Dear Introverts (and Extraverts): This book is for you

I always thought that Lisa Petrilli was an honorable lady till I sat down and read her new e-book, which is titled The Introvert’s Guide to Success in Business and Leadership. See, Lisa, in talking about this book, talks about introverts and thus I sort of expected that the book would mostly be useful for, well, introverts.

Oh, that lying Lisa. As it turns out, this book is useful for introverts, extraverts, ExtraInnies, and Innie-outties (whatever those are).

But first, if you’re an introvert, how would reading this book help you out? Well, okay, I can answer that question by asking you a few questions. Ready?

1. Do you want to know how you can better deal with the pressures of going to a big networking event like a conference or trade show?

2. Do you want to know how you can make a better impression in meetings?

3. Do you want to know how your introverted self can get a slam dunk in job interviews?

4. Do you want to know how introversion can help you get promoted?

5. Do you want to know how to use your leadership position to work well with both introverts and extraverts?

If you answered yes to any or all of these questions, you are beginning to get a glimpse as to why this book is worth a small fortune to you.

The curveball

OK, so I mentioned that despite the title, this book is really an excellent resource for everyone, whether you’re an introvert or…something else (I like to refer to myself as a hybrid although that is probably not the correct nomenclature).

The most obvious thing to point to in proving that this book is not just for introverts (not that there would be anything wrong with that) is that Lisa has incorporated advice for extraverts throughout the book, including a small section dedicated specifically to how extraverts can improve their working relationships with their introverted pals.

It’s more than that, though.

Even if you are normally pretty outgoing, a huge conference can be  a pretty overwhelming experience. Having some ideas on how to “shrink” the event for yourself is useful no matter who you are.

Even if you consider yourself an extravert, knowing what an interviewer wants to hear from a job applicant, along with some tips on how to get those points across, can be pretty darned valuable.

Most especially though, this book digs deeper into human relationships. It gets you wondering, “Hmm…do I have all of the traits of an introvert? Is that why people think I’m putting them off when really I’m just thinking?” It gets you thinking about that person you seem to mix with approximately like oil mixes with water. Is it because you’re always jumping the gun while they’re trying to think everything through? Does Jane resent you because you keep putting her on the spot when she likes time to think carefully and present a fully cooked idea?

Should you read this book?

Even though it turns out that Lisa is a liar and really wrote a fantastic book for everyone, not just introverts, I think it’s pretty safe to say that no matter who you are, you will get some big pointers out of reading this book. It’s easy to read, it’s engaging, and the messages and lessons within the pages are crystal clear.

Should you read this book?

You should. And right now!

Image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/gageskidmore/5764003476 via Creative Commons