esrosedotblog

INTROVERT IN CHIEF

This is a call to all introverted readers of the blog.

This is a long time meme here at esrose.com.

Now, in recent interviews and in the New Yorker as well as Vanity Fair, we have more indication that our President is one of us.

Introvert in the White House

Obama is great with crowds and speeches. He is wonderful on the rope line and with candid moments over beer or whatever. He has a million dollar smile and it is genuine.

But one on one, in small groups, he is an introvert.

He does not schmooze. He does not call up and kibbitz with congress people. He has a few close friends and doesn't open up to many people.

Basically, like me, he doesn't like many people. Working? Great. Personally, no.

I am with this. I ran management training groups and was great at it. I could work with many people in my company and lead well.

I could not and would not hang out. Not with groups, dinner, drinks late nights at the bar. Even when I drank. Never.

I would bend over backward not to socialize. I hated it. I had nothing to say and was not interested in your viewpoints either. Period.

This kind of attitude (that is what "they" usually call it) is totally alien to an extrovert. They consider us to be assholes.

There are way too many extroverts in dangerous positions in the world. Look at Clinton. My God, he almost sank the country and the world to say nothing of himself with all the networking. He was fortunate to have people who loved him enough to throttle him.

I hear that W was a great social success. Loved to hang out. Lousy staff.

Me? I still don't want a lot to do with most people. I am happy with a select few who light up my life and me theirs.

Do I have to break out the Introvert article again? The most popular reprint the Atlantic ever had?

Obama's great strength is that instead of hanging out he is working. He is thinking. He is reading his mail. He is the President of the United States.

Labels: Barack Obama