Summary: Let’s face it, workplaces are loud these days. They are noisy and speedy, not always in decibels, but in energy. Type A individuals are often at the forefront, leading meetings as if their lives depend on it. Then there are the Type B individuals who are not sure how to fit in. Here is a comparison. Which are YOU?
Dear Dr. Sylvia,
How do I stay relevant in a world that won’t stand still?
I like to pause and think before I speak.
Yet by the time I am ready to add my opinion, the noisy crew is prepared to vote on a proposal and move on.
I think much is bluster and bravado rather than creative consciousness.
How do I make a place for myself in the deafening world at work?
Signed,
Peaceful Person
Dear Peaceful Person,
Let’s call those like you, The Quiet Storms.
These are the Type B personalities. The calm in the corporate hurricane. The ones who are allergic to drama and would rather pull their own teeth than compete for attention.
And if you don’t see your quiet colleagues right away, don’t worry, they’re not hiding. They’re just not shoving their brilliance in your face.
A Quick Refresher: What’s a Type B Personality, Anyway
Type B personalities are the opposite of their more frantic cousins, Type A’s. They’re relaxed, reflective, and unbothered by the rush to the finish line. But don’t confuse calm with careless or slow with simple.
You may not raise your voice, but you raise the bar with quiet confidence.
The Meeting That Wasn’t a Show for Type A
For example, here is a story from one of my client organizations.
A high-stakes strategy meeting devolved into a verbal wrestling match between two leaders, both Type A dynamos competing to outshine each other with statistics, slides, and sheer willpower.
At the end of the chaos, when no decision had been made and half the team looked like they needed a nap, Jared, the Type B finance lead, cleared his throat.
Quietly, he said, “Can I offer a summary and a next step?”
He didn’t slam the table. And he didn’t huff and puff. He just laid out a rational recap, identified two options, and suggested a timeline.
The room went still. Not because people were stunned, but because they were grateful.
In five minutes, Jared gave the group what forty-five minutes of noise couldn’t: clarity.
Type B for the win.
The Promotion No One Saw Coming for a Type B Personality
Then there’s Lena, an HR manager who was often underestimated because she wasn’t a self-promoter. She’d sit in the back of town halls, nodding, taking notes.
No one knew just how many conflicts she quietly resolved or how many new hires were still there only because Lena had coached them and their overwhelmed managers through their growing pains.
When the Director of HR resigned, the company launched a loud internal campaign to find the next “visionary.”
Of course, many type A candidates came forward.
But then I asked, “What about Lena?”
And in true Type B fashion, Lena didn’t campaign or grandstand. She just showed up to the interview with solutions, systems, and a serenity that made the CEO say, “Oh. She gets it.”
You don’t need to be loud to be heard when what you say matters.
The Silent Influence of The Type B Personality
I worked with a team where the leader, Melinda, kept saying, “I don’t think Robert is engaged. He never speaks in meetings.”
So, as the executive coach, I asked Robert about it.
He said, “By the time they’ve all shouted their opinions, I already know what won’t work. So I keep a list and write a follow-up.”
Sure enough, his follow-ups were pure gold. Action items, blind spots, timelines, and people he quietly connected to help move projects along.
He was the team’s invisible glue, and nobody noticed, because he didn’t need applause.
Once we reframed his silence as strategic, even Melinda changed her tune: “I think Robert’s a secret weapon.”
He became a model of Type B and was no longer a secret.
As explored in ATD’s ‘The Benefits of Quiet Leadership: When Less Talk Means More Influence,’ the most impactful leaders often achieve their goals not through volume, but through thoughtful contributions and a focus on empowering others.
What Type B Personalities Teach Us
- Still water runs deep and steady.
- They don’t stir the pot, but they know how to clean up the mess.
- They’re less about hustle and more about flow.
- They make space for others and model emotional regulation. (Ahem, the antidote to office tantrums.)
- They’re not competing, they’re contributing.
In an age where being “on” is glamorized, Type B personalities remind us that impact doesn’t always roar; it often resonates.
Pattern Watch: Are You Overlooking Your Type B Team Members?
Let’s be honest: workplace culture often rewards speed over strategy, noise over nuance.
If you’re a leader, ask yourself:
Who in your team listens more than they speak?
Then consider who consistently follows through without needing handholding?
Finally, who calms the storm instead of creating one?
Chances are, you have a Type B powerhouse sitting quietly in the corner, watching, thinking, and waiting for the right moment to shine.
Please don’t make them wait too long.
And if you are a Type B? Know this: your natural style is a leadership strength in a world desperately needing less chaos and more calm.
Just because you’re not shouting doesn’t mean you’re not leading.
To your success,
Sylvia Lafair
P.S. Would you like to know how your personality style shapes your leadership? Take the Pattern Quiz and discover if your inner turtle holds the wisdom your team has been missing.
