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Are introverts good leaders?
Brian Garland
July 27, 2023
Welcome to The Introverted Path!
Happy Thursday - crazy that July is already almost over. Summer has flown by.
I am coming off an extended weekend trip to San Francisco and Northern CA. We stayed in a cabin amongst the Redwoods and did some hiking along the coast. Highly recommend, it was such a beautiful area.
In today’s email:
Introverts as leaders - pros and cons
Examples of famous introvert leaders
Links to other content I enjoyed this week
Let’s dive in 🤙
Introverts as leaders
What makes a good leader?
A study led by workplace development consultants Jack Zenger and Joseph Folkman asked 300k+ business professionals to rank the top traits they look for in leaders:
This list doesn’t seem at odds with the nature of introverts…
Yet introverts aren’t typically thought about as being leaders. I always envision leaders as being charismatic, high energy people. Until recently, a lot of being a leader involved relationships and networking. You had to win people over with your personality.
With the shift to remote work and the internet in general, there are other ways to show your leadership. Writing is a great way to express your ideas. Leading by example. Empathizing with your team or customers.
Adam Grant, a popular psychologist and writer, found in 2010 that 96% of managers and executives were extroverted. I expected the number to be high, but not that high.
If I had to pick one or the other, I would still say extroverts make better leaders overall. My point is just that there are situations or roles where introverts can make great leaders. And more frequently than not, we are passed up for those promotions or positions.
Pros and Cons of introverts as leaders
Pros
Risk averse
Introverts weigh options more heavily. We are less likely to make rash decisions. This can be crucial when evaluating decisions that affect the whole group or company.
Calm under pressure
By being more even-keeled, it makes dealing with high pressure situations easier. Introverts tend to not get overly emotional. This can be important for positions that are high stress.
Listening to other’s opinions
This may be the biggest pro on the list. The ability to consider different viewpoints helps to make a better decision. Being open-minded enough to change your own opinions based off new information is also extremely critical.
Cons
Difficulty dealing with conflict
Introverts try to avoid conflict when we can. We would prefer things to be all Kumbaya, but as a leader that won’t always be the case. Leaders need to be able to identify and deal with conflict as it arises.
Reserved by nature
A big part of being a leader is influencing your team. You also need to be able to get them motivated and excited for the task at hand. Introverts are more reserved and tend not to show their personality as much. This can make it hard for teams to fully buy in.
Lack of assertion
There is a difference between listening and not taking control. While introverts are good listeners, they aren’t as good at asserting themselves when the situation calls for it. This can lead their teams to have a lack of confidence in them during difficult situations.
Examples of introvert leaders
Dropping a few of my favorites here…
Albert Einstein
Rosa Parks
Barack Obama
Mahatma Gandhi
Eleanor Roosevelt
Abraham Lincoln
Warren Buffett
Bill Gates
Not bad company, huh?
My thoughts 💭
Whether an extrovert or an introvert is better for a leadership position certainly depends on the situation. There isn’t a one size fits all answer.
Extroverts have the benefit of being more charismatic leaders. Rally the people around them. Make you excited for the goal at hand.
Introverts can better empathize with their teams and customers. Listen to other opinions. Make careful, deliberate decisions.
The most successful companies or teams will have the best of both worlds. People all along the introvert/extrovert spectrum to balance each other out.
Yin and Yang ☯️
Links I enjoyed this week 💥
That’s it for today - hope you enjoyed this weeks newsletter!
Best,
BG