Introverts: It May Be Their Time

Illustration from Management 30

In the era of look-at-me-ism it's a safe prediction that the spoils will go to people who can attract eyeballs on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. It is a time for showmanship, glad-handers, and pretty people (not an insult, I like looking at pretty people, too).

But in the real world do you want them to be your leaders?

Headline: Why Introverted Leaders Are Ideal for the Postpandemic Workplace [bold added]

in our postpandemic world, replete with remote work, hybrid communication, far-flung team members, artificial intelligence and global disruption, introverts are particularly well-equipped to lead.

That may be hard to believe because of two persistent myths.

First is the widely held stereotype that effective leaders are gregarious, alpha and comfortable in the spotlight, even craving that attention. In reality, the social skills that extroverts display aren’t necessarily predictive of capable leadership.

Second is the belief that quieter people lack leadership skills...

Both of these myths ignore the reality that introversion, far from being simply a lack of extroversion, is a distinct set of traits with its own large merits. This was true well before the pandemic, but the remote-work environment illuminated the bias even more and highlighted the need to change our perceptions.

Here are some valuable qualities--a few may surprise--that give introverts an advantage over extroverts in the post-COVID workplace: higher productivity when working remotely, greater capacity to handle adversity, more creativity especially after group meetings, and better resistance to burnout.

Famous introverts include: Albert Einstein, Bill Gates, Isaac Newton, J.K. Rowling, and Barack Obama. So give the quiet ones another look.