THE INCREDIBLE POTENTIAL OF INTROVERTED LEADERSHIP

The Incredible Potential of Introverted Leadership

What makes someone a great leader? Why are certain people considered more leaderlike than others? Are great leaders born or made? Questions like these have baffled us for time
immemorial. Most people usually picture a successful business leader as someone gregarious,
outgoing and dominant. This may seem natural as extroverts look more like a typical leader
and command attention with their larger than life persona. Christopher Lane English
professor and author of Shyness: How normal behaviour became a sickness, claimed that, Our
culture expects people to be outgoing and sociable, Its the unstated norm, and against that
norm introverts stand out as seemingly problematic (as cited in Walsh, 2012, p.1). However,
one-third to half of the people in America are introverts. This ratio is even higher in Asian
countries (Cain, 2012). Does it mean that this part of the population cannot make powerful
leaders and businessmen? Certainly not. These people may have excellent business ideas and
sales tactics and should not be discouraged by the societys ideals of what makes a great leader.
Personality traits affect how leaders think, act, communicate, perform, decide and
delegate duties to employees. This in turn, affects the productivity and profitability of
organizations. If organizations are productive, the economy and ultimately, the entire society
will prosper. Thus, the impact of something as simple as a persons disposition can be
enormous. By definition, introverts are strengthened by solitude. However, extroverts gain
energy from interacting with other people (Kahnweiler, 2009, p.2). In the same vein, Bryan
Walsh (2012) asserted that, introverts need not necessarily be shy. Shyness constitutes of a
feeling of unease, reticence and the fear of being judged in social situations. However,
introverts spend time alone, simply because they may want to be alone (p.1). In other words,

THE INCREDIBLE POTENTIAL OF INTROVERTED LEADERSHIP

unlike those who are shy, introverts have an innate preference for solitude and less stimulating
situations. They need not be threatened by interactions with other people.
Business leaders who have a clear understanding of their personality type can
channelize their strengths effectively and achieve success. Unfortunately, many introverts
pretend to be extroverts and this faking is something they learn to do from quite an early age.
As Del Jones (2006) remarked, successful introverts seem to have mastered the ability to act
like extroverts. Some liken it to an out-of-body experience that lets them watch themselves be
temporarily unreserved (p.1). However, the very characteristics of introverts that prevented
the society from even viewing them as leaders could help them become awe-inspiring leaders.
In fact, in the business world, introverts may have an edge over extroverts because of their
innate ability to think deeply, listen to different opinions, anticipate and capitalize upon change.
Firstly, introverts think before they talk or act. They carefully consider the pros and
cons of every decision, before jumping into action. In the words of Walsh (2012), Introverts
are more cautious and deliberate than extroverts, but that means they tend to think things more
thoroughly, which means they can make smarter decisions (p.2). Larina Kase (2010), a
renowned psychologist and business coach emphasised that decision making is one of the most
important qualities of a great leader. She envisions a leader as someone who can take thoughtful
and clear decisions (p.1). Thus, introverts fit perfectly into this view of a great leader because
of their ability to think deeply and take calculated risks. Careful reflection is a precious asset
for both, corporate chief executive officers (CEOs) and stock investors. Perhaps that is why,
two of the richest and most successful business leaders, Bill Gates and Warren Buffet were
introverts (Jones, 2006, p.1). Thus, unlike extroverts, who are prone to hasty and impulsive
decisions which may prove costly to the company and its employees, introverted leaders tend
to ponder about all the alternatives and are more likely to end up with better choices.

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In todays ever-changing world, great leaders have to be creative, think out-of-the-box
and come up with innovative ideas. As researchers, Janet Farrall and Leonie Kronborg
mentioned in Leadership Development for the Gifted and Talented, outstanding introverted
leaders, such as Charles Darwin, Marie Curie, Patrick White and Arthur Boyd, who have created
either new fields of thought or rearranged existing knowledge, have spent long periods of their
lives in solitude. Hence, leadership does not apply only in social situations, but also occurs in
more solitary situations such as developing new techniques in the arts, creating new
philosophies,
writing profound books and making scientific breakthroughs (as cited in Cain, 2012, p.78).
Research conducted by the Institute of Personality Assessment and Research at
University of California, Berkeley showed that the most creative people tend to be socially
poised introverts (Cain, 2012). This is because working alone in a quiet environment free from
any distraction, increases concentration. Good ideas tend to spring up in solitude and thus
introverts have an edge in creativity and innovation. Group brainstorming tends to fail because
people may change their views in order to be accepted by the peer group and also in the fear of
social judgement. Great leaders have to come up with ingenious ideas in order to develop a
sustainable competitive advantage in the market for their product or service. Thus, introverts
with their natural preference for solitude, are extremely likely to get clever ideas and succeed
as leaders.
Another invaluable characteristic of introverts is that, they tend to listen more carefully
and are more receptive to different viewpoints. Adam Mcdowell (2012) states that, A small
but growing body of research shows introverts often make better leaders often spectacularly
successful ones largely because they actually listen to what other people say (p.2).
Therefore, the entire society could benefit if more introverted leaders took charge.

THE INCREDIBLE POTENTIAL OF INTROVERTED LEADERSHIP

Along the same line, Grant, Gino, and Hofmann (2010) declared that, when workers
are proactive and offer business ideas, introverts are definitely better leaders than extroverts
because extroverts may feel threatened in such situations (p.1). A field study conducted in a
U.S Pizza Delivery Company showed that when employees were proactive, extroverted
leadership was associated with 14% lower profits. Researchers also conducted an experiment
called, T-shirt experiment in which 163 college students were asked to work in groups to see
how many T-shirts they could fold in ten minutes. Each group had a leader and four followers.
Two research assistants posed as followers in every group. The study concluded that groups
with proactive followers, performed better under an introverted leader folding on an average
28% more T-shirts (Grant et al., 2010, p.28). Yet again, introverts score more than extroverts
in their leadership and decision making skills because they listen and pay attention to various
perspectives. This enables them to think over an issue from all sides and take the best decision
for the organisation and its employees.
Since introverts are more inner-focussed, that is, they think and listen much more than
extroverts, their remarks in business meetings are likely to be more sensible and wise. They
also phrase their opinions more carefully. As Kahnweiler (2009) emphasised,
The power of silence is another characteristic that can serve as a strength. Many people
are not comfortable with silence and try to fill in the gaps with comments that are off
the cuff, whereas the comments made by the introvert can be more thoughtful. (p.4)
With such a temperament, introverted leaders are likely to radiate a soft authority and
ensure that people understand their observations. Moreover, introverted leaders are not
motivated to be the centre of attention and are more than willing to share credit when it is due.
In his influential book, Good to Great, Jim Collins mentioned that, we need leaders who build

not on their egos, but the institutions they run (as cited in Cain, 2012, p.55). As introverted
THE INCREDIBLE POTENTIAL OF INTROVERTED LEADERSHIP 6
leaders listen to ideas, ask questions and share credit they are likely to have access to new and
good ideas from below (Mcdowell, 2012). Thus, introverted leaders have a high probability of
having a successful business with satisfied employees and customers.
Furthermore, their thoughtful nature enables introverts to anticipate and capitalise upon
change, more readily. Walsh (2012) accentuated that, The very fact that introverts are more
sensitive to their environment often means theyre fully aware that they appear out of step with
the expectations of others, and they can easily internalise that criticism (p.3).Introverted
leaders spend more time analysing the needs and expectations of consumers and can predict a
forthcoming change. This is an immensely important characteristic for a successful business
leader. Also, introverts focus more on quality than quantity in building business networks.
Laurie Helgoe, psychologist and author of the 2008 book, Introvert power, believes that
introverts can explore big projects without being distracted by trivial and frivolous social
preoccupations (as cited in Mcdowell, 2012). This does not mean that introverts do not put in
effort into expanding their business network. It just means that introverts primarily focus on
building a strong and sustainable network, with more emphasis on quality. Thus an introverted
leaders sensitivity and networking style helps the business to decide on its priorities and
prepare for changes.
However, some researchers are still in favour of extroverts when it comes to leadership.
Extroverts are bold, energetic, lively, and dominant and appear more leader-like. Several
researchers (Judge, Bono, Ilies, & Gerhardt, 2002; Riggio, 2012) reported that there is a
consistent positive relationship between extroversion and leader emergence. They also found
out that there is a fairly stable relationship between extroversion and leader effectiveness. Grant
et al. (2010) stated an important statistic that, Whereas just 50% of the general population is

extroverted, 96% of managers and executives display extroverted personalities. And the higher
THE INCREDIBLE POTENTIAL OF INTROVERTED LEADERSHIP 7
you go in a corporate hierarchy, the more likely you are to find highly extroverted individuals
(p.1). Thus, some studies say that extroverts can become better leaders as they are bold,
assertive and take control of the situation. Also, the researchers have all the right numbers to
prove their point.
However, these studies are not absolutely correct and have certain flaws in
measurement. Firstly, the definition of a leader has to be made clear. Kahnweiler (2009)
broadly defines a leader as someone who ensures that the work gets done, plans for change,
coaches and works with others to achieve results (p.1). So, leadership success depends on
people skills and leader-follower relationships. Research suggested that only extroverts who
possessed good interpersonal skills make great leaders. Some introverts may have better
interpersonal skills and thus may make much better leaders. So, when leaders possess these
skills, introversion or extroversion does not matter very much (Riggio, 2012).
Both introverts and extroverts have many innate leadership qualities. While it may be
true that introverts have to develop interpersonal and networking skills, extroverts have to work
on acquiring so many other qualities including the ability to introspect and listen, for real
leadership success. The statistics stated in favour of extroverts does not reflect that they make
better leaders. It only means that our society has more extroverted leaders and this calls for
change in mind-set. Also, Grant cautioned that the survey was based on self-reporting (as cited
in Mcdowell, 2012). Bradley Agle studied the CEOs of 128 major companies and found that
the charismatic and extroverted executives had bigger salaries but not better corporate
performance (as cited in Cain, 2012). Since our question is who makes a better and more
successful leader in most cases and not who is usually elected the leader, the answer is an
introvert.

THE INCREDIBLE POTENTIAL OF INTROVERTED LEADERSHIP

Thus, more often than not, introverts emerge as better business leaders as they are more
likely to think before they act, pay attention to the opinions of others and successfully deal with
change. Also, they are more than willing to share the limelight and are motivated to work for
the upliftment of the business organization. An introverted leader usually gets creative ideas as
he/she spend more time reflecting on various issues. Proactive employees work best with
introverted leaders as they consider all new suggestions without being threatened. Introverts
ability to listen is one of their greatest assets as they tend to look at all viewpoints and are more
likely to arrive at the best decision. Customers may find that introverted leaders understand
them better as they are more sensitive to their needs and wants. They also have an impressive
networking style that focuses on quality and sustainability. So, an introvert has immense
leadership potential that could benefit the entire economy and society.
However, in todays world, people embrace the extrovert ideal and introverts may have
a tough time in entering leadership positions. As William Whyte noted,
Society is itself an education in the extrovert values, and rarely has there been a society
that has preached them so hard. No man is an island, but how John Donne would writhe
to hear how often, and for what reasons, the thought is so tiresomely repeated (as cited
in Cain, 2012, p.34).
It is high time to understand that introverts are innately blessed with many wonderful
leadership qualities. Once they emerge as a leader, there is no limit to their efficacy. In most
situations, there is no guarantee that a bold extrovert may have better control of the business
than an introspective introvert. In fact, introverts with good social skills have always been the
best leaders. If encouraged, introverted leaders may end up like Bill Gates or Steve Jobs and
stun the world with their quiet power.