As the world of business continues to evolve, introverts have a number of unique advantages that can help them to become very successful leaders. So says leadership expert Lisa Petrilli in her fascinating e-book, The Introvert’s Guide to Success in Business and Leadership.

“We have the power to change the world with our ideas, and we have the power to change the lives of others through our quiet leadership and steadfast support. “When we bring our ideas to life, when we inspire others to follow our vision, and when we serve as purposeful leaders, we improve the world in a dramatic ripple effect.”
– Lisa Petrilli

Great leaders and introspection

Petrilli points out that great leaders tend to have a deep introspective streak. In order to lead with great wisdom and to deeply touch and persuade people, leaders need to allow ample time for deep thinking about their mission, values and what needs to be done. She cites several of the most exceptional and wildly successful leaders as examples: Bill Gates and Abraham Lincoln.

Before he retired from the day-to-day operations of Microsoft, Gates took an annual one-week sabbatical, during which he would think deeply about technology and societal trends, and what role his company should play in these areas. He said in his biography that this “deep dive” thinking was instrumental to his exceptional success.

Abraham Lincoln was uncommon in his willingness to look inside himself in order to be the best leader he could be. Reportedly, he was once asked how long it took him to write the Gettysburg Address, which stands as one of the most persuasive pieces of oratory in human history. His reply? “All my life.”

The REAL meaning of introversion

Petrilli emphasizes that introversion shouldn’t be confused with shyness or reclusiveness. While extroverts enjoy talking with lots of people and maintaining many relationships, introverts get their energy from dealing with ideas, pictures, memories and reactions that are inside their head, in their inner world. It’s not that they don’t like working with people. Rather, their style of thinking tends to favor deep thinking and introspection.

That’s why they must work doubly hard to get their ideas heard, to build productive relationships and advance in their careers. The Introvert’s Guide to Success in Business and Leadership is filled with excellent suggestions on how to make that happen, and how to leverage these qualities to become an effective leader in your organization.

5 killer business advantages of being an introvert

Petrilli, who acknowledges that she is an introvert herself, believes that introversion is actually an advantage in business today. Here are five reasons why:

1. They are most comfortable working within their minds and developing new ideas – a critically important skill in today’s business world. Leaders today are looking for new product and service ideas and business models to help drive top-line growth, despite the sputtering global economy. Introverts can do much to help in this area, envisioning new possibilities and seeing opportunities to which others may be unaware.

2. They are able to think deeply and consider more potential options and ramifications than the average person. This helps them to see “gotchas” that other executives may miss and helps their teams and organizations to make better decisions and manage risk effectively.

3. They are usually awesome listeners, because they are sponges for information, knowledge and experiences. By listening actively and then thinking deeply about what they have heard, introverts are able to ask better follow-up questions and can develop valuable insights that are the key to value creation.

4. Storytelling – a key leadership skill: Because introverts are comfortable in the world of ideas and images, they tend to be awesome storytellers. People respond at a deep level to compelling stories, even in corporate environments. This enables introverts to be excellent leaders who can communicate compelling stories about their organizations’ mission, values and objectives.

5. Anticipating and capitalizing upon change: Because they tend to be incessant readers and consumers of news, trends and business strategy and leadership topics, they are better prepared to anticipate change and leverage advantages and innovation from it.

Now that you have a better sense of the ways in which introverts can profit from today’s business environment, why not pick up Lisa Petrilli’s excellent e-book and give it a read? I also recommend that you add her Visionary Leadership Blog to the short list of blogs you follow, and participate in her weekly Leadership Chat on Twitter. You’ll be glad you did!