability."

Maybe some can, I'm willing to just give you guys the upper hand here. I can do the extrovert mask well enough, the problem really lies within not having the natural drive.

An extrovert's network is almost always going to be bigger than an introvert's. It's all they talk about in business, expand your network. Expand. BIGGER. Faster. LOL.

An extrovert just does that naturally, we have to prep ourselves for it and THEN we need down time to recover.

Of course, you don't need to be a networking extroverted maniac to succeed in business, I'm just saying I think extroverts will always make up the majority of top executives. I've known people who've made they're way up to six figure incomes with no real plan or degree, hardly even any measurable skills. It was all due to networking and excellent people skills

 

[Eleventeenth]

So for my job I speak with at least 100 different business owners every single day. And today a pattern popped into my mind that I have not realized for a while.

Extroverts Are Usually Better At Business

Now, many of you might ask how do you know if you are talking with an E or an I. The answer is that I do not. Its a guess. Remember, this is a theory of mine and I am still working out the kinks. But generally you can tell if you are dealing with a person who likes and enjoys talking with people and people who do not.

Why would an extrovert be better at business? Easy---> they genuinely like being around people and are better at networking. They talk to everyone and more people know them.

Example:

Kate: Hey do you know where I can find a people who makes birthday cakes?

Amy: Oh yeah, I was just talking with Lauren and she just started a business a year ago doing that. She was telling me blah blah blah..........

My point is that an extrovert will naturally talk to more people and build a bigger net of connections and therefore will have a higher chance of succeeding in any business he or she gets into.

Introverts will have to work at being personable and will have a hard time making connections beyond their immediate friends.

Every now and again, you see an article floating around that talks about how extroverts tend to be better connected and networked, yet introverts tend to think things through more and make less mistakes. Take that for what it's worth.

The reality is people who are too idealistic, or have no sense of practicality, or stability might have the potential for great things in a business sense but may never actually stick with something or see it through to fruition (especially true of Ne-doms who often bounce from project to project never reaping the rewards of anything).

I have no problem with what you've said here because I see the exact same trend, but isn't this yet another one of those 'stereotypes' that everyone on the forum is currently and actively trying to stomp out? I mean this in a respectful way - I'm trying to understand what can be said and what can't. Whenever anyone makes a comment like this (whether it's observable in the behavior of the type or not), everyone gets upset and states that you can't categorize the behavior of types in any meaningful way, yet the stereotypes continue. What are your thoughts on when it's OK to say "this group of people will behave this way" and when it's not OK? I'm trying to understand the distinction between an accurate, valid stereotype and a stupid, idiotic one.

 

[Eleventeenth]

Good point. I read this book a couple weeks ago called "The Introvert Advantage." I think the woman who wrote that book did a good job and brought out some very interesting points.

That's a pretty interesting read. That was one of the first books I read when learning about functions and types.

 

[kudi]

Its over simplified, it really depends on the type of business. Unless your a one man business than I don't think its true. And you've forgotten that while extroverts have a wider network, introverts have a deeper network. A deeper network means that they willing to do a lot more for you if you ask and that is not accounting that they could be extroverts. So in the end depending on who is your friend(s), you may have a network that is just as big and/or the quality of your network may make up for it. A more accurate statement I think is to say that people with a balanced e/i are better at business, they have the best of both.

 

[Lucky AcidStar]

I remember reading one study about this... hmm...
If I remember correctly, one of the keys to being a CEO is the base of people underneath. A powerful, extroverted CEO (like, say, an overbearing "hyper-extroverted" ENTJ) works well as a CEO when most of his company is made of subservient personalities.
An introverted CEO can be very successful, however, with a base of more autonomous, free-thinking body underneath (like, say, Bill Gates).
In general, introversion lends one more to LISTENING to what people have to offer, extroversion leads towards ACTION. A balance is obviously needed... too much extroversion tends to flip a business over, as it simply charges forward without correcting itself and listening to advice.
At any rate, the business world needs both sides. When things lean heavy on Te, the system is likely to flip itself over; Ti, it doesn't move. Si, it doesn't change; Ni, it doesn't have any glue. etc etc

 

[LiquidLight]

In general, introversion lends one more to LISTENING to what people have to offer, extroversion leads towards ACTION.

Not necessarily. Introverts can be among the most stubborn and quick to shut ideas or people down (especially introverted feeling types who will quickly jump on someone who doesn't align with their ideals). The difference is that Extraverts are much more adept at manipulating the environment and working within it than introverts who generally are either trying to control it as way of overcoming it or are retiring from it. Introverts always try to keep the environment from swallowing them up, and Extraverts typically resist being self-consumed (at least consciously) even if some of them are latently very self-absorbed.

 

[Lucky AcidStar]

Wasn't talking about introversion and extroversion in general, but from the perspective of a CEO.
Also, I think I was mostly thinking of the thinking function there, as that's what people had been talking about. With Te by itself, whatever model is accepted gets pushed forward. With Ti by itself, the model is indefinitely analyzed. By themselves, the Te isn't going to want to hear new ideas, and the only thing Ti wants is new ideas (by which to perfect the model).
Obviously, balance is needed. Either way, appreciation for both Ts is needed, and one needs extroversion and introversion. What this makes me think of is a (somewhat badly developed) ENTJ I know and what he said in a discussion with another INTP in his marketing class. The INTP described himself and said: "most likely, a person like me would be in a position like an adviser or architect, giving information for the CEO to use" ENTJ: "So, basically, you wouldn't do anything but sit on your ass." Point being: exclusive use of Te can make you look like something of an idiot, so don't think that business is a purely extroverted thinking affair.

(post feels kinda random, hope there's something sensical in it)

Edit: found that study, or at least it being used in an article:
http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/6494.html

 

[JungyesMBTIno]

You can never really know, although I doubt there's any clear-cut correlation. It would depend on what aspect of it they're good at, if anything, although type and ability only roughly correlate.

 

[SuperNova85]

I would say that extroverts would be better at sales and marketing, but not necessarily business as a whole.