It’s rare that you see the words “shyness” and “leader” in the same sentence. After all, the common opinion is that those outgoing and sociable guys make great public speakers and excellent net-workers and that those shy people are not.

A survey conducted by USA Today referred to 65 percent of managers who believed shyness to be a barrier to leadership. Interestingly, the same article stresses that roughly 40 percent of leaders actually are quite shy — they’re just better at adapting themselves to situational demands. Bill Gates, Warren Buffet and Charles Schwab are just a few “innies”.

Shy people take a cautious approach to chance. They listen attentively to what others say and absorb it before they speak. They’re listening so they can learn what to say. Along the same lines, shy people share a common love of learning. They are intrinsically (内在地) motivated and therefore seek content regardless of achieving an outside standard.

Being shy can also bring other benefits. Remember being in school and hearing the same kids contribute, until shy little Johnny, who almost never said a word, cut in? Then what happened? Everyone turned around to look with great respect at little Johnny actually talking. This is how shy people made good use of their power of presence: they “own” the moment by speaking calmly and purposefully, which translate to a positive image.

Shyness is often related to modesty. Not to say that limelight-seekers (引人注目的人) aren’t modest, but shy people tend to have an accurate sense of their abilities and achievements. As a result, they are able to recognize mistakes, imperfections, knowledge gaps and limitations.

Since shy people have a lower desire for outside rewards than outgoing ones, they’re more comfortable working with little information and sticking to their inner desires. Shy people are also more likely to insist on finding solutions that aren’t primarily apparent. Albert Einstein once said, “It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s that I stay with problems longer.” Obviously, finding certainty where uncertainty is typically popular is a huge plus for any successful person.

【小题1】What is the traditional belief to the shy people?

A．They are good at making friends.

B．They are not popular with people.

C．They like making speeches in public.

D．They are unlikely to become leaders.

【小题2】What does the underlined words refer to?

A．Shy people.	B．Public speakers.
C．Net-workers.	D．Survey conductor.

【小题3】What makes shy people succeed more easily according to the author?

A．They focus on achieving themselves outside rewards.

B．They make the best of the power of presence actively.

C．They realize their abilities and imperfections clearly.

D．They perform more confidently than outgoing people.

【小题4】How does the author support his ideas?

A．By making contrasts and giving examples.

B．By quoting authorities and making evaluations.

C．By explaining problems and providing solutions.

D．By giving definitions and presenting research results.