The Leadership Power of Introverts

The strong emphasis society puts on being Extroverted, creates an unfair bias against Introverts.  It is normally the outgoing, sociable person who gets the promotion or who plays the hero in a move.  Very seldom does one see the same hype around an Introverted person.  Simply due to the nature of an introverted person,  he or she normally avoid such hype and is much more content with his or her own thoughts.

The Power of Introverts

Susan Cain, author of Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, highlights the importance and power of Introverts and their way of doing things in this video.  She emphasize the fact that Leadership is something Introverts can excel at, even though many times it does not come naturally for them.

Understanding Extroverts and Introverts difference in behavior  you have to understand the fundamental difference between the two personality types.  The basis for the difference between the two personality types lies in the way they deal with stimulation.

Introverts feel most alive when they are in environments of low-key stimulation and quietness.  They draw their energy from themselves and the quietness around them and do not need  people or conversation to feel energized.

Extroverts on the other hand are the exact opposite.  They thrive in high stimuli environments where there is lots of noise and talking.

When it comes to leadership positions the Introvert is often overlooked due to societal bias towards the perceived benefits of Extroverts.

Introverts as Leaders

However, research indicated Introverts actually do better than Extroverts in Leadership positions, because they are naturally more careful and less likely to take unnecessary risks.  Introverts also deliver consistently better results when they are managing proactive employees, because they tend to let the employees run with their ideas.  This creates an environment of trust and innovation, as opposed to the Extroverts who like to put their own stamp on things, preventing people’s creativity to come to the surface.

The power of Introverts therefore lies in the fact that they can work alone and come up with their own ideas, shielding them from group think.

Are you an introvert and how do you perceive society’s bias?

Do you experience an uphill battle as an Introvert to get recognition?

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Stephan De Villiers

Director

I have a passion for people & leadership development and since I discovered my mom’s old typewriter as a boy, I have written in some form or another. I started blogging in 2010 and in August 2011, I started The Leadership Connexion with the aim to make the connection between Business, Leadership and Life. My professional experience span across various business disciplines, including Training, Project Management, Human Resource Management and Finance. I have a MBA degree and I am co-founder and director of a Project Management Company. I am part of the Leadership for The International Mentoring Network (IMN), South African Chapter, where I am a regular Idea Studio Facilitator and Annual IMN Conference Speaker. I believe that the highest form of living is using what you are blessed with to add value to other people’s lives.

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