In his book Good to Great, researcher Jim Collins describes how a company can transform from 'just good' to 'great'. An important part of this is leadership. Interestingly enough, there is a clear link between that leadership and the degree of introversion of the leader.
My own research among about 400 introverted leaders worldwide shows that introverted leaders are people-oriented and analytical and do not like to put themselves in the foreground. They also have a strong drive and are very open to innovation.
Many of those characteristics are consistent with the description of the Level 5 leader from Jim Collins' book: “We were surprised, even shocked, when we discovered the kind of leadership it takes to make a great company a great company. Compared to the great leaders of great personalities who make headlines and become famous, the good to great leaders seem to come from Mars. Unassuming, quiet, reserved, even shy - these leaders are a paradoxical blend of personal humility and professional will. They look more like Lincoln and Socrates than Patton or Caesar.”
Trust
The introverted leader is pre-eminently the one who gives his team space and supports it. He knows how to get the team on board by listening and building trust. This deeper connection creates a culture of psychological safety, in which the other feels safe to be completely himself. This leaves room for new ideas and innovation.
When innovation is an important goal for a team, it can work very well to designate a more introverted leader to lead that team. That introverted leader can provide a sense of security and understanding, which can stimulate innovation. In such a team there will also be less fear of making mistakes. In fact, those mistakes will be used to learn from. So the team of an introverted leader is not only a breeding ground for innovation, but also for mutual learning. This works best if the introverted leader can lead the team from his own authenticity, without having to become too dominant.
Want to read more? In my book Introverted Leadership you can read about the power of the introverted leader and how you can best use it.
