The world often looks to extroverts for leadership roles. In schools, higher education institutions, or the workplace, extroverts are the obvious choice. We understand or describe extroverts as people who are open about their opinions, louder in expression, and quick to be noticed and recognized in a larger group. This makes them more noticeable and hence assumed eligible for growth opportunities.
Even larger enterprises worldwide tend to recruit more extroverts because of specific characteristics associated with them.
However, the misconception that only extroverts make better leaders has often turned a good team player into a bad leader. That said, the decision also calls for an introspection on what kind of leadership one wants in one’s organization (But that’s for another discussion, another blog, perhaps).
Having been a staunch believer that “only extroverts make great leaders” for a large part of my life, it took me multiple experiences and coaching conversations that challenged my beliefs and replaced them with the realization that this cannot be the only effective leadership style.
In my earlier experience, I have often misjudged myself, my peers, and others’ abilities and qualities based on their extrovertness or introvertness. However, if you observe them closely, you will notice that introverts often exhibit unique strengths that can be valuable assets to the organization. This is not to undermine the strengths of extroverts but to shed light on the often-overlooked qualities of introverts that can be valuable assets to the organization.
In this blog, I have outlined some qualities that make introverts good hires and potential great leaders. I hope this helps recognize and acknowledge the right talent among us.
- Introverts are deep thinkers, which makes them excellent in analysis and creative problem-solving. According to a psychiatric study, the introverted brain remains more active, with increased blood flow, even when relaxed.*
- Introverts are more empathetic leaders because they have a high emotional quotient. As they think more, they can analyze different perspectives.
- They have intense focus. Often considered to be lost in their thoughts, introverts have a sharper and extended focus than extroverts. The intense focus also increases their potential to master a skill as they spend more time on one task.
- They are highly observant. They often notice the minute details others miss, making them more insightful.
- They are active listeners. We need not say more about this quality. As we know, they do not talk much or not to everyone, introverts tend to listen and observe more.
- Introverts have a natural gift – Although we all know that introverts and extroverts have the same level of intelligence, statistics show that around 70% of gifted people are introverts. When we say gifted, we mean people with an extraordinary talent for a particular skill, such as art, music, or math.
- Introverts can be trusted to do the right thing—even when no one’s watching. Unlike extroverts, introverts don’t succumb to social pressures and are only driven by their internal moral compass.
Most of the above characteristics make for outstanding leadership qualities. So, the next time you think you cannot make a great leader because you are an introvert, think again. And for leaders looking to hire a great talent for their team, you know what not to ignore in potential candidates.
If you are a leader looking for ways to tap the potential of talented introverts on your team, watch this space for my next blog post.
*(https://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/ajp.156.2.252)