Why Introverts Make Great Leaders

What is leadership? It would probably mean different things to different people. Today, society made us believe that extroversion is a must-have trait in order to be a successful leader in the workplace. Extroverted personalities exude charisma, confidence, and enthusiasm loudly for everyone to notice. They do it effortlessly too because their energy is gained through social interactions. The world would like to make us believe that just because introverts don't noticeably have these specific traits, their leadership style would be ineffective. Back in 2006, a survey found that 65% of senior executives saw introversion as a "barrier to leadership."

Successful leaders are able to motivate and inspire their team. Their main goal is to forge ways for their followers to move forward. They are able to make significant decisions for the entire team when it's needed. Somewhere along the line, it became common knowledge that introverted personalities wouldn't be able to do that. The reality is that if you're an extrovert, it doesn't by default make you successful at leading a team; you can easily come off as insensitive or aggressive if you're not careful. You have to learn some skills to connect with your team either way. Effective leadership requires a mix of extroverted and introverted traits. You need to find out what you're good at and be aware of what you lack, no matter what category your personality falls into. To battle some of the myths around introverted leadership, here are a few reasons why introverts make great leaders:

1- Productivity and Quality Are What Motivates Them
Most people seem to believe that introverts are not as motivated to succeed in the workplace as extroverts. This is the most common assumption about introverts from afar. If you pay close attention to their leadership qualities, however, you will discover that they are motivated by different aspects. They see success differently. An introverted leader sees success in their team's productive work, as well as its high quality, as opposed to recognition among colleagues or professional headway. 

2- They Are Proficient Listeners
Being a good listener is a huge part of being an effective leader. It's not in your best interest to constantly keep talking in order to lead; you need to know when to instruct and when to pay attention to what members of your team are saying. Introverts have a natural ability for active listening. It is one of the best qualities of introverted personalities and it helps them tremendously in a work environment, especially as leaders. They truly listen and you can guarantee their reaction makes a huge impact when they think things over and communicate accordingly. This leadership trait combined with their motivation for productivity makes them more likely to hear and perfectly execute a suggestion. They learn how to react through listening. By contrast, extroverts are mostly concerned with leaving an impact that they could miss out on someone's great ideas. 

3- They Are Diligent Problem-Solvers
Problem-solving is a skill every leader should have. Interestingly, it is believed that the brain of an introvert is different from that of an extrovert. Well, I had a feeling! Scientifically speaking, the prefrontal cortex of an introvert features thicker gray matter than that of an extrovert. This is the part of our brain responsible for making decisions as well as abstract thinking/creative thinking. This means introverts are not impulsive in their decisions; they always give it a great deal of thought, which leads to innovative ideas to solve problems. Adapting this skill in the workplace makes introverts powerful leaders. 

4- Distraction Doesn't Come Easily to Them
Introverted individuals usually don't have to make an effort to tune out background noise and concentrate on the task at hand. This is because their energy is drawn from within and not from external stimuli. Because they are motivated by productivity, introverted leaders use that and focus on what is best for their team without getting sidetracked easily.

You will find these traits to be helpful in your personal life as well. Here are 5 Introvert Strengths You Should Know to help you in your personal as well as your professional life. 

By: Amal Ghali