Introverts, not loud extroverts, make the best leaders in business
Think of a business leader. What do you see? Is it a hard-charging, charismatic, sociable and aggressive person? Someone who has risen to the top not only though business acumen, but also through a large network of contacts?
Unsurprisingly, this has been the popular and resounding perception in recent years. In fact, a poll conducted by Harvard Business Review in 2006 revealed that 65 per cent of executives viewed introversion as a barrier to success.
But that was over a decade ago, and since then we’ve all seen first-hand that introverts can make excellent leaders.
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The archetypal leaders of today – whether it be Jeff Bezos, Arianna Huffington, or Barack Obama – who are and have been at the helm of the world’s most important organisations are indeed introverts. They came to be successful not only due to a change in perceptions, but also thanks to our transformative digital world. The way we work across digital channels has enabled a new breed of leaders, bolstered by agile working and online communication.
However, the outdated assumption of extroverts making better leaders still permeates in our professional world in more structural ways. From the way our offices are designed as open-plan spaces, to the emphasis on unstructured socialising, the way we work is to a large extent still built for extroverts.
As an introvert myself, I’ve often felt that this goes against my nature.
Starting my commercial banking career on the trading floor, an environment built for thrill-seeking extroverts, I then joined management consulting, rising through client-facing roles until becoming the UK head of Oliver Wyman.
Despite certain obstacles, having the temperament of an introvert has helped my career in many ways.
For starters, I see having accurate, timely data and a grip on the details as essential to a well-run business.
Second, I enjoy jumping into the deep end and building expertise, rather than trying to do everything.
Third, I pick my battles and choose how I remain visible. Above all, I don’t try to be an extrovert, and I remain authentic to myself.
The reality is that leaders get to where they are because of their introversion, and not in spite of it. Recognising where our strengths lie is the first step to building a successful career, but ensuring our environments enable us to be our authentic selves is the key to achieving long-term success.
At least half of my colleagues at Oliver Wyman lean more towards introversion than extroversion, so it’s very important that we recognise the diverse ways in which people prefer to work and interact.
We do this in various ways, a primary one being our introversion network, which aims to help everyone better understand introversion and extroversion, work more effectively with others in this context, and provide introverts with tailored support to excel.
Another way is spreading awareness of non-visible characteristics, through a new movement called Mission INCLUDE. This programme does not focus on a single diversity characteristic – such as gender, disability, or ethnicity – but instead aims to share best practice and provide mentoring for people of any self-identified diversity characteristic, such as introversion or alternative communication style.
While introversion is slowly being recognised as an attribute conducive to leadership, there is still plenty we can do today to ensure that we are supporting colleagues to make it to the top.
Only by creating environments where each individual personality can thrive will we enable professionals to reach their potential and break the stereotypes associated with success.
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