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About the author
- Karolien Koolhof is a coach voor introverts and gifted individuals
- Author of the book Introvert Leadership
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Why Slowing Down Is a Leadership Quality
Karolien Koolhof •
The new year has only just begun, and yet the world already feels restless. The tone is sharp, reactions are fast, and the pressure to take a stance is high. Leaders increasingly seem to be judged on visibility and speed. In that dynamic, introverted leaders may find themselves wondering whether their way of leading still fits. Whether they should be louder, more assertive, faster. But what if it is precisely their inclination toward silence, reflection and slowing down that this time requires?
Current events clearly show how often strength is confused with dominance. Those who speak the loudest seem to carry the most weight. Those who show no doubt are seen as decisive. There is little room for hesitation, for allowing tension to exist, for acknowledging that issues are complex. Leadership increasingly appears to be about reacting rather than understanding. That is where the friction begins.
Because perhaps the problem is not a lack of leaders, but a lack of leadership that can tolerate silence. Leadership that does not need to resolve tension immediately. That does not reduce complexity to simple oppositions. That seeks to understand before it acts. This is not a lack of courage, but a different kind of courage, one that rarely earns applause.
Introverted leadership
Introverted leadership fits precisely within that different register. Yet introversion is still often seen as something to be compensated for once responsibility is taken on. As if one is only taken seriously when reacting quickly, speaking easily and naturally taking the lead. While introverted leaders are often particularly strong at listening, observing and weighing things carefully. They take time for information to settle, sense undercurrents in groups, and think beyond the short term. That does not make them less decisive, but more careful.
What stands out is how recognisable this pattern is within organisations. In meetings where speed is rewarded and thoughtfulness is interpreted as doubt. In teams where “action” seems more important than alignment. Many introverted professionals say they withdraw in such settings. Not because they have nothing to contribute, but because their way of contributing does not always match the dominant pace. While they are often the ones who spot risks early, see connections others miss, and bring calm when tension rises.
Doubt
Decisiveness has increasingly been equated with speed, with pushing through, cutting knots, not thinking too long. But doubt is not the same as indecision. Doubt can also mean taking complexity seriously. Slowing down is not coming to a standstill, it can be a conscious choice to act with care. Introverted leadership asks different questions. What do we not yet know? Who is not being heard? What are the longer-term consequences? These are not soft questions, but mature ones.
Perhaps different leadership begins precisely on a small scale. In how people listen during a conversation. In allowing silence to exist in a meeting. In creating space for those who do not naturally take the floor. In revaluing qualities such as reflection, nuance and setting boundaries without displays of power. This kind of leadership may look less spectacular, but it is sustainable.
I do not believe this type of leadership will ever become dominant. It is too little focused on visibility and bravado. What I do see, however, is a quiet counter-movement. People who refuse to go along with louder, faster, sharper. Who choose substance over image and humanity over power. They may be less visible, but they are there. And perhaps that is exactly the leadership this time is calling for.
Not louder. But wiser.