What Sport Are You?

Life is a sport. It’s about setting yourself on a path, conquering your fears, and winning the race.
 
Many people turn to sports for an outlet, hobby or the thrill of competition, but on another, perhaps subliminal level, your personality has a bearing on what kind of sport you like to play—and your personality traits and tendencies transcend into the way you work.

In sports, according to TeachPE, passionate and aggressive behavior plays a huge role in the way we conduct ourselves in the workplace. Although we know through learned experience not to behave adversely—or non-PC—in work or in life, your actions dictate who you are. TeachPE breaks down the sport you choose and the personalities that go along with it by classifying you as an introvert or extrovert. Determine which one of these you are—you might be surprised!

Extroverts
Extroverts display high drive and motivation, possess the ability to control the movement of large muscles, have low concentration, and enjoy stimulating team sports.

In the case of the 1998 cult classic, “The Big Lebowski,” a man ruins the wrong Dude’s rug. John Goodman’s character refers to this as “unchecked aggression.” This is also known as indirect aggression, which occurs when you take out your feelings on an object. If this sounds like you, then you favor playing golf, tennis and racquetball. Just imagine taking out your aggression on a ball you hit at a whopping 90 MPH.

The more dangerous aggression lies in direct aggression. Back to the “Big Lebowski,” direct aggression occurs when the thug shoves the Dude’s head in and out of the toilet, demanding money. This is seen in sports like rugby, boxing, basketball and football, where you make direct contact with another person. If uncontrolled, the consequences can have an adverse effect on your team and your career.

Introverts
On the flipside, an introvert is quiet and thoughtful. What first comes to mind are the kids in the high school cafeteria who kept to themselves and probably didn’t run for student president or try out for cheerleader. Of course, that’s OK—and even today, many young CPAs may think of themselves as introverts. If so, then you are more inclined to play a sport that requires precision and concentration, such as golf and archery. You also probably favor weight-lifting, cardio machines and even yoga.

Introverts have the ability to solve situations, such as playing a ball out of the rough at the right height and distance, or even contorting their body in a downward dog or inversion position. Generally, introverts rely on self-motivation and stick to individual sports.

Personalities in the Workplace
There are lots of different kinds of professional and personal workplace studies to refer to if you are interested in learning more about this topic. In this case, recognizing who the introverts and extroverts are in the workplace will help you not only learn how to work with others, but also how to anticipate what an outcome might be to any scenario.

Of course, no one is going to intentionally label someone as one or the other, but if you can figure out who’s who, it’s easier to predict an outcome. Consider these situations:

• Extroverts work well in teams and are thought leaders for your firm or business.
• Extroverts could be very skilled in sales, especially cross selling. 
• Introverts listen to their leader, making thoughtful, informed decisions that will better the workplace.
• Introverts could be good at consulting by tackling a particular client or customer problem, and providing practical, workable solutions.

Then there are those who are a combination of extrovert and introvert. When executed properly through controlled aggression, and willing participation and cooperation, these people can achieve great things for your practice or company. And keep in mind, just because someone says they are one or the other does not mean there isn’t any crossover to the other.

Take a step back and realize what kind of sport you are, and start applying your personality to the workplace. Understanding what you have to offer and what value you can add to your personal brand, and your firm or business, is a giant step in the right direction.

Are you more inclined to be an extrovert or introvert? Why? Send us an email at youngcpanetwork@aicpa.org and tell us! We’ll run your responses, confidentially, in a future article.