The Western world — and even more so the business world — strongly value behaviors associated to extraversion. Feeling at ease in a group, moving rapidly into action, knowing how to speak publicly and whipping up the crowds are considered as virtues. To the extent that many people with an introvert nature learn, from the youngest age, that their natural way of being is not the right one and that they should rapidly learn how to behave “as they should”.

Susan Cain reminds us that solitude is necessary for creativity, for maturing ideas, for deep thinking work. Some great and particularly influential leaders, such as Rosa Parks and Gandhi, were actually introverts. And this is no coincidence: it is noticeable that discreet people spontaneously have better listening skills and seek less to impose their own ideas. Susan Cain thus encourages us to have more balanced work modes: securing individual working time whilst resisting to the “all together” trend, and taking into account everyone’s preference instead of expecting that all abide by the dominating extravert model.

To watch: The power of introverts, Susan Cain, TED.com, March 2012.