The Idea: More than half of all top executives are extroverts even though most of the world is not. Often times extroverted leaders are serving a group of people who don’t relate to their style. They may even discount or discard introverted qualities minimizing the powerful strengths they bring to a team. If you do not have enough introverts on your team, you are missing the voice of the reluctant leader. Contained in their reservation is great discernment and skill. Any organization that believes that all members of their organizations need to possess the “gift of gab” is misled. You are operating without a sense of balance. What is the hidden power introverts possess?

All organizations need the gift of introverts on their team. In fact, author, researcher and Wharton School Professor Adam Grant uncovered that introverted leaders delivered better financial results that extroverts. They are not mediocre leaders, they are better leaders.

Susan Cain’s provocative book “Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking” has generated a ton of buzz and even more thoughtful debate. Cain argues that introverts have been overlooked for years. They are often times not promoted, not listened to and ignored because they choose to listen more than they speak. Even our hiring processes require professionals to ‘hold court’ in interviews, allowing those with the verbose attitudes to flourish. That is not to say that extroverts are bad – they aren’t. But introverts carry a skill that is essential to success; they listen, synthesize information, connect dots, support their team and read others very accurately. They provide a set of skills vital to success, in any endeavor. So why do we tend to ignore them?

  1. They are often misunderstood.
  2. They do not fit the “bigger than life” image that we see celebrated in popular culture.
  3. They also are very different than their boss, creating confusion or discomfort.

We all can be guilty of hiring, promoting and hanging out with people just like us. It’s just what we do and it’s part of self-preservation. But more than ever it’s crucial to understand that people who are different are important, because of and despite our own discomfort. They bring new skills and insights that we don’t have.

The most interesting organizations are inclusive and learn to value diversity. “A lot of different flowers make a bouquet.” — Muslim Origin