Five Habits For High Performing Introverts

What are five habits each high performing introvert should have? Start your week. Great. Start your week with a coach. I'm your host, certified high performance coach Sean Butner, and we're going to talk about something that will help you advance in your life this week. So let's go. Have you been the person that's had the most impact at your work but takes the least amount of the credit? Or are you that silent? Make it happen, captain, that everyone relies on to get things done behind the scenes if they know about you? Or do people wonder why you spend so much time alone focusing and toiling away? Well, if that's you, it sounds like you're probably what I call a high performance introvert. And most high performance introverts I know are very confident in their abilities. They feel confident in their skin and out in the world, and they feel energized by the work that they do, the mission, the purpose they're working towards. And they can sometimes in that regard be mistaken for extroverts or people that get their energy from interacting in the world. But we've all struggled with people who get offended with, you know, the space that we create when we need time to recharge, or people who talk over us or take credit for our ideas at work, or people that just feel like there's something inherently wrong with us because we're not as gregarious or not as maybe emotional in the moment because we're thinking things through. And it can be really frustrating when we get forced to operate in a way that's counter to our nature. And, you know, the endless and needless meetings for why, how am I contributing to this, you know, or the expectation to be available for anyone's question, questionable interruption, emergency request, you know, inbox, as one of my mentors likes to say, is a convenient organizing tool for other people's agendas. But here's the good news. You know, with record numbers of folks working from home, you know, especially the last past two years, your organizations have accidentally unlocked the power of introverted people in their organizations. I believe we're in for this introverted revolution where people realize they can cut out distractions of the office that roughly half the workforce has and is then more productive working from home or working in a more quiet space. So the common idea that people are only productive under the watchful eye of management or someone else, versus trusting people to do the right thing, trusting people that they can manage their own time, they can manage their own tasks, they can manage their own work, is going to be Be more of a topic, I believe going forward. So in this new world where high performing introverts are highly sought after thrive, you know, we need to make sure that our productivity and effectiveness is on point so we can keep doing that joyful, fulfilling work, you know, that works with our style from home or from wherever you prefer to work. So here are five habits that we know from high performance research that all high performing introverts need to have and what you can do about it. Okay, so first point, you need to be clear on who you are. And this is such an important question and something I'm constantly helping my coaching clients through is just how do you authentically live into your values? Right. You know, sometimes when we have to make a job decision, we have to decide if we're going to move across the country for, you know, a gig or we're going to date that person or we need to make a decision in a group. You have to be very clear on your values and how you show up so you can make the best decision for you. Right. If you are someone that is constantly going with the flow and you're being upset because you're just something's not right with how you're making that decision. You feel like, oh, this isn't really me, why am I here? How did I get here? It's probably because you didn't connect with your values. And in high performance we love to do the three word exercise. I'll have a video posted next week going more into that. But you know, asking questions of yourself like what's most important to me right now, what am I excited about? What do I really connect with? What makes me feel like I can give and serve at a higher level consistently. And those types of questions will help brush away the different values you have. So if you know them, you can make better decision decisions going forward. Especially if we're in this world where you're working at home, you don't have that overlord or manager to directly tell you what to do, right? This is helpful for everyone, not just introverts. You know, the high performance research says this stuff works for everyone. But speaking from that perspective, you know, really being clear on your, what you want and your values is invaluable. Okay, second point, you know, focus energy on the most important things, right? So I believe that, you know, okay, so let's get into some definitions before I go into what I believe. So definition of an introvert is versus an extrovert is just where you get your energy, right? So it's Like a plant. Some plants get energy or water from deep in the soil. So they have deep roots, they go internal to the planet, I guess, to get water. Some plants rely on rainfall to get their water, right? And it's. So just where is that source of water coming for or coming from you, for you anyways? You get what I'm saying? So where, where is that water source coming from? And so if you're more introverted, it's more quiet split places, it's more, you know, recharging through like reading or music in a chill kind of vibe. If you're extroverted, it's going out to the bars, it's going to networking events, it's, you know, being out in the world and getting experiences that give you those dopamine hits, right? Versus those kind of internal experiences that give you those dopamine hits. We are humans and that's what we strive for is dopamine, right? So, so knowing the difference between introvert and extrovert, and if you are one of those high performing introverts, you know that it's an energy game, right? So you know that when you have to give that big presentation in front of 2,000 people at the big company income meeting, right, that before that you need to be building up your energy reserves so you have something to spend on stage and then you probably need some time to recover because it was draining, right? It's not that you're socially anxious, it's not that you're bad at public speaking. And especially if you're talking in this particular example to something you're passionate about, something you absolutely love, something you nerd out about, you can actually seem like an extrovert in how you're socializing, but it's just you're spending energy, right? So how are you building those reserves of energy and how are you planning to spend them during the day, during the week, during the month and the year as you have things coming up on your calendar, right? I talk a lot about doing like an energy audit to try to identify that more on that in a future week's video. But I just want to highlight these five things. So you want to focus on getting clear about who you are and what you want. You want to focus on your energy so that you aren't feeling exhausted or constantly trying to find, force yourself to go through the motions in social situations that we all have to do for work or relationships or for health sometimes, you know, so you have those two habits right now we need you to believe and act on your Bold ideas, right? That's the third habit, right? If you're a high performing introvert or you're one of the highest performing introverts, you're constantly, you know, doubling down on your ideas, pushing those ideas and communicating them with a lot of enthusiasm, with a lot of zest, with a lot of boldness and courage to it. And we need more people communicating good ideas, well thought through ideas with energy, with conviction, with vision for the future. And so this is really about believing in your own leadership. And so if you're someone that has been, you know, taking a step back the last couple years or you're someone that doesn't particularly strive for the, you know, spotlight to be, Anya, I'm speaking to you, your next level of success, your next level of abundance for your family and for your communities. And you know, your next biggest contribution is going to come from you all leaning into those leadership positions, leaning into that spotlight. Even if it's uncomfortable or even if it's scary, even if you're like, I don't know if I'll have the energy or, you know, this is really what I want. But you know, those types of things I'm not, am I enough to show up here? And the answer is yes. You know, the world needs again, those thoughtful leaders to push those bold ideas. And there are ways where you can maximize your communication for low energy. And that's what I do a lot when I coach people is how are you going to be effective in your communication style to reach people, to get them on your side, to share what you know and what value you bring to the team. And that's super important. So we need, okay again to recap a clarity habit, an energy habit, a courage or boldness habit. The fifth thing we need to do as high performing introverts is to create and communicate your productivity rhythm. And what do I mean by that? It's, you know, if you write code like I once did years ago, it's once the code being released, it's, you know, during the week, when are you focused on code, when are you doing meetings, figure out, follow up with other teams or the things you might need to help you in build features or pieces of software. You know, when are you offline to recharge, when are you online to take questions, all that kind of stuff. But it's really like, what is the most effective thing for your thing, you know, for. So for me, when I was a programmer, it was writing code. So every morning from like 8 to 10, because I could get in before everyone Else would stumble in. Especially when I was at Apple, most people came in at like 10. I'd have two hours dedicated every day to really just turn the dial on the features that I was responsible for, the automation that I was building for in support of other teams. So that was my production rhythm, right. So I have two hours in the morning dedicated to that. The rest of the day would be reacting to things, you know, taking meetings and communicating with people, doing all of that like relationship touch type stuff. And then if I could squeeze in before I left for the day some more code and checked it in, you know, try to have a daily check in with the code. That was my rhythm that really helped me succeed when I was at Walmart and when I was at Apple. Right. And if you don't have that rhythm, that's when you tend to do a lot of busy work, but you're not doing the things that matter. And so you always feel like you're behind the ball, you can't catch up, you're not advancing your projects, you're missing deadlines, that type of stuff. So and if you're working from home or you're someone that is a little bit more independent, communicating that production rhythm can help you protect your focus, right? And as a high performing introvert, we love to focus on problems, we love to focus on creating solutions. We don't do well multitasking in general. Right. So these aren't like set things. But in my experience working with introverts, both in tech and with clients for my coaching business, you know, that's pretty true. You know, people really love the introverted folks, really love to focus in on thing, one thing at a time. So it's creating that time, it's protecting that time, it's communicating that time to your team, to your manager, to your family members, to your pets if you're at home to really make that effective. Okay. Fifth habit is to really lean into those one on one power relationships. So if you're introverted or high performing introvert, like I like to say, you tend to maybe shy away from big group gatherings or the big parties or networking, but you excel at the one on one relationship building, right? So you're able to listen, you're able to put your ego in check in order to understand other people. You're able to really build a close connection, one on one and build influence in that way. Right? And not in like a creepy sleazy car salesy way, but just noticing that, oh, you like riding bicycles, you do bicycle racing, you know, okay. Like let's talk about that now, let's talk about work or hey, you know, I know that you really love these types of video games. Have you played this? You know, just whatever it is I've found for my clients and for myself that really focusing on that strength of connecting one on one and building that, that thing is really helpful. And sometimes you need a framework and that's where coaching can really help you build that connection or create that influence in a very more, in a very more, in a more strategic way so that you know, you can get people to buy from you, you can get people to buy into your ideas, you can get support on your project, you can, you know, push through something that needs to happen on another team. If you're working in an organization that you need a little bit quicker leveraging those relationships. And again, it's also part of leadership, you know, so if you can build relationships with everyone on your team, you know, and know how to influence or know how to talk to people, to maybe check to see, hey, I have this idea, let's check with A, B, C, D and E, see what everyone's concerns are and you know, do the prep work ahead of time so you can confidently share your idea, having it thought through in a way that most introverts do. So like I said, these are five habits that anyone can use to increase their productivity without burning out and consistently. And again, high level, it's your courage or your clarity, your energy, your courage, your productivity and influence or people skills that all high performing introverts have in common in building or focusing on. So running out a little bit of low sleep. So if I kind of mumble there guys, that's what's going on. But at the end of the day, like, it's not that high performing introverts are better or worse than high performing extroverts, it's just that they're different, right? And you might need a different approach. And so part of what I do as a high performance coach is help guide those high performing introverts into more success in their organizations, into more success in their businesses, to higher levels of abundance that come with getting promoted or reaching the market in a more connected, authentic way and doing it in a way that keeps you happy, happy throughout the process without hurting your health or your relationship. So if you are interested in exploring high performance coaching, you're like, I'm a high performance introvert, I need to reach the next level and I need to do it soon. Like I really need to figure out this transformation in my career or how to, you know, manage my energy more so I can be more effective. I can serve with greater impact and greater effectiveness. Then below in the blog, below this video, you'll have a opt in forum for the six Secrets of High Performing Introverts, which is a free video training that then offers a free one hour strategy session. So sign up for that, watch that video. If you're still like, okay, yeah, this is me. Fill out the application there and then we'll go there from there on how to work together. Okay. And that's you apply for that so that I get a good idea of your situation and can tailor the high performance process to what you need in your life right now. And so we walk out with a plan. So it's people who love it, I love doing it. And so I hope you sign up for that. If not, you know, sign up for the six Secrets of High Performing Introverts video. People are loving that. It really does help you think through what's going on in your life in a different way so you can be more effective so you can really reach that next level. So that said, again, I'm Sean Butner, certified high performance coach and go out there live with more joy, more personal growth and more impact in your communities. And I'll see you guys next week. Take care, Sam.