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Abstract
The present study investigates the relationship between the personality trait, introversion, and the challenges of a leadership role in an ecclesial environment. It is a qualitative-empirical study of 14 pastors from state and free churches in Switzerland.
In the literature chapter, the origin of the Introversion and Extraversion Scales in personality psychology is traced and its significance in current models of personality analysis is presented. Furthermore, the special opportunities and challenges of people with an increased proportion of introversion in their personality are elaborated and presented from the specialist literature. A particular focus is put on the topics of inner pastoral images, pastoral identity, and character formation.
Based on the method of "Grounded Theory", an interview guideline will be developed in order to enter into conversation with pastors on the topic of introversion and the task of leadership. In the months of May and June 2021, 14 qualitative interviews with pastors from state and free churches in Switzerland were conducted and subsequently analyzed using MAXQDA software.
It has been shown that persons with elevated introversion in personality are subject to increased expectations of extraverted behavior than are elevated extraverts subject to introverted behavior. This greater emphasis on extraversion contrasts with the almost unanimous statement by the interviewees that the church needs both: introversion and extraversion. There needs to be a focus on the strengths of more introverted pastors. These strengths include innovation, good theological discourse, pastoral care, and encouraging participation. Developing these strengths requires good and reflective teamwork as well as committed conflict management with attention given to the potential of complementing each other in terms of introversion and extraversion. For pastors, character formation is a field of learning and not an obligation to become someone else; rather, it is a matter of standing by one's own originality and bringing to fruition in diversity the creative will of God contained therein.