Why Introverts Can Make The Best Leaders

Todays reading, Jennifer Kahnweiler’s “Why Introverts Can Make The Best Leaders” comes from Forbes.com.  Kahnweiler is the author of “The Introverted Leader:  Building on Your Quiet Strength” and is president of AboutYOU, an Atlanta based leadership consultancy.

Many leaders describe themselves as introverts and somewhere in their leadership journey they have addressed the issues of being disregarded or misunderstood because of their quiet demeanor.   In this article, Kahnweiler discusses five key characteristics that introverted leaders can build upon to strengthen their leadership:

1.  They think first, talk later.  Introverted leaders think before they speak, stopping and reflecting before they respond.  They learn by listening.

2.  They focus on depth.  They are drawn to meaningful conversations, rather than casual chitchat.  They ask questions are really listen to the answers.

3.  They exude calm.  The secret to their success is preparation, preparation for everything.

4.  They let their fingers do the talking.  They usually prefer writing to talking, writing it out often helps them to better document their positions and actions they need to take.

5.  They embrace solitude.  They are energized by being alone to recharge their batteries.

These suggestions are particularly helpful to the introvert.  And, they have value to the extrovert as well.

.  .  .  .     jim