One question that is often asked is, can you be introverted and still be a great leader? The short answer is, YES. The long answer is what this edition of the newsletter is about.
When I first started writing and publishing articles about introverted leaders here on Linkedin, someone commented sarcastically that ‘introverted leader’ was an oxymoron. Given that the Cambridge Dictionary defines the term oxymoron as meaning ‘two words or phrases used together that have, or seem to have, opposite meanings’, the comment mentioned would indicate that the person who wrote it thought that introverts being leaders is contradictory, and therefore, introverts can’t be leaders.
Historically, leadership has been associated with extraversion. There is little research that focuses on introversion in the workplace compared to that of extraversion. A 2022 review of the research literature by Blevins et al found that out of 320 research articles, only 21 (6.56%) mentioned introversion explicitly, whereas 299 (93%) mentioned extraversion directly.
This highlights just how much the research on introversion is lacking. Their findings from the literature also suggest that the perfect worker is high in extraversion. There are strengths and limitations to both introversion and extraversion, but their findings showed a lack of research highlighting the limitations of extraversion. Whereas, research on introversion tends to focus on the negative aspects of the trait.
Because extraversion is viewed more favourably in the workplace, this can negatively impact recruitment and selection decisions. It can also limit opportunities for introverts to progress in their careers.
There are many strengths associated with introversion that are good for leadership - listening, empathy, analytical, deep thinking, thoughtful communication, and creativity, to name a few. Many introverts are also known for their calm nature which can be reassuring in stressful situations.
Misconceptions about what introversion is have skewed perceptions about introverts. When I first started writing about introverted leaders, I put a call out on social media asking what comes to mind when people think about the word introvert.
I got responses such as shy, lacking confidence, doesn’t like public speaking, aloof, socially awkward, social misfit, and other negative terms. This highlighted the extent of the misconceptions that many people have about introversion because all of these could be applied to extraverted people too.
Once when I was networking, I told someone that I was introverted, and they told me that I didn’t look like an introvert. I thought to myself, what on earth is an introvert supposed to look like? I didn’t ask them what they thought an introvert was supposed to look like, but I now wish that I had.
Over the years, we have seen many successful and high-profile introverted leaders. Reported introverted leader examples include:
· Barack Obama
· Oprah Winfrey
· Bill Gates
· Mark Zuckerberg
· Elon Musk
· Richard Branson
· Marissa Mayer former CEO of Yahoo
· Mary Barra CEO of General Motors
Because of their public persona, many people think that those listed above are not introverts. This again shows the misconceptions that many people have about introversion and the lack of understanding of what it means.
In my 2020 TEDx talk, Introverts Make Great Leaders Too, I talked about misconceptions about introverted leaders and some of what makes introverts great leaders. If you have not watched it, you can do so below.
What negative experiences have you had because you are a leader who is introverted?