Introverts and Extroverts

While some individuals may consider themselves "outgoing" and others "shy," both types of people can excel at public speaking. The distinction between introverts and extroverts lies in information processing styles. Extroverts tend to feel most comfortable in busy, stimulating environments with an orientation towards collaboration with others. Introverts, however, gain energy from within preferring ideas and concepts (Farrell, 2017). Extroverts solve problems by working with people, and introverts lean toward reflection. Now let's explore how both can approach the public speaking process.

Maintaining “Leader of the Pack Status” as an Extrovert

Jung and McCroskey (2004) suggest that extroversion is characterized by the tendency to be sociable, assertive, dominant, active, carefree, adventurous, sensation-seeking, and popular. Extroverts are believed to find external stimuli more interesting than introverts and best suited for public speaking situations. If you are extroverted however, your innate communication talents may reverse when delivering a presentation. Why? Because some extroverts rely on their natural ability to communicate and may perceive they can “wing it,” resulting in not adequately preparing and rehearsing their speech. Our approach to professional speaking should be similar to world-class athletes or prominent artists. In other words, these specialists do not rely solely on their natural talent, but spend hours mastering their profession so the performance appears easy to casual observers.

How many years of learning and rehearsing do you think professionals invest in refining their techniques? For example, Olympic athlete, Jessica Kooreman, trains in the off-season for eight hours, six days a week (Kosik, 2018). Andre 3000 practiced six hours a day to portray Jimi Hendrix on film (Grow, 2014). Consider how many hours Jimi Hendrix spent rehearsing his guitar per day as a self-taught musician. His dedication created a unique style of musical performance using his inability to read music making that his strength (Grow, 2014). Practicing gives the audience the impression that the delivery is natural while it results from hours of work.

Public Speaking Superpowers of Introverts

Countless actors and musicians have learned to overcome social anxiety, stage fright, and experiences with depression. CBS News (2011) reports that Andrea Bocelli, Rod Stewart, Barbara Steisand, Donny Osmond, and Carly Simon, have all struggled with varying degrees of stage fright, some more severe than others. How have these individuals risen to such heights of success and fame, making a living performing in front of large audiences? They love their audiences and do not take themselves too seriously. Believing in your message and honoring the craft of public speaking means practicing and preparing for performances.

In addition to individuals who have pushed through social anxiety, some people are naturally introverted. You might be surprised to learn that Vice President Al Gore, Google co-founder Larry Page, and Mark Zuckerberg are a few of the most successful leaders and business executives who identify as introverts (Rampton, 2015). Introversion does not mean that individuals do not like being around people. Instead, introverts prefer to “recharge” from social situations by being alone and engaging in individual activities. Introverts can have a significant impact on the world.

In the article, 10 Successful Women For Introverts To Look Up To (Matthews, 2014) the author encourages the appreciation of both extroverts and introverts for what they each bring to the table. The article highlights introverted women such as Christina Aguilera, J.K. Rowling, Marissa Mayer, and Laura Bush. Likewise, Audrey Hepburn, who was naturally an introvert, struggled with a role playing an extrovert. According to the article:

The late actress was quoted as saying that her role in Breakfast at Tiffany's was her biggest challenge: "I'm an introvert. Playing the extroverted girl was the hardest thing I ever did," she said. And yet Hepburn nailed that role and countless other ones, including serving as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador who—though an introvert—tirelessly spoke out for those underprivileged children who couldn't speak for themselves (Matthews, 2014, para. 7).

Regardless of whether you perceive yourself as leaning towards extraversion or introversion, you can succeed in professional presentations. Whatever your public speaking style, you should take pride and ownership in it. Some speakers may be very animated, while others are much more soft-spoken. If English is not your first language, your accent makes you unique. Even our dialects from different parts of the United States makes us unique as public speakers. If you are from a different part of the country, embrace your dialect. Your individuality is your uniqueness.