Extroversion, a trait marked by assertiveness and comfort in social situations, is often associated with leadership. However, introverts can be leaders too. Introverts can make different types of leaders, and bring different qualities to the role, but the idea that extroverts are inherently better leaders isn’t right.
Being introverted is not a bad thing when you’re a leader. Rather than trying to change or hide away from who you are, embrace it! Both introverts and extroverts can make great leaders, but the first step to becoming a good leader is to be yourself.
Trying to pretend that you’re an extrovert won’t benefit you in the long term. Let’s take a closer look at how to excel as a leader when you’re an introvert, and what you can do to develop your leadership skills.
fizkes / iStock / Getty Images
Developing Leadership Skills as an Introvert
If you’re an introvert, you might find that communication doesn’t come as naturally to you as it does to the more extroverted leaders you know. However, it’s important to remember that good communication is more than simply being the loudest or the most assertive. Find the right communication style for you—if you aren’t a fan of speaking in front of large groups, perhaps you’d be better talking to people one-on-one, or using email.
Dan Woodruff, executive coach
Introverts can engage in active listening, which increases their likability and helps them understand their team’s needs.
— Dan Woodruff, executive coach
Whatever your communication style, it’s important to adapt it to be able to communicate with your team. It’s important to build strong relationships with the people you work with, even if it might seem daunting. You might not enjoy networking, for example, but it’s something you’ll likely need to do.
Being an introvert, you may find it more beneficial to focus on quality over quantity. Rather than knowing a little about a lot of people, take time to really get to know the people in your team and develop a rapport that’s built on mutual respect.
And remember, a large part of leadership is what you do, rather than what you say. So, lead by example! Whatever you expect from your team, set a good example by doing it yourself. If reliability is important to you, for example, ensure that you’re reliable too. In turn, your team’s respect for you is likely to grow.
Understanding Introversion and Leadership
Being an introvert is likely to make you a different sort of leader from extroverts, but not necessarily a worse one! An introverted leadership style—perhaps a little more hands-off, but also happy to communicate when needed – may work better for some employees, and be more effective for them. Different people respond better to different types of leaders.
There are often misconceptions that surround introverted leaders—including that they’re simply not as effective as their extroverted counterparts. People sometimes think that introverts are less likable than extroverts, that they aren’t as good at public speaking, and that they’re more likely to avoid meetings and other social events in the workplace, but none of this is necessarily true.
Somebody being an extrovert doesn’t mean that they’re definitely going to be a good leader, and someone being an introvert doesn’t mean that they’re going to be a bad one.
Sure, not every introvert will make a good leader, but not every extrovert will either. Introverts and extroverts may have different leadership styles, but both can be effective.
Advantages of Introvert Leadership
Being an introvert can have its advantages when it comes to being a leader. Often, introverts are great listeners and thinkers, good at analyzing information and finding solutions to problems that might be original or out of the box.
Dan Woodruff, an executive coach and the founder of Odin Strategies, describes listening as a “natural superpower” for introverts, explaining, “Doing more listening than talking comes naturally to them. By using this ability to lead with empathy, introverts can engage in active listening, which increases their likability and helps them understand their team’s needs and concerns deeply.”
If you’re an introverted leader, and somebody comes to you with a question or issue, you might be better placed to consider what they have to say and offer sensible, well-thought-out advice. This comes back to effective communication—a key aspect of communication is listening, and this is where introverts can often excel.
If you’re an introvert, you might not speak up as much in a meeting, for example, but the relatively few comments you make and questions you ask could have a much bigger impact than the many things someone who is more talkative may say in the same meeting.
Introverts are also good at observing and noticing the finer details—more subtle things that others can miss. This can be really important, particularly for leaders. Introverts are often quite self-aware and introspective, too, which can make for good leadership.
Introverts often take more time to process information than extroverts, and this can mean that they explore things in greater depth and can often come up with more in-depth solutions to issues in turn.
Recognize your strengths and embrace them, using them to your advantage.
Challenges Faced by Introvert Leaders
One of the main challenges introverts can face in leadership roles is their ability to form relationships—introverts can sometimes be thought of as standoffish, aloof, or as if they don’t care. The reality is often quite different.
Joseph Santaella Vidal, an outreach marketing and public relations specialist at Resume Now, says, ”Verbal and written communication is crucial for effective leadership, and an introverted leader may need to improve these skills. The best way to improve communication is to practice. Introverts should make time to talk to their teams and push themselves to share thoughts in meetings. Prioritizing conversation can help an introvert get used to the give-and-take required for collaboration.”
However, these challenges aren’t make-or-break, and don’t mean that introverts are inherently poor leaders. It’s true that you might have to communicate more than you might want to at work sometimes, but that doesn’t mean that you have to be the life and soul of the party. It’s fine to ask your team to come in and speak to you one-on-one to help build those relationships if you’d rather not speak to everybody as a group.
One thing introverts often do is process things internally, rather than outwardly—and this can make them hard to read. If you often find yourself stuck in your head like this, be sure to provide your team with enough information for them to have an idea of what your thoughts are.
At the same time, says Woodruff, “Silence can be a powerful tool for introverts. Their peers and employees may not fully understand why they don’t immediately offer advice or suggestions. However, introverts will earn respect by empowering others to develop their own solutions to problems. This approach fosters independence and innovation within the team, positioning introverts as empowering leaders.”
And remember, try not to do everything yourself! Introverts can sometimes try doing everything themselves and working solo, but to an extrovert, this can look like arrogance. So, remember to be collaborative and communicative.
Creating an Introvert-Friendly Work Environment
If you’re an introvert, you could change the way you do things as a leader. So, whereas some leaders may enjoy large meetings with everyone on the team, you might decide that, actually, you prefer bringing employees in individually or in smaller groups. There might be things that extroverts may call meetings for that you think would be fine going in a round-robin email instead.
There are plenty of things that you can do to make your work environment better for introverts, and not only yourself but any introverted team members you might have will reap the rewards, too. Often, extroverted leaders may not consider introverted team members, for example. However, you could be better placed to take their needs into account.
It’s important to collaborate with everyone on your team, and consider and include introverts, extroverts, and ambiverts, and be inclusive of everyone as much as you can.
Balancing Introversion and Extroversion in Leadership
It’s often thought that extroverts are better than introverts at forming connections and relationships. However, introverts might actually find it easier to form closer one-on-one bonds with people.
As forming initial connections can take more effort for introverts, they’ll often focus on building the ones they already have and making them stronger.
It can be beneficial to have the best of both worlds; it makes sense to build new connections, but at the same time work on making pre-existing connections stronger.
If you’re an introvert, you’ll likely have some extroverts on your team. Why not work together and use your differences to your advantage? Look at Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, the co-founders of Apple. One was an extrovert, one was an introvert, and it worked. Other examples include Sheryl Sandberg and Mark Zuckerberg, who worked together at Facebook (now Meta), and Mick Jagger and Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones.
And, sometimes an introvert might be better suited to managing certain teams. If your team is quite self-sufficient and proactive, you might be a better fit to lead them as an introvert. In contrast, extroverts might be better at leading teams that are more passive.
Tips for Introverted Leaders in Specific Situations
If you’re doing something that will take you out of your comfort zone, it can make sense to plan. Take public speaking. For many introverts, it sounds like a nightmare. However, if you set out a clear plan beforehand you’ll have a better idea of what to expect, and you might feel better about doing it.
Vidal says, “Whether introverted or extroverted, public speaking can be a fraught experience. While it’s a necessary skill for leaders, for introverts, especially, it can be a panic-inducing experience.”
Introverts should practice their skills in smaller meetings and work up until they are comfortable presenting ideas to a larger group. For training outside the workplace, organizations like Toastmasters can help.
—
JOSEPH SANTAELLA VIDAL, PR SPECIALIST
It’s the same with networking. You may not particularly enjoy it, but a bit of preparation can go a long way. Introverts often think of what they’re going to say before saying it, meaning that the discussion can move on before you’ve had time to contribute. By planning ahead, you can give yourself an idea of the sort of things you may want to say.
“Networking can be agony for an introvert,” says Vidal, “But relationship building is a skill that can be honed like any other. A simple way to start is by connecting one-on-one with clients or attending small industry events where communication is on a more personal level. Online networking can also be effective, so introverts could also consider using LinkedIn to keep in touch with contacts and grow their networks.”
There are things in life that we can’t avoid. But, we can make them easier. After completing some leadership tasks that have drained your tank, give yourself some time to unwind or decompress. It sounds obvious, but remember to look after yourself.
Leadership isn’t always easy—even for the most extroverted among us—and it can be more difficult for introverts. To avoid things like burnout, ensure that you’re taking the time for self-care, and taking frequent breaks.
Remember, when you take care of yourself, you’re better equipped to be the best leader you can be.
Keep in Mind
Introverts can make great leaders, and you shouldn’t let the misconceptions surrounding introverts put you off if you want to move into a leadership role.
Focus on the benefits that your introversion can bring to leadership, and consider where you might be able to improve—being an introvert could give you the best of both worlds when you become a leader. And, don’t be afraid to ask for tips and advice from friends and colleagues in similar roles, whether or not they’re introverts themselves.