Harvard Professor dives into psychological profiles at Golf Industry Show

Successful businesses need both introverted and extroverted managers

With a style combining the expertise of a seasoned lecturer and the comedic timing of a high-paid standup comic, Brian Little, Ph.D., turned in a standout performance before a packed house at the 2010 Golf Industry Show’s General Session, February 11 in San Diego.

Little, a distinguished research professor emeritus at Carleton University in Canada who has also held positions at Harvard, dove into psychological profiles and how they guide us in both our personal and professional lives in his presentation, “Strange Creatures and True Characters.”

The session opened with comments from Jim Singerling, the CEO of the Club Managers Association of America, one of the three presenting partners of the Golf Industry Show, as well as a short presentation by Mike Hoffman, the CEO of the Toro Co.

But it was Little who stole the show as he dove into personal psychological traits, extroverts and introverts, and how the world — and specifically, the business of golf — needs a successful blend of both types of personalities to ensure success.

He began the presentation with a short quiz that allowed attendees, through a series of 10 questions, to identify whether their everyday behavior trended toward being an extrovert or an introvert.

Little compared both personality types to runners. Extroverts, he explained, are more like sprinters, going 100 miles an hour in everything they do. Introverts are more like middle-distance or long-distance runners, focusing on the long haul and taking slow, steady steps toward the accomplishment of broader goals.

Little insisted that successful business and successful golf operations usually feature both types of managers. Having that blend allows them to be nimble enough to make beneficial quick decisions when necessary (driven by the extroverts) but also careful enough to plan ahead and then execute that plan when necessary (driven by the introverts).

“Extroverts probably discovered fire by banging random things together until they sparked something,” Little told the crowd. “But it was the introverts that probably kept that fire going and made it into something useful.”

Little was careful to point out that individuals do not always act out to match their true character. Many times, he said, people are forced to act out of character to benefit their club, business, or their self. As an example, he offered up himself — normally a textbook introvert, Little has made a name for himself with his outgoing nature and humor on stage, traits that in no way match the profile of an introvert.

“Don’t pigeon-hole yourself,” Little said in his conclusion. “Stretch when you need to stretch and share that with others.”