If you're an INFJ or introverted empath like I am, you've probably had coworkers who perceived you as reserved, unassuming, or shy at work.
What if I told you that you can possess some of these quiet qualities, AND still be a leader who makes meaningful impact in the workplace?
Depending on where you are in your personal growth and self-love journey, maybe you have an inkling that you can be more than just "the quiet one" in the office.
Well, you're right.
Here are just three ways you can use your introverted, intuitive, heart-centered and purpose-driven talents to make a lasting impact at work.
(Nobody puts Baby in a corner!)
1. Social intuition
You can sense how people feel. You may even be able to physically feel their emotions in your own body.
Some people call this empathy. I call this social intuition, because it goes beyond just intellectually understanding how someone's feeling. It's much more visceral than that.
I've seen multiple INFJs (and other intuitive introverts) become super successful at work by leveraging this superpower.
Many of them are direct service providers who work in healthcare, education, wellness, or customer service. They work directly with people on a daily basis, and it's their job to meet their client, student, or patient exactly where they're at. They take cues from each individual and make meaning out of those cues to inform the next second of interaction... and then the next second, and the next second after that.
Some work in sales or marketing, and it's their job to intuit the emotional needs and thoughts of both the person standing in front of them, and also the wider swath of folks that this one person represents.
While sales isn't often considered an "introvert-friendly" field, especially when it's done in a soul-less way, I've seen intuitive introverts surprise themselves! They end up excelling in sales because of how they're able to connect with their customers or audience in such a deep and genuine way. They can sense what would motivate their audience to make that purchase.
But social intuition can also be used internally, within your own team or organization.
I've personally used social intuition to show up for a coworker going through hard family stuff, to train an intern who was really nervous her first week on the job, to know when to take something off my super busy boss's plate, and to ask tough questions when my employees need that extra push forward.
By tuning in to where your coworkers, boss, or employees are on an emotional or even existential level allows you to support the whole team in a way that best meets their needs at that precise moment.
It's true that a gift for social intuition can make you an asset to somewhat darker means or ends; after all, INFJs are notoriously good at telling when someone's lying or bullshitting or hiding something... which I imagine would come in handy when trying to "catch" someone doing something they're not supposed to be doing.
But when social intuition is used to serve, support, and lift up your colleagues and your clients, I'd bet that you'll find yourself both well-suited and fulfilled by the work.
(Thinking about finding work that allows you to use this superpower? Check out the FREE 6-Strategy Checklist for Selling Your Quiet Skills on Paper to support you on your job hunt.)
2. Purpose-driven leadership
When you hear "keep your eye on the prize", what do you think of?
For most, that phrase alludes to meeting some kind of business target, or striving towards a specific strategic outcome. These outward and objective "prizes" are important for keeping the modern workplace humming.
And yet, while everyone else is focused on meeting those benchmarks, you are probably focused on how those benchmarks connect to the WHY of it all.
Your unwavering focus on the deeper meaning of your work - the impact it can have on society or real humans - is the stuff that inspiring leadership is made of.
Consider it your compass.
Not everyone has this compass. Some start off with this compass, and then they either lose it or choose to set it down after a while. They start following a different course, or they start measuring their success against a less auspicious standard.
INFJs are in the unique position of inspiring and earning the trust of their colleagues by taking unrelenting, focused action towards a higher purpose that goes beyond just personal gain and "climbing the ladder".
Almost every INFJ or heart-centered introvert that I've ever met has unwittingly found themselves in leadership roles because of this focus on a higher purpose.
The INFJ's sheer drive towards real world impact naturally leads to measurable outcomes for their employer (assuming the employer is aligned with the INFJ's values). Instead of funneling their energy into climbing the ladder or playing the political games of the workplace, they keep their head down and do the actual work that leads to real results.
The INFJ's focus on the bottom lines of Purpose and People also feeds into their ability to ask the right questions. In my experience, the most efficient and effective workplaces are adept at solving the right problems (not just the convenient ones) - and pinpointing the right problem to solve can't be possible without also asking the right questions.
Intuitive introverts, with their insightful observations and stubborn focus on what matters most, are especially suited in asking those keen questions that can pivot or course-correct entire strategic initiatives.
Not only do these qualities make employers value you, but they're also likely to garner trust and respect from your subordinates. It's clear that you don't have a sketchy alternative motive to control people or amass personal power. It's clear that you don't "get off" on micro-managing others or telling them what to do.
It's clear that your role as a leader in the workplace isn't self-serving or ego-driven; it's 100% purpose-driven.
(Go to this blog post to read more about quiet leadership.)
3. Growth & innovation
If you're a heart-centered introvert or INFJ, you're probably multi-passionate.
You probably get bored when you're not busy learning, growing, and creating - whether that means learning new skills, playing with new ideas, reading personal development books, or making new art!
New projects excite you, especially when they're aligned with your values and of a creative nature... and we're defining "creative" very loosely here.
When you're not busy growing or creating, you feel stagnant and painfully unfulfilled.
This is why we thrive when we're given autonomy in the workplace. Creative freedom affords us the chance to come up with solutions no one's thought of, and we have no qualms about learning or making something from scratch.
If you're anything like me, one of your favorite things to hear from your boss is, "take your idea and run with it!"
The INFJ's hunger for ongoing personal and professional development and fearless embrace of new-and-better ideas is super valuable to jobs or industries that are looking to scale, iterate, or modernize.
If you've been in the workforce for a couple years, you probably know that not everyone is comfortable with change - even if it's change for the better.
You've probably had coworkers who need every new assignment spelled out for them, or who get super stressed out when they're told they need to figure out how to implement a new project on their own. Maybe they've worked at the company for years, and they gripe and complain every time your employer tries to change things up from how they were done a decade ago.
Maybe you've also had coworkers who just do what they're told or only what they think they're "getting paid to do", and nothing more. They're only there for the paycheck, so they do the bare minimum of what's expected, and then they go home.
This isn't necessarily bad, depending on the workplace. Not everyone, and not every type of workplace, needs to be "on the cutting edge".
But if you're an INFJ buzzing with all that creative energy and thirst for learning, built-in and ready to go, you might as well use what you've got!
(Speaking of using what you've got, you might be interested in the free 6-Strategy Checklist for Selling Your Quiet Skills on Paper - for when you're ready to write a resume that showcases your introverted gifts.)
So how do you show off your insatiable thirst for growth, learning, and creativity?
Become the office expert on that new computer software. Attend a training and then share your new knowledge with your coworkers. Geek out on the newest organizational psychology research, and then apply it at work. Tinker around with a new process to make the office run more smoothly, just because you're curious if it'll work or not. Pitch that team-building idea you've been storing in the back of your mind.
Rise to the challenge of ever-changing markets and technology and business structures, because again, not everyone is excited by change and progress like you are.
You're an employee who takes initiative, can work independently, cares about doing quality work, and comes up with innovative ideas and solutions.
In short, your passion for personal and professional growth can be easily translated to growth for your employer, as well.
Remember, the most powerful way to make an impact as an advocate, changemaker, and loving human being is to use your natural superpowers as an INFJ. Do what you can do, in the way that only you can do it.
If you're ready to write a resume that unapologetically showcases your introverted and intuitive talents, enter your info below to get the FREE 6-Strategy Checklist for Selling Your Quiet Skills on Paper.