Do Introverts make Business better leaders?
It might sound weird to say introverts make better leaders, but really, they do. The nature of an introvert makes it so. About 40% of business owners are introverts.
You might think because extroverts do well and seem more confident in public gatherings compared to their introvert counterparts that they would make better business leaders, but that’s not completely true because leadership is about the people you’re leading — Creating meaningful connections with them is critical.
Introverts shine in this. They are better at creating deep connection and influencing their employees and clients
6 Reasons why Introverts make better leaders
“An introvert is someone who prefers isolated scenarios… someone who isn’t necessarily anti-social but someone who excels with internal workflow.” — David Acosta
Better Listeners
Because introverts are in their heads a lot, they would rather listen first and try to understand what their employees or clients are trying to say. They listen to learn to know what to say.
While extroverts shine in social gatherings where the spotlight is on them. While you speak to them, it may look like they’re listening (head nods and affirmations), but all the while they’re thinking of what to say next.
No one likes this. Everyone wants to be heard. And to influence your employees or clients, you have to listen to and understand them, which introverts do naturally.
Focus
While extroverts need external activities to function, Introverts are all about what’s inside. They are not easily distracted by trends, noise, and other distractions. They can focus on what’s at hand and get it done.
Everyone wants and respects leaders that stand by their word and get things done. A leader is rated by his productivity, and how would you be a good leader if you don’t show or drive results.
They work alone
Do you know how I just spoke about focus and results? People say introverts are shy, and they like to do things on their own. It’s not a bad thing because it helps them focus and get things done.
I personally prefer working alone because when I’m in a team, we just talk and produce little. That’s why most times, I don’t fancy meetings or group projects because of not everyone chips in. It’s only one or two persons that do the whole work.
Working alone allows you to concentrate on what you have to do, keeping you from getting distracted.
Humility
This may be out of being shy or whatever, but it certainly works in their favor. There are humble extroverts — No doubt, but because introverts are always in their heads, rethinking things, they tend to have an accurate measure of their skill.
They exude quiet confidence because they work within their strengths. They don’t brag about their accomplishments, which makes them better to work with.
Humility allows you to hear what the next person has to say and find the sense in whatever the person is trying to explain without putting them down. Who wouldn’t love working with or for someone like this?
Their quiet nature also makes them a wonder to listen to each time they speak out. Because they only voice out what they’re sure of.
They build more meaningful Connections
It’s normal to think that introverts are not good communicators because of their little contributions in large group conversations.
While that might be true, they don’t see it that way. They allow people to talk and give powerful responses.
They prioritize the quality of friends and associates over quantity. Unlike the extrovert who’s familiar with everyone but doesn’t build deep connections with them. Introverted leaders are more in tune with their employees and clients. They create one-on-one relationships that build trust.
They make good problem solvers
Introverts tackle problems with certainty and tenacity. If they have a task and cannot solve it at first, they keep going until they are confident they have the right solution.
On the other hand, the extrovert doesn’t second guess his solution. He just goes on with whatever he has and launches it or passes it across.
This might be a disadvantage to the introvert because they extrovert may launch a semi-perfect product immediately and make changes on the go. The introvert would talk longer to get problems solved.
Some Popular Introvert Leaders
· Larry Page — Co-founder of Google
· Bill Gates — Co-founder of Microsoft
· Warren Buffet — President of Berkshire Hathaway
· Elon Musk — Founder of Tesla
· Mark Zuckerberg — Founder of Facebook
· Jeff Bezos — Founder of Amazon
· Steve Wozniak — Co-founder of Apple
· Barrack Obama — The First Black US President
You can still become a good leader. Whether you’re an introvert or not, you just need to learn and apply the basics:
· Listen to understand
· Communicate effectively
· Encourage other people’s creativity and opinions
· Be positive
· Create meaningful connections with your clients and colleagues
· Exercise Humility
· Be authoritative
· And Lead by example
True leadership lies in guiding others to success — in ensuring that everyone is performing at their best, doing the work they are pledged to do and doing it well.” — Bill Owens
