Failures, successes and life lessons
This article is the first edition of my new monthly successful introvert presentation. Every person I’m gonna present will show you what’s possible.
Being introverted doesn’t mean you can’t become president. Obama shows it’s possible in an impressive way.
Society shows us that loud people get the success, and it starts already in school. But they miss the positive sides of being quiet: listening, thinking more strategically, and being empathic.
They keep us small by saying we are weird. But introverts are made for leadership because we are thoughtful communicators and strategic thinkers.
Barack Obama showed us that in an impressive way by being one of the most influential presidents of history.
Challenges
In big public settings, introverts can look detached or unemotional, but we’re taking in everything. We are listeners, and when we talk, we choose our words wisely.
People know Obama for his inspiring public speeches. You wouldn’t think introverts can do that but we love preparing, and they need a lot of preparation. Public speaking is a challenge for everyone (not just introverts), but we have the skill to prepare with focus and insights.
Obama’s calmness got misinterpreted as a lack of passion. But with a lot of big challenges in a high-energy field like politics, it can be draining for introverts.
Obama took the time to reflect and make conscious decisions, which can be misinterpreted as indecisive or cautious.
Introverts calmly listen, and then we can make conscious decisions. It’s an important skill presidents should have to choose for their country.
Failures
Even though he was celebrated for his inspiring speeches, his reserved responses to urgent matters were criticized. People expect more emotion and actionable responses from a president.
Introverts don’t make emotional decisions, and it can feel cold or too slow. We take time to think, reflect, and make decisions, which can result in missed opportunities. And this time can be fatal for important decisions a president has to make fast.
On a larger scale, introverts can’t move people with emotion as much as passionate extroverts. This and his slow decisions were criticized during Obama’s presidency.
Some interpreted the slow responses as passionless or reserved because of different opinions.
People in power are expected to be leaders with fast decisions, assertiveness, and leading with action. Obama accomplished great things during his presidency. But some might say military actions could’ve gone faster.
“You can’t let your failures define you. You have to let your failures teach you.”
– Barack Obama
Successes
As an introvert, he knows how to listen and empathize with his people. He connected deeply with individuals, and crafted policies that resonated with the community.
These skills helped him win the elections and gain power in Washington. Politicians must connect with people on a deeper level than the small talk extroverts prefer.
Introverts tend to be overthinkers. A trait that can be seen in a good or bad way.
But as a person with a lot of power, strategic thinking and reflecting are important skills for long-term goals.
Overthinking every decision, especially those you can’t change, can stop introverts from moving forward and finding their success. We think of everything that could happen, instead of taking a risk and trying it out.
But because introverts think of everything, it makes us strategic thinkers. We don’t make impulsive decisions based on our present emotions.
This always gets us to the next point of Obama’s strengths: his calmness.
Obama’s calmness during a crisis earned him trust and respect. When he was elected as president in 2008, the world was in a crisis, and he stayed calm and gained trust.
Introverts don’t overreact. We analyze, reflect, and question.
Conclusion
Barack Obama is a great example of an introvert being able to lead, and in a really good way. The results were winning the Nobel Prize of Peace and getting the USA out of a crisis.
Powerful traits like listening, strategic thinking, and remaining calm are what make a great leader.
Introverts already have those skills.
We need the world to see that introverts are not just the shy, gray, and quiet mice in the meetings.
We listen and reflect, and that makes us great leaders.
- A leader shouldn’t thrive for the light on them to boost their egos.
- A leader shouldn’t speak big words and then never do anything.
- A leader shouldn’t speak 100% of the time and don’t listen
- A leader shouldn’t make impulsive decisions based on emotions
- A leader shouldn’t micromanage their employees
- A leader shouldn’t punish the ones that are better than them.
I worked with both kinds of leaders, and I can tell you I definitely prefer an introverted one.
Barack Obama is a great example of a successful introvert. It’s possible to lead one of the biggest countries of the world as an introvert.
His story motivates introverts to thrive for more. It’s possible!
“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.”
– Barack Obama
Less Stress. More Time. Less Overwhelmed!
Get your free copy of my 3 steps!
Get daily insights, motivation, and inspiration:
If you are as addicted as I am to reading books, check out my favorite books!
