Rise of ‘quiet leadership’ in the workplace
IN the world of work, it was a commonly-held belief that a great leader was someone with an overtly authoritative approach, who ruled the workplace with a live-wire personality and confidence bordering on arrogance. It’s a perception that’s inaccurate – and one that is thankfully starting to change.
A great leader is someone who communicates well and is a good listener. A study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology showed that communication, not extroversion, may be the most important driver of leadership performance.
According to organisational psychologist David Burkus, there is a misconception about leadership that just won’t seem to go away – the belief that the best leaders are charismatic and inspiring, and hence highly extroverted.
“Too many people still seem to believe that extroverts make better leaders than introverts,” said Burkus. “However, introverts are great leaders too. Introverted but well-regarded leaders include prominent people who made history. And beyond the anecdotal examples, there’s solid research suggesting introverts are quiet but powerful leaders. Research has also found that introverted leaders performed significantly better than extroverted leaders when leading teams of proactive, extroverted people.”
Whether introverted or extroverted, different leaders can excel in different environments depending on the situation, the team and company goals.
Introverted leaders often have unique strengths, such as their ability to listen, think deeply and build strong relationships with their team members. They are often highly effective at creating a calm and focused work environment that is conducive to productivity and innovation.
Extroverted leaders tend to be highly charismatic, energetic and inspiring. They can excel at motivating a team, are often skilled at communicating their vision and ideas to others, and can be highly effective at networking and building partnerships.
Acclaimed author Susan Cain, in her book titled Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking, said introverts have a unique set of strengths that can make them excellent leaders. “In a world that often values extroversion, it’s time to recognise the power of quiet leadership.”
One of the key strengths of introverted leaders is their ability to listen and observe. They are often skilled at understanding the needs and concerns of those around them, and have a deep sense of empathy. This makes them excellent at building strong relationships with their teams, which is essential for effective leadership.
Here are five reasons why introverts succeed as great leaders in the workplace:
Introverts listen when others speak.
In general, an extrovert will speak a lot when placed in any group; making themselves the centre of attention. Conversely, an introvert will quietly observe the group, listen to every person’s contribution and only speak when they have something meaningful to add.
In addition, the ability to hear what’s not being said enables the introvert leader to better understand their team.
Introverts don’t like to micromanage – preferring instead to let their employees take charge. While leaders shouldn’t just sit back and let their employees run the show, it’s important that they give employees the freedom to exercise their opinions and take charge of certain situations.
The important thing is to guide and not micromanage.
Micromanagement lowers morale, makes employees feel suffocated, stifles creativity and growth, and can lead to resentment.
While team management is a balancing act, it’s one that introverts tend to do well.
Introverts, by their nature, tend to be calm and collected.
While extroverts may get visibly emotional in high-stress situations, introverts generally do a great job of maintaining their composure. Introverted leaders are able to hold it together and take charge in a calm yet effective way – which sets the tone and example for others to follow.
Since introverts are highly considered and careful about what they contribute to a discussion, they have the ability to hold people’s attention when they speak.
Their ideas are generally thoroughly thought-out and welldeveloped – so what they say tends to be highly effective and impactful.
Introverts make decisions with certainty.
While an extrovert leader might easily say “Let’s just do it”, an introvert leader will say “Are you sure this is the right thing to do?” The two are quite different in leadership styles and decision-making.
This is not to say that introverts are afraid of taking risks. Rather than jumping straight into unplanned action, the introverted leader prefers to consider the alternative outcomes and calculate the possible risks. They take their time.
They think about an idea thoroughly and weigh every option and angle before making a final decision.this kind of quiet yet decisive leadership contributes to teams feeling secure and confident in their own ability to make effective decisions.