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Learning and Development
Positive experiences of learning and
development
Unsurprisingly, introverted leaders particularly
valued support they had received on a one-to-one
basis, such as from a coach or mentor:
- “Coaching helped on a number of levels – understanding myself but
also unpacking my thinking and raising my profile when I needed to.”
- “It is important to me to have a mentor and I have enjoyed coaching
sessions on a one-to-one basis.”
- “I am always happy in a one-to-one situation and so have gone for
mentoring, approaching expert individuals on an individual basis.”
- [What helped me was] “Having an introverted leader as a trainer and
coach!”
Many introverted leaders commented that the
Myers Briggs tool had been helpful to them but this
seemed to be dependent on the facilitator:
- “MBTI has been the single most valuable tool that has allowed me to
learn about my own needs and preferences. It has given a name and a
meaning to something that didn’t seem quite right when I was growing
up: ‘Introversion’ was something that needed fixing and that if I were
more extrovert then I would be successful / happy / content etc. I
cannot identify any other aspect of my education that has enabled me
to understand and accept that introversion is okay.”
- “Myers Briggs – about the third time round! Particularly an exercise
where the facilitator split us into introvert and extrovert groups so we
could really understand differences – and see the extrovert colleagues
who had tried but failed to understand us in a different group!”
Introverted leaders talked about learning best on
their own, using their intuitive reflection, to learn
lessons based on their own observations:
- “I think I learn best from observing people. I’m fairly intuitive and can
recognise good and bad behaviour in a leadership setting. I suppose
this would count as experiential learning. I also reflect a lot and assess
my own performance in situations, particularly new settings. I tend to
be quite self critical and rarely seek feedback as a means of
moderating my own assessment.”
- “You have to learn to accept yourself as you are. Training in the
formal sense has never helped me much although I enjoy some of it. I
have needed to train myself. As my mind constantly replays, reflects
and sifts what has happened this is not a burden.”
- “I attended a leadership development programme which included a
week called a ‘deliberative’, this was designed to slow us down and give
us strategies for thinking. I found it absolutely invaluable and carry
the lessons with me to this day… I often go for a ten to fifteen minute
walk on my own at lunchtime, these were called ‘deliberative walks’ on
the programme!”
Introverted leaders value talking to other
introverts:
- “It is helpful to have met other introverted leaders and talking to them
about how they have coped is very supportive.”
- “… best resource has been friendship discussions with like minded
managers.”
- “Occasional conversations with other introverts when I have realised I
am not alone – and that I am an introvert rather than a dysfunctional
human being!!”
Introverted leaders value feedback:
- “The SHA Leadership Programme was very helpful as it was based on a
good understanding of the individual nature of leadership and building
your own identity and style.”
- “Very specific feedback about what needed to be different.”
- “Three hundred and sixty degree feedback to enable me to be more
specific about where others might feel that a higher level of
engagement would help me in the performance of a role.”
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