Finally, it is important to recognize that an extravert with a Rainbow preference might be agile in moving between different interpersonal preferences. That is all well and good. However, this could mean that this person seems to be unpredictable: “Who is Going to Show Up Today!” It is important that the extravert’s agility is coupled with the capacity to clearly articulate the style being used at any one moment and the reason for the use of this strategy. The introvert can also be quite agile in their embrace of different preferences; however, this agility is often found not in the introvert’s behavior. It is found in their feelings at any one point in time. Sometimes they are quietly happy regarding a brief but enjoyable interaction; other times they are silently angry because their occasional ideas are being ignored. Those working with agile introverts might find themselves declaring (with some agitation): “What the hell is going on inside this person’s head or heart!”
A Rainbow Portrait
It is first important, first, to reiterate that the Rainbow orientation is strongly aligned with extraversion. Introversion is often present, but it plays a secondary role. The team, after all, is playing outside the tent. Furthermore, the “noise” inherent in the interaction of team members might “barrage” the weak introvert buffers that Hans Eysenck proposed. Energy is generated by interacting with many other people. While the introverted Ruby Red, Azure Blue, and Golden Yellow person is likely to feel drained by too many meetings and too much collaboration with other people, the extraverted Rainbow person will usually feel great at the end of a day of interpersonal relationships—and might feel drained when there are no interactions (a day spent alone reading or preparing a report).
What is the extraverted Rainbow’s source of joy: being with other people. And most importantly (and often ignored), being all things to all people. This is “the hostess with the most-est!” This is the person in David Kolb’s (1984) scheme who is the accommodator, adjusting to all situations and changing strategies rather than stubbornly hanging on to one strategy (Kolb’s assimilator). The assimilator style of learning is more commonly found among those with an introvert Golden Yellow orientation, or even the introverted Ruby Reds and Azure Blues.
The most frequent source of energy for both the extraverted and introverted Rainbow comes from the challenge of bringing together diverse perspectives and competing interests. Those with an extraverted Rainbow perspective are likely to linger out in front of the tent, focusing their attention on influencing other people and the relationships between themselves and other people. They are also likely to attend to ways they can influence the nature of team functioning—whether in the role of leader, facilitator, or member. Their extraverted strength (as expressed though their Azure Blue aspect) is inspiring other people to be interpersonally “sensitive.” This increases the chance that they will do what you (as the Rainbow expert) believe is the “right” way to behave. At their best as extraverted Rainbows, these “group freaks” can get others to savor the rich dynamics associated with working in teams. Even as introverted Rainbows, they can offer insights that help other people appreciate these rich team dynamics.
