Office chameleons | The leadership potential of your 'ambivert' employees

Would you know an ambivert if you met one? If you are someone who possesses both introverted and extroverted traits, and your behaviour can naturally shift depending on the environment you are in, then you might be the ideal candidate for just about any role and a future leader in the making. But does that mean we should all aspire to be one and is this a skill set that anyone can master?

There are various tests and assessments that measure introversion and extroversion. YouGov data indicates that 50% of Brits say they are introverted, with 9% saying they are ‘very introverted’. Breaking it down by gender, more UK men than women (53% vs 48%) describe themselves as introverts.

The term ‘Ambivert’ is a relatively recent concept in psychometric testing and personality psychology and while it is gaining popularity in everyday language and in self-help literature, it is not yet widely accepted or recognized within the scientific community.

There is currently no universally accepted definition of ambiversion or a standard measurement tool, so it is difficult to ascertain the exact number of ambiverts amongst us. We can also all exhibit different levels of introverted and extroverted tendencies, making it challenging to categorise.