The Myth of the Extroverted Leader

Stop overlooking your talented introverts

Growing up, I know that many of us were painted a stereotypical picture of the extroverted, charismatic, and powerful leader. A great leader had to be hard-charging, aggressive, political, social, ruthless, etc.

Does that sound like there might be a gender bias as well? You wouldn’t be wrong. The stereotypical image of a male leader continues to persist, and perhaps reinforces this more aggressive vision of what a leader should be.

Interestingly, research has found that we’re most often drawn to charismatic, narcissistic leaders during times of crisis, even though humble people tend to be a better choice for lasting leadership. Unfortunately, it’s right when we feel that we need strong leadership the most that we make the worst choices.

The extroverted workplace

The modern workplace is increasingly designed for extroverts with an open office floor plan and endless “collaboration meetings.” The traditional career planning for ascension up the ladder also tends to emphasize behaviors more readily exhibited by extroverts. In a self-perpetuating cycle of extroverted leaders taking other extroverted people under their wing, they rarely seek to promote employees who are unlike themselves.

“Introverts are much less often groomed for leadership positions” - Susan Cain

The behavior of Steve Jobs as a demanding leader is legendary, but there was a price to pay. I was at Apple when he returned. Yes, he could be extremely persuasive, visionary, inspiring, and charismatic. But, he could also be cruel, denigrating, and ruthless. Many feared him and a few great employees chose to leave the company rather than deal with it every day.

Ruthless bosses

We’ve all had experiences with bosses who drain us. There are certainly some bosses who behave the way they do simply because this is how they were trained to manage, and they know of no better way to lead. But, we all know of the bosses who intentionally crush other people in their quest to be seen as the smartest and most powerful person in the room.

As Liz Wiseman explains in her recently updated book; Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter, the best bosses amplify the talent of their teams, instead of trying to outshine them. These are the types of leaders who listen, elevate, and inspire.

A better way to lead

It’s high time we set aside the stereotype of the extroverted leader and embrace a new style of leadership that will bring more diversity to the workplace. If you’re an introvert and have always felt like leadership wasn’t a possible career path, I encourage you to read my article on how to leverage your introversion as a career strength.

If you’re an extroverted leader and you know (or suspect) that you haven’t been hiring or mentoring a more diverse and introverted group of employees, you might want to consider research that shows that diverse teams perform better and having people on your team who do not think and behave the way you do is a competitive advantage as well.

Embrace your introverts!