Introverts Can Become Leaders
By Steven Dammann
What comes to mind when you think of qualities that make up a good leader? Maybe it’s their good interpersonal skills or their ability to make quick decisions. Maybe it’s their ability to focus on the “big picture” of a given situation and get things done. For an extrovert this is not a problem, they thrive off social interaction and often can find their way into leadership positions where their natural charisma and energy is valued so highly. But for introverts this is another matter entirely. They tend to become exhausted quickly in fast paced, high-interaction environments that extroverts otherwise thrive in. So for an introvert like myself, becoming an effective leader can seem a daunting task, but that doesn’t mean it is impossible.
The first thing you have to understand is that leadership is not a one-size-fits-all profession; where one job may be suited to an extroverted style of leadership, another may be more suited to an introverted style.
In a situation where careful planning and meticulous attention to detail is necessary, an extrovert may not be the best fit. An introvert on the other hand, might have the attention to detail necessary to pull off the job more effectively than an extrovert would. For example, one time in middle school my woodshop class had us divide into different teams in order to see who could make the strongest model bridge out of toothpicks. While every other group started building right away, we decided to come up with a specific design based off a real bridge we had all seen before and carefully recreated it. While all the other bridges broke immediately on the strength test, ours held firm because of our careful process of planning and design.
Another important thing to note about leadership and personality style is that sometimes extroverted and introverted styles may not be effective on their own, but could function together in order to be more effective. Say you’re a construction worker who is planning on building a new house for a client. An introverted style of leadership will be useful in the planning and designing phase of the house whereas an extroverted style will be effective at implementing the plan and telling the workers what to do and how. Both styles of leadership can work in tandem to complement the work of the other and be more efficient. The attention to detail of the introvert makes the decision-making process of the extrovert possible.
Finally, it must be noted that introversion and extroversion are preferences of the people and not simple hard and fast rules. They exist on a continuum where middle ground does exist. An introvert can learn to function effectively in extroverted situations the same as how an extroverted leader can learn to function in an introverted scenario. For an example, while I was in a theater group we frequently practiced short improv sessions before our rehearsals. While the script of our play had hard and fast rules about where to be, how to speak, and how to move; this was a completely different experience with little direction and even less time to think. While it felt uncomfortable and difficult, I eventually learned how to react in the moment and function outside my comfort zone. While I did not prefer this, I was able to learn it and still function appropriately.
While the thought of leadership may seem daunting for someone who is an introvert in our dominantly extroverted society, its not impossible. You must understand where your particular skill set can be most useful as a leader and learn how it can function and complement the leadership style of extroverts. Not only this but learning how to be flexible and practice in extroverted scenarios can also help introverts become more competent leaders.
References
Farrell, M. (2017). Leadership Reflections: Extrovert and Introvert Leaders. Journal of Library Administration, 57(4), 436–443. https://doi.org/10.1080/01930826.2017.1300455
Indeed Career Guide (March, 2020). 5 roles and responsibilities of a team leader. Retrieved from: https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/responsibilities-of-a-team-leader