10 Traits of Introverted Leaders, According to Psychology

What comes in front of your eyes when you hear the word ‘LEADER’?  

A strong, assertive and outspoken person standing in front of thousands of people and  giving a speech. This is the common image of a leader that has been ingrained in our minds for the longest of time. Leadership is often equated with being extrovert. But what about the quiet people who speak a few words but still have a profound impact on the people? What about the ones who work alone but create best works? Are they not fit for being leaders?  

Read More: Signs You are Born to be a Leader, According to Psychology

Some of the greatest leaders including Mahatma Gandhi, Albert Einstein, Bill Gates, and Barack Obama are the people with some introversion. They  challenged the traditional misconception that only the loudest voices can lead. They proved that thoughtful, quiet people also have the ability to lead. Let us first take a look at what the terms – Introvert and Extrovert mean. 

Extroverts are people who are outgoing and enjoy talking with different people. You will generally find extroverts in the party talking with everyone, dancing and keeping the party happening. They will probably be the ones who threw the party in the first place. Introverts on the other hand are the people standing at the quiet corner in the party waiting to go home in their own world. Introverts are the people who like to spend time with their own thoughts. They enjoy their own company. 

Read More: A glance into the life of Introverts

Now that we know what exactly introverts and extroverts are, you might be thinking that how can a person who likes to be with himself be a good leader.  

In a gentle way, you can shake the world.

Mahatma Gandhi

To further explain the point, here are 10 traits of introverts that prove them to be great leaders

10 Traits that make Introverts Better Leaders  

1. Better listeners 

If speaking is silver, then listening is gold  

The quality of listening often gets overlooked but it still has a huge impact on our relationships with people. Listening though seems a very common and simple trait but not many possess. For example – we all have met a person who always has to add their story in between your story. Like if you say share your recent travel experiences with them instead of listening to you they will add their own travel story in between without letting you finish.  

Read More: Importance Of Being a Good Listener in A Relationship

But in the case of introverts, it is not a problem. Introverts are great listeners. They not only listen to you, they will also understand and process your points and also take into account your non-verbal cues. Nonverbal cues include things like the tone of your voice, gestures, expressions etc. These skills help them take into account their team members points, think about them deeply and then take an informed decision.  

2. Can remain Calm under pressure  

Ships don’t sink because of the water around them; ships sink because of the water that gets in them. Don’t let what’s happening around you get inside you and weigh you down.

This is what introverts follow. They do not let the outside pressure disturb them. As introverted leaders are less reactive than extroverted people they are more likely to be able to handle difficult situations without creating a panic. They can remain composed in high pressure situations. 

Read More: Navigating Hard Times: Effective Strategies for Resilience and Coping

For example – Vikram, known for his introverted nature works in a company as a team  leader. The design that they sent to the client got rejected and they have to create a new  design in next 24 hours, which seems like an impossible task. The whole team starts to panic  but Vikram quickly steps in. he does not panic he remains calm and quickly makes a plan on  how the work can be completed on time. 

This is like a secret weapon of introverts. They can keep their composure even in worst situations. Instead of panicking they focus on planning the next step which is a trait of a great leader.  

3. They believe in having Meaningful Connections 

Introverts don’t usually like to form too many connections with the people but when they do form a connection, they make sure that it is true and meaningful. They might not have a big social circle but whatever people they bond with they make sure to completely understand them. They might not be comfortable with talking at office lunches with everyone but they will know everything about their teammates- their strengths, weaknesses, interests, etc.  

For example – Riya was supposed to organize an ice-breaking event for the first year students. Instead of choosing loud games where people have less time to interact with each other, she chose activities where people would really connect with each other. She planned games where people shared their favorite memories, their hobbies and what all they expected from their college. Everyone felt welcomed and connected to one another at the end of the program.

Read More: 10 Signs You Are a Deeply Authentic Person, According to Psychology 

Introverts crave connections that are not superficial. They like to have people around them who are more than small talks. Introverts focus on quality over quantity. This trait helps them build stronger teams who work together in harmony.  

4. They are Detail-Oriented  

You see things. You keep quiet about them, and you understand.

Stephen Chbosky 

Introverts observe more than they react. They notice things that might go easily unnoticed by others.  

For example – Mansi is head of the school dance competition. She is well- Known for her introverted nature as she does not talk much. After the practice the team is having a discussion about the upcoming event. Mansi remains quiet as everyone else talks about the obvious aspects of the performance like the costumes and song.

At the end of discussion Mansi talks about her observations. Her observations are about more minute details like jewelry and hand movements. Her attention to detail leads their way to winning the competition. This detail-oriented nature of the introverts is very advantageous for the leadership roles.  They can find out minute details and can greatly improve the any work. Their attention to even smallest of things can help them in executing their works more  efficiently and effectively.  

5. They are creative  

You may think I’m small, but I have a universe inside my mind. 

Yoko Ono

This is the case with introverts. We might think of them as quiet, shy people but they have the entire universe of ideas inside them. Introverts like to spend a lot of time alone and observing which makes them creative while  coming with any solution for the problem. They might think of unique ideas to become more efficient in their work. 

For example – Saee is the owner of a small bakery in a quiet town. While her competitors  make loud promotions, Saee spends her time in the kitchen trying to make new things and  better her work. One day while working alone in the kitchen she comes up with the concept of ‘Dream  cakes’. She decides that she will allow the customers to create the cake of their dreams,  adding things and flavors of their choice and create something of their own. Her unique idea  excites the customers and helps in growing her business. Introverts are always in the search of innovative and out of the box ideas. This makes their  work stand out among people. This quality of introverts is reflected in their work and makes  them good leader.

Read More: 10 Subtle Signs of Highly Creative People, According to Psychology 

6. They are better at Solving Problems 

There’s zero correlation between being the best talker and having the best ideas.

Susan Cain, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking 

Problem–solving is an important trait of a great leader. While extroverts believe in taking  quick decisions on the contrary introverts are said to give much thought before coming to  the conclusion. If any problem arises, introverts would take their own time assessing everything rather than  going for a quick fix. They would give it a lot of thought, think of all the possible solution and  also take into consideration everyone’s opinion in the team before deciding anything.  

For example – Tanishka is working on a science group project for her school. They have to  create a model but for some reason the model is not staying stable. It keeps falling over.  While everyone else is loudly discussing the problem Tanishka is quietly observing and  making notes. After going back home, she spends time reading the notes she made and  trying out different solutions on the paper. Next day she finds a simple and effective  solution for the problem. She suggests making the base of the model broader. The solution  solved the issue.  

Introverts do not act impulsively. They thoughtfully consider each aspect and come up with  a solution. This through approach of solving any problem makes them great problem – solvers and even better leaders.  

7. They are self – reflective  

Your visions will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks  outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes. 

Carl Jung

Introverts like to spend most of their time with themselves. They do a lot of introspection.  Introverts continuously reevaluate any action and decision that they take. Their self reflecting nature helps them in continuously improving and growing from their experiences. 

For example – Meera is owner of an event management company. They had just finished organising a  major function for a business. After much effort, they finally finished the event, and Mira  now sits in silence in her cabin reflecting on everything. She starts by listing all the things that went well in the program in her journal, and then she makes a list of everything that  went wrong and notes how it may have been prevented. In doing so, she created a  thorough report on the program for herself, which provided her with more insight and fresh  ideas for her upcoming endeavour.  

This trait of introverts of focusing on their own strengths and shortcomings make them  more self-aware and helps them in taking better decisions for the organization.  

8. They have better focus  

Introverts often work more slowly and deliberately. They like to focus on one task at a  time and can have mighty powers of concentration. They’re relatively immune to the lures  of wealth and fame. 

Susan Cain

Introverts are the kind of people who can deeply concentrate on a task for a long time. They  are focused and try to go deeper to explore to all the aspects of a particular thing. This focus  helps them in their leadership roles.  

For example – Aryan is the captain of the school Football team. Their school is playing in the interschool matches. It is an important game for their school. Every day Aryan practices hard with the  team without getting distracted. After practicing with the team he spends 1 hour daily  forming strategies and watching the games of other schools and making notes. Whenever  he is practicing or making plans for the match he sits alone and keeps his phone away to  avoid getting distracted. His unwavering focus helps them win the match.  

The dedication and passion of the introverts makes them thrive in their work. Watching  their leaders being so focused and dedicated motivates and inspires their team to work  hard. 

9. They are not afraid of working in solitude  

Blessed are those who do not fear solitude, who are not afraid of their own company, who are not always desperately looking for something to do, something to amuse themselves with, something to judge.

Paulo Coelho

Imagine an extrovert person gets one coin of energy for every time they have a social contact. So every time they talk with someone their energy level increases. But this is not the case with introverts. They are not a big fan of small talks. They get a coin of energy every time they spend alone in solitude.  

For example – Radha, team leader of a corporate company had an important presentation due on next  Monday. All her team members were busy in completing other projects. Not getting  stressed over the fact that she has to get quality work done quickly, Radha sat down in her cabin. She put on her headphones and got herself a streaming cup of coffee. With her favourite music blasting in her ears, Radha completed her task within time.  

While many people dread working alone, introverts come to help like superheroes during  such times. They get highly productive and submit their best work. Working alone gives  them time to think and get creative with their work.  

10. They have higher Emotional Intelligence  

Introverts are reluctant to make new friends, and rarely risk themselves that way. But when they connect with someone, it’s intense, deep, and often lasts a lifetime.

Introverted leaders are said to have higher emotional intelligence. They have the capacity to  connect and understand others emotions better which helps them in building deep and  meaningful social connections. This ability of connecting with emotions helps them in their leadership roles by helping  them form a trust-worth and strong team.  

Read More: 7 Characteristics of Emotionally Intelligent People, According to Psychology

For example – Kanha is the president of college psychology club and is organizing a program for world  Mental Health Day. He and his team are working really hard for this event as big guests are  coming and they do not want to let down their college. Kanha notices that his team is highly  stressed and is getting frustrated with all the pending work. To address this problem, Kanha calls for a meeting of all his team members but instead of handing them more work he announces that they are going to play games to wear off all the  stress. After playing games Kanha asks each of the members to talk about what they are  feeling and the issues they are facing. He validated everyone’s feelings and gave them solutions. At the end of the meeting everyone was once again ready to get back to work  with more energy than before.  

Emotional intelligence of introverts comes to use in managing interpersonal relations, solve  the conflicts in the workplace and create a healthy atmosphere where everyone feels  welcomed and valued.  

Conclusion  

The world has long believed that extroverts are best suited for the leadership roles. It is time  we challenge this notion and bring to light the highly advantageous traits of introverted  leaders.  

Introverts might not be the loudest voice in the meeting but they will surely have most  observant and minute points to make the work better. They make the work go from average  to awesome with their unique and creative ideas. They might not be a fan of small talks at  office events but they will surely love to have a deep, meaningful conversation with you.  They are the ones who will work with complete the work with complete focus and  dedication. You might find them enjoying their favorite songs and being extremely  productive in their cabin.  

If you are someone who is doubts yourself if you are fit for leading because you are an introvert, don’t worry. You have unique traits that make you stand out. You might not be a fit to the traditional idea of a leader, but what you have is special. Use your qualities and redefine the idea of a leader.

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