What introverted leaders said about creating Personal Space

• “I try very hard to find space. It is all about time management and diary management. When I was Head [of a school] I worked on two sites. In one I had a room beyond the library, nobody ever went to find me there so I could withdraw.”
  
  
• “Because I am an introvert I am good at giving people space when they need it because I know I like it.”
  
  
• “Being open with colleagues so they understand that I need space on my own to reflect and recharge batteries.”
  
  
• “I am highly organised, which means I can plan when I need to work with others and when I can work from home/the train.”
  
  
• “I need to build in reflection time and private space, especially during a busy project. I try to ensure a mix of work involving quiet analysis and report writing alongside large meetings and customer-facing work. I keep weekends free from work to allow for recovery time and reflection. I try to be more assertive on the need to have a lunch break and a cut off at a reasonable time in the evening on busy projects.”
  
  
• “I think my introversion makes me better at reflection, analysis and contemplation. It means I'm less wrapped up in the superficial social/political side of work. It drives me to create personal space to see the bigger picture and to think through strategies.”
  
  
• “I like to work quietly at evenings and weekends - where I do my thinking.