Personal Wealth Management

Sometimes it seems that extroverts have an advantage over introverts in leadership roles. Extroverts are energized in the company of others. Friendly, outgoing, and liking to think as they talk, extroverts often come across as leaders. Introverts are the opposite. Reserved, introspective, and preferring to think rather than talk, introverts may seem to lack natural leadership skills. Because of this, introverts, who constitute between 25% and 40% of the population, may believe they are at a disadvantage in rising to leadership positions.

An article at Forbes.com may provide hope for introverts wanting a shot at the corner office. Ignoring the political editorializing on Barack Obama – if you want to be a political writer, then write about politics – the author makes some interesting points.

An introvert myself, and as someone who has been in senior leadership roles, it can be a challenge making the two successfully coexist.

Ms. Kahnweiler writes that strong introverted leaders “think first, talk later” and “exude calm.” It is easy to be the quietest, calmest person in the room when you are in charge. It is less easy when you are one of a large team, trying to get noticed for a promotion. You can still be calm, thoughtful and low-key. But when you do come to a solution, you need to have confidence that your conclusion is the correct one and state that verdict with force and certainty.

Although less than 40% of the general population are introverts, studies indicate that introverts make up about 60% of the gifted population. So there is a good chance you have reached the correct result. Knowing you are right should give you the confidence to speak out, especially when surrounded with self-confident and loud extroverts who may not share your point of view.

To get to the right result, be prepared and attentive. Many individuals like to think as they talk and skip the pre-meeting preparation. By doing your homework, you gain an advantage. Use it.

Same with attentiveness. In meetings, people tend to think about what they want to say next and not focus on what is being said by others. By listening to those speaking you can pick up new information to better your refine your analysis. Again, an advantage over the non-listeners.

For me, the biggest challenge involves social situations. Over time, one learns to give presentations, manage meetings, and answer questions in group settings. This becomes second nature even for introverts. What I always find difficult is the social aspect. But, for a leader, this is part of the job.

It is important to spend time with staff, getting their input on business issues as well as just getting to know them as individuals. If staff feel you do not care about their opinions and in them as people, then you cannot succeed as a leader. For me, it was important to make sure I was in tune with our staff. Talking to them was the best way to do this. While I found this side of the business draining, it was a necessary, and important, part of the job. If you want to be a leader as an introvert, you will need to become a more social creature.