Ian Woodward: Communications Intelligence

This is the fifth in a series of posts sharing lessons I’ve learned working with interesting authors.  

TL;DR: The lesson I learned from writing Ian’ Woodward’s book, Communication Intelligence: I’m more mindful of how I show up, what is going to feed or drain me, and how to manage myself accordingly.

Do you know what an ambivert is? Neither did I, until I began writing Ian Woodward’s forthcoming book Communications Intelligence.

A business school professor at INSEAD in Singapore, Ian has spent a career studying leadership and coaching corporate leaders. His book describes the leadership skill of “communications intelligence” in the same language as emotional intelligence. It’s packed with insights about how and why to become a more effective communicator, both in terms of giving information but also in terms of receiving and internalizing it. Discussing the difference between introverts and extroverts, Ian introduces the concept of ambiverts. I came to understand all three differently.

Introverts are not necessarily shy or retiring. But they are people for whom large gatherings (say, a cocktail party) tend to drain energy, rather than give them energy. They gain energy in one-on-one conversations or time alone. Extroverts, on the other hand, are energized by big groups and don’t like to be by themselves. And ambiverts? Hello, that’s me! An ambivert loves a big event—for a while. Then a switch goes off and they want to leave. They are drained, and need to recover energy in a quieter setting.

Knowing this about the people around me and the people I work with, I’m better at reading them and better at knowing when and how to communicate with them.