These days, there’s a lot of buzz around introverts and extroverts. Introverts often come across as thoughtful, sensitive, and deep thinkers in online communities—probably because these spaces are mostly made up of people like them.
Still, many believe extroverts are the ones who shine in the "real world." They’re confident sharing their wins and don’t shy away from making decisions.
But it turns out it’s not the extremes who win the race. Ambiverts blend both personality types and, when they play their cards right, bring out the best of both worlds.
Research Backs This Up
Adam Grant, a psychology professor at the University of Pennsylvania, coined the term “ambivert advantage” in a 2013 study. He challenged the idea that extroverts are naturally more successful and productive in sales.
After studying 340 call-center employees, Grant found that those who scored in the middle of the extroversion scale brought in the most revenue. The results formed a bell curve: the lowest performers were the very introverted or very extroverted workers.
“Because they naturally follow a flexible pattern of talking and listening, ambiverts likely express enough assertiveness and enthusiasm.”
Ambiverts are also “more likely to tune into the customer’s interest and less likely to come across as overly excited or overconfident.”
A Great Boss Is Both Introverted and Extroverted
Karl Moore, a management lecturer at McGill University and Oxford University collaborator who’s studied ambiverts for years, estimates that 40% of business leaders are extroverts, 40% introverts, and 20% “true ambiverts.” He believes the pandemic’s unprecedented challenges have pushed all types to act more like ambiverts.
In his upcoming book, We Are All Ambiverts Now, Moore says the situation we all faced forced bosses to tap into both extroversion and introversion strengths. Leaders needed to create flexible, empathetic workplaces while also showing clear, contagious enthusiasm to rally their teams through uncertainty.
“The [pandemic] means CEOs have to listen a lot—the best leaders are great listeners,” Moore says. “But they also have to inspire others to believe they can get through the crisis.”
You Can Learn It
The good news? Researchers say being an ambivert—at least to some degree—is learnable. Most of us carry both personality types inside; very few fall at the extreme ends.
Experts suggest working with a coach to strengthen either your introverted or extroverted side. Though it takes effort and self-discipline, this can boost your career.
Besides professional gains, this practice brings another perk: not only can you build your career and become a better leader, but people around you will feel they can count on you. They’ll know you listen and truly hear them when it matters—and see you as someone worth following anywhere.
