Personal Space

Introverted leaders tend to have a need for personal space - both literally and figuratively, where they can be alone with their "inner world".

Challenges

introverted leaders generally have a strong need for personal space which is often not recognised or understood in working life
this need for external space reflects a different mode of thinking and reflection and a need to have internal space for one’s thoughts
open plan offices and hot-desking without any privacy or ‘quiet time’ can be particularly challenging
interruptions from colleagues, when working, can be particularly distracting and stressful
some introverted leaders have a strong urge to walk away from conflict and retreat into a more private space.

What introverted leaders said about the challenges of needing Personal Space:

“I find it hard to find time to think at work”
“People say to me “You door is always open and you’re always pleased to see us”. Well the truth is, no I am not. That is what you get taught that good managers do, so I do it, but really I don’t want to be interrupted.”
“The offices at work are all open-plan with no private space at all - I find it difficult to concentrate on my work, particularly where complex thinking is involved. I know that the offices are designed to facilitate interaction between staff but I find the constant presence of others both draining and distracting. My train of thought gets disrupted so many times that I am far less productive than I might otherwise be.”
“One of the issues for me is that when I become irritated I need to walk away and find space.”

Positive Approaches to creating Personal Space:

being open with colleagues about your need, at times, for privacy and solitude
identifying somewhere appropriate where you can create some personal space when you need to.
booking meeting rooms for quiet work.
making time to ‘go off’ somewhere else to think in isolation, even if only for a short while.
recovering from stressful situations by creating a sort of retreat - but resisting the urge to make a dash for it mid-confrontation
recognising team members’ needs for occasional solitude and enabling them to have it too
using the space available to you, effectively, to create time to think and reflect
ensuring that you have a good means of retreat in your home environment
keeping weekends and evenings free from work
working from home when possible.

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.