Being a leader is associated with having a strong sense of trust, commitment, decision-making ability, and ease of communicating with your team; which perhaps is something innate in extroverts.
For this reason, it is often thought that introverts do not serve to be leaders, since they tend to be much more reserved, less social and less likely to get involved in a confrontation, than extroverts. However, you will be surprised to learn that an introvert can also take care of this work.
Research conducted in the Harvard Business Review has shown that introverts are more effective leaders in complex and unpredictable environments. In fact, introverts are especially well suited to handling scenarios that extraverts can’t, and that quiet leadership is often critical to the long-term success of a business.
Therefore, he knows 4 reasons why an introvert can be a great leader .
4 qualities of introverted leaders
1. They don’t rush to solve a problem
Different investigations have shown that introverts tend to have thicker gray matter in the prefrontal cortex, which is the area of the brain where abstract thoughts and decision making are formed. This leads introverts to make decisions after reflecting on creative ways to solve problems; never in a hurry.
In the same way, introverts are great observers of human interactions: know how to listen and study a situation or challenge then think critically every measure to be taken well. Also, since they do not care about social position, this gives them an advantage in tackling the problem and in this way they can make the best decision for the good of the project.
2. They are not easily distracted
Introverts are better able to disconnect from the noise of the environment around them and concentrate. They also know how to find the energy within and therefore can easily focus on the task at hand, without being distracted by conversations or other noises typical of the office. In other words, they are better able to focus in the midst of distraction.
Introverts are also much more aware of the realities of the situations they find themselves in and are able to act in a focused and deliberate way to achieve results.
3. They build more meaningful connections
In general, introverts are great at developing deeper and more meaningful connections with employees and customers in a particular setting. This genuine relationship building makes an introvert leader more in tune with each team member than an extrovert leader.
The qualities of introverted leaders , such as thinking before speaking, having a greater tendency to deepen conversations or transmit calm, are good qualities compared to other more traditional leaders, and even better in certain contexts.
4. They are motivated by productivity, not ambition
One of the most common misconceptions about introverts is that they are not as motivated to succeed. In fact, they can be motivated by different factors and even measure success according to different parameters.
The introvert’s brain is wired differently, in the sense that its reward systems are triggered by different stimuli. Rather than professional recognition and promotion, an introverted leader feels more satisfied with maintaining team productivity and high-quality work; therefore, they are not satisfied with mediocrity.
conclusion
The best leaders aren’t always the loudest and most notorious, so the idea that introverts can’t be good leaders is completely false.
The reasons why introverts can be better leaders are based on the fact that they invest the time necessary to make decisions, are not easily distracted, are able to build more meaningful connections, and are motivated by productivity, not ambition.
Reference
- Pozin, I. 4 Reasons Why Introverts Make Great Leaders. For Inc [Revised June 2018].
