Clay Pots and Quiet Conversations

On to a new book--I'm reading this one out of self-defense and for increased mental health.  The book is Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking, written by introvert and author, Susan Cain.  Every time I take the Myers-Briggs, I come out as an introvert.  And every time I share that with folks, those who don't know me well are surprised.  

Like so many introverts in this noisy culture, I have learned to do the extrovert dance in order to get along.  It's like being left-handed in a right-handed world (that's me too).  We learn to make allowances and adjustments.  Of course, left-handers are statistically at a higher risk for accident and injury in this right-handed world.  And introverts are often penalized for being quiet.  We are mistaken for those who are slow, not so bright, less creative, shy, and not very interesting.

Let me think about that for minute.  No, just give me a second, I'll get there...I believe, upon reflection, that such an analysis is incorrect.

As an interim pastor, I get to watch congregations as they seek out candidates for pastoral leadership.  The cultural liabilities of introversion impact, I believe this process in precisely the same ways that corporate recruitment is skewed toward extroverts.  

First, there is the way that congregations describe themselves to prospective candidates.  I have read descriptions that would make make any local chamber of commerce blush with envy.  These congregations are poised for the future, vibrating with energy, humming with activity and coiled to spring into action.  I read these descriptions and am exhausted by the second sentence.  Worse yet, I simply don't believe them.  I can't speak for other readers, but I want to see the heart of a congregation not the hype of a promotional ad.

Second, there is the extroversion bias built into our organizational cultures.  Many of us are attracted by big personalities with loud voices who talk a great deal.  We want people of action and decision.  We are attracted to people who exude confidence and harbor no doubts.  Those candidates who speak more softly, who might hesitate a bit, who have some measure of humility, and who can see multiple perspectives--many times these folks won't make the first cut.

This is particularly true for larger congregations, at least in our tradition.  The real problem is that this may well lead to a classic triumph of style over substance and chutzpa over character.  We often love the attractive and high-energy narcissist at the beginning and often hate such a personality in the end.

Cain tracks this tendency in the world of business leadership.  There is the "Winner's Curse" where the combination of fast talking, decisive action and a big ego can lead a company to spend way too much money winning a deal that isn't all that good in the end--simply because winning matters and speed is of the essence.

Putting a premium on talking can lead us to ignore the ideas of the quiet people.  That will be a problem in leadership selection, in congregational life, and in mediation or negotiation.  Cain quotes Jim Collins in Good to Great, who notes that many of the most successful business leaders in this generation are introverts.  "We don't need giant personalities to transform companies," Cain writes.  "We need leaders who build not their own egos but the institutions they run" (page 55).

I think I read somewhere that "the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve..."  and I seem to recall something about having this treasure in earthen vessels in order to show that the power comes from God and not from us.

How about that...(by the way, I can tell you where to get a pot like the one in the picture!)