Introverts and Extroverts Both Need Solitude to Do Their Best Work. Here's Why — and How to Give it to Them. How to build a company dynamic in which both introverts and extroverts are provided with opportunities to flourish.
By Aytekin Tank
Opinions expressed by BIZ Experiences contributors are their own.
History tends to mythologize BIZ Experiencesial names in the tech world. We attribute to them black-and-white lifestyle characteristics, with very little room for gray. For example, Steve Jobs was a charismatic and publicly engaged leader, while Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak was an introvert who preferred working in solitude.
It's easy to invest in these caricatures, and then inquire as to which camp you belong. Are you an extrovert and a born leader, or a lone wolf better suited to behind the scenes? Do you need to find your ideally complementary co-founder, or is it better to strike out on your own?
Before launching Jotform, I worried about whether I had the personality to lead a company. I knew there was a track record of being a proven web developer, but I didn't know if I had the right attributes to be a CEO — to execute the necessary strategic work and successfully communicate a vision. I launched anyway, and 17 years later have discovered that, in pursuit of the right company culture, working in solitude versus a team setting — introversion versus extroversion — is a nuanced affair. I've observed that people seek solitude for various reasons, and that understanding these motivations helped me better appreciate the overall wellness, creative and leadership benefits that can flow from working solo.
The reasons for solitude
I've always enjoyed the camaraderie of working in an office. My colleagues offer fresh perspectives, not to mention much-needed laughs in the middle of stressful workdays. But when it comes to creative work, I need to shut the door, literally and metaphorically. And in this, I'm certainly not alone.
As Wozniak noted in his memoir, iWoz: Computer Geek to Cult Icon: How I Invented the Personal Computer, Co-Founded Apple, and Had Fun Doing It, "Most inventors and engineers I've met are like me...they live in their heads. They're almost like artists. In fact, the very best of them are artists. And artists work best alone...I'm going to give you some advice that might be hard to take. That advice is: Work alone...not on a committee. Not on a team."
Of course, artists and creators are famed for their proclivity towards solo work. Pablo Picasso once said, "Without great solitude, no serious work is possible."
Related: Steve Wozniak Still Gets a $50 Paycheck Each Week From Apple
Interestingly, though, preferring to work alone does not necessarily mean being a "loner." In a 2022 Plos One study, researchers carved out two principal motivations for why people spend time by themselves. The first is purposeful solitude: finding enjoyment and gaining meaningful benefits (such as creativity) from it, and an overall preference for it — simply blanket-preferring time alone over that spent with other people. Those who engage in purposeful solitude tend to be social but also autonomous and rated themselves higher in terms of how their behavior aligned with their values and interests, as well as reporting being more resistant to pressure from others. They saw alone time as purposefully selected, valuable and worthwhile. In sum, they preferred to be able to control their surroundings and saw value in doing so; they didn't necessarily prefer solitude in and of itself.
Other studies have confirmed that regarding alone time as a choice rather than a punishment leads to higher levels of well-being in terms of personal growth and self-acceptance, as well as lower levels of depression.
There are clear creative benefits to solitude, as the ability to devote undivided attention to a single task is foundational for meaningful and deep work. Seeking it purposefully indicates high levels of self-knowledge and autonomy, and both are attributes of strong leaders. For employee managers and other execs, the question then becomes,l how to cultivate a work environment that encourages both solo work and collaboration.
Related: 7 Amazing Things That Happen When You Spend Time Alone
Striking a balance
You don't have to read recent WeWork headlines to know that trends surrounding the physical workspace continue to evolve. We are past the heyday of open-floor concepts. Research now amply shows that people like walls and doors — that the once-maligned cubicle is demonstrably preferable to a total lack of privacy.
As one California-based video game developer told the New York Times, when cubicles were added to the company's wide-open warehouse, managers were worried that creative personalities would suffer. Instead, they found that people appreciated the "nooks and crannies," to be able to hide away sometimes, which is a sentiment that I can relate to as I write this article from my closed office.
Although you might not be able to renovate the entirety of your workspace, it should still allow for both interactive and private dynamics. At Jotform, for example, we operate in small, cross-functional groups. Our offices feature areas with open layouts, but each team also has its own physical space: a room with a door, along with whiteboards, large desks, space to stretch out and various productivity tools.
I also build space for solo work into my own schedule — use calendar tools and pre-programmed "Do Not Disturb" notifications to actively protect this time. I encourage teams to do the same and try to offer as much flexibility as possible so that they can schedule alone time according to personal energy levels. I also keep meetings to a minimum: If there's an application or platform that can accomplish the same thing using asynchronous communication, we opt for it. Slashing unnecessary gatherings helps us to better appreciate the time when we truly need to work together.
Related: 5 Tips to Amplify the Way You Conduct Meetings
Making thoughtful choices about your time — whether working alone or in collaboration — can help you appreciate and get the most from both dynamics. And keep in mind: Extroverts can be great leaders, but not all great leaders are extroverts. Introverts can be prolific creatives, but not all prolific creatives are introverts. In the real world, there are countless shades between the two.
