CAREERS | INTROVERTS

Why Success Is A Tough Road For Introverts

“There’s zero correlation between being the best talker and having the best ideas.” — Susan Cain

My first day in television news was like any other newcomer’s entrance into that surreal world. I met people I had previously only seen on television, and I tried my best not to appear starstruck.

One of the first things I noticed was that the reporters and anchors I met that day looked different than they did on the screen. The foundation caked on their faces, which made them look good on camera, made them look ridiculously made up in person. Their suits and dresses were faded or threadbare.

Then there was the immediate assault on my senses. The noise was all around me. There was furious typing to meet deadlines. Anchors were reading scripts out loud to prepare for going on air. There was a swish of reporters coming and going, and I heard sound bites played over and over again. And the assignment desk phone (the hub of the newsroom) ringed constantly.

The general feeling in the room was one of anxiousness. I met grumpy producers fighting the ever-present exhaustion and stress that comes with the territory. I met young, hungry reporters who were hurriedly working on their stories to meet deadlines, while veteran reporters worked steadily, comfortable in the ease that comes from years of experience. And I met executive producers and newsroom…