T or F: Introverts Cannot Succeed in Business

This is one of the biggest misconceptions: Introverts cannot succeed in business.

And maybe the stories we tell about business and successful people in business plays a part.

The typical successful business person is hard-charging, with a domineering personality, gives rousing speeches and definitely extroverted. 

You hardly hear about the quieter, more measured business leader.

But they do exist and some data from the National Bureau of Economic Research in the United States shows that introvert CEOs ran companies that outperformed their peers and that more extroverted CEOs ran companies that with a lower return on assets.

And while some might argue that you can find data to support anything, there is no doubting that business leaders and CEOs who self-identify as introverts ran or are still running some of the world’s biggest companies such as Bill Gates of Microsoft, Jack Dorsey of Twitter, Mark Zuckerburg of Facebook. Even Oprah Winfrey, who sits atop a global media empire, recently self-identified as an introvert.

What is also clear is that introverts have certain traits and qualities that – if used well- are an asset in making good business decisions and building a legacy, such as being good listeners, sharp powers of observation, ability to connect deeply with people (on a one-one basis or in small groups).

But how you use those traits makes all the difference. So perhaps you can start off by thinking about all those qualities of yours that make you unique and think about how you could use them in your business or workplace.

Share your experiences in business, if you are an introverted leader or entrepreneur.