Quiet Leaders may be better Leaders (for some employees).
It has been a while since I have added new content on the topic of Quiet Leaders. I have been working on some other pieces and building my writing skills. (aka… sitting around doing nothing) Recently I have become a writer for The Good Men Project and I ran into a piece titled “Enter the Mind of An Introverted Entrepreneur” by
The piece made me think. Quiet Leaders are contemplative, we listen and we take time to respond. For me, I need time to process things and I cannot always think on my feet. I have an understanding boss and sometimes she sends me an email with a simple phrase, “We need to slow it down a little” because she knows I work better with a little Seat Work.
I wrote a post some time ago about how “Seat Work” may be the place where an introvert’s best thoughts occur. This does not mean that we cannot think fast, we just think differently.
According to Kallen Diggs, some employees work much better under an introvert’s quiet, thoughtful style of leadership:
“…proactive employees performed better under an introverted manager than an extroverted manager.”
Diggs’ article points out that Quiet Leaders:
- Listen to suggestions rather than needing to be listened to
- Reflect rather than try to be noticed
- Work hard and sweat as much as any other leader
- May be anxious in the spotlight but can still perform well. We just need time to prepare ahead.
- Innovate well because they take time to consider, to plan and to ensure the steps are covered.
- Come across serious, but are often super funny (this is my addition). (Just search my blog for Humor and you will find a lot of gems, people.) In fact… sometimes a leader’s greatest strategy is to use humor to de-escalate stress, connect, show empathy and communicate that “we will get through this.”
Each leader has their strengths and each personality adds value to an organization. I think it is important to know ourselves and what we need in order to be successful. I highly recommend two books:
“Quiet” by Susan Cain – An exhaustive and personal view of introversion and the many strengths of introverts and Quiet Leaders. I recommend it for introverts and for those who love them and those who lead them.
“Better Than Before” by Gretchen Rubin – Rubin is also an introvert and she writes about habit change from the perspective of understanding yourself, your strengths and your needs for structure/less structure.
Now for my shameless plug: If you purchase a books by clicking on the icon, or purchase anything through Amazon’s site (by clicking on either of the two book images above), it helps support me to continue quietly writing. It won’t cost you any extra. I appreciate it.
Stay Quiet and Keep it real!
Getting High on Recovery 
I agree, great post. Reflection and consideration are truly signs of great leaders. But is there such a thing as too quiet when it comes to leading?
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Michelle,
Thank you for the comment. I think the key is engagement. Quiet leaders need to find ways to be engaged with their team. Yes a person can be too quiet. We can be too in our heads, sorting through what we think. My son feels there should be a book for extroverts called, “Loud.” If there is such a thing as a “Loud Leader,” they have much to teach the Quiet Leader. I have found ways to come out of my quietness and engage groups when they need more of an Extroverted style. I think the key is properly reading the teams and the situations. Thank you for your excellent question!
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Quiet leaders are an asset – I have one who is very full of herself and considers others as not knowing much! Quiet leaders often lead by example – how to get the job done and be NICE in the doin! Good post Sean
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Quiet leaders can be some of the most respectful leaders. The leading by example goes a long way to building respect in the team. Thank you for the post!
SMSwaby
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