Who makes a better public speaker – an introvert or an extrovert? Most people would immediately say, ‘that’s a no-brainer – the extrovert.’ And it seems like common sense, right? The extrovert is more comfortable with large crowds, more energized by groups of people, and happier talking rather than listening. Introverts prefer alone time, small groups, and introspection. That makes for an easy decision – the extrovert wins by a country mile.
And yet. Over the years, as I have worked coaching speakers, a surprising number of the top professionals have turned out to be introverts. How could this be the case? Introverts, because they are more inwardly focused, can have more awareness of their own psychological states. This awareness allows them to more easily work with, develop, and even control their emotions. And focused emotion is the basis of charisma. And there you have it – some of the most charismatic speakers I’ve worked with are introverts.
To be sure, it costs an introvert more energy to give a speech with a strong emotional subtext. As a result, they need more recovery time afterward. I first realized the possibilities of the introvert-as-charismatic-speaker when I started asking my clients about how they recovered from a speech. It’s important, I was finding, to pay attention to the full adrenaline cycle, not just the upswing – the part where you get nervous for a speech. There’s a corresponding downswing, too, and how you spend that time matters for your ongoing development as a speaker.
For example, you don’t want to solicit feedback right after your speech, when you are still in adrenaline mode. Your heightened awareness will cause you to latch on to the one or two negative comments and fail to balance them (as you might when you were calm) against all the positive comments. You’re likely to overreact to one or two naysayers and what might be an insignificant objection for most people. It’s better to wait for 48 hours and then, when you’re calm, go over the feedback. At that point you’ll be more likely to be able to take the feedback on board in a successful way.
So as I was asking speakers how they managed their entire adrenaline cycle, I found that a surprising number wanted to go to their hotel room, rent a movie, eat chocolate and drink red wine. That’s an introvert re-charging after spending a lot of energy connecting with a large group. An extrovert would be far more likely to want to party with the conference-goers afterwards.
Having discovered the introverts hiding in plain sight as speakers, I started to pay attention to the differences and was fascinated to discover that both groups made excellent speakers – but that the success rates for introverts were slightly higher (this is anecdotal evidence) because they were better able to focus on the emotional work that it takes to achieve the very highest ranks of public speaking.
Of course, these ranks include a preponderance of extroverts, from former presidents Bill Clinton and Ronald Reagan on down the list. But the good news is that fame and fortune can await the introvert as well. It’s not automatic that the top ranks belong to the extroverts alone. And finally, most people exhibit a mix of the two types. Ambiverts might make the best speakers of all!
Hey Nick. Another thought – in my experience, extroverts are more likely to “wing it” (I know how to work a crowd) while introverts are more likely rehearse (I’m worried so I need to practice).
Hey David. Interesting point. I’m a strong introvert. Winging it completely would never work for me. I like “planned spontaneity.” I want to make sure I know the general structure of my speech, but I also want to rely on my experience to allow for SOME level of improvisation. I never totally wing it, but I do want some level of unpredictability. When I overly prepare, I believe I come across as stiff and overly rehearsed. Having said that, I’ve seen you present many times and you always come across as natural and confident. So your practice certainly serves you well!!
I like this thread — it suggests another way to respond to the fear that some speakers have of being “over-rehearsed” — almost never a problem in my experience, but I have seen it once or twice under very specific conditions.
Great point. I guess ambiverts sometimes wing it, sometimes not:-)?
Spot on! I am an introvert. Although I wouldn’t be so bold to say that I give better speeches than others, I do know that I need a fair amount of recovery time. I network after events because I know it is the right thing to do. But it also takes a lot of energy – energy that I have expended during the speech. I give it my all while on the stage, and that is draining. And as you point out, I HOPE that all of this gives me charisma and power to deliver more powerful and authentic speeches.
Steve — you need a “wing man” — not to wing it, but to keep you from dying after the speech and get you out of the cocktail/network hour!