Leadership: Introvert or Extrovert

The Leadership trait of extroversion or introversion is a topic that comes up often. In his book "Execution" (co-authored by Ram Charan), Larry Bossidy states the he would hesitate to hire a leader who was quiet and reserved. On the other hand, Lisa Petrilli's new book "The Introvert's Guide to Success in Business and Leadership" argues that introversion is a leadership strength that should be cultivated.

To be clear, the Myers-Briggs definition of Introvert-Extrovert is summarized as follows: Extroverts get energy from activities and are excited by being around other people. Introverts get energy internally and often prefer to do things alone or with a few close friends.

In his lecture series on Transformational Leadership, Professor Michael Roberto references a number of studies that indicate that there are NO universal or common traits correlated to successful leadership. Instead, successful leaders engage in similar activities, even though their core makeups are often quite different.

I agree with Professor Roberto that regardless of internal makeup, there are activities that good leaders practice. Last night at a social gathering, I was asked a good question: "As leader, do you say hello to everyone in your office each morning?" The young lady who asked me this question stated that a simple "hello" from her boss each morning made a big difference to office morale.

Any leader, regardless of internal makeup, can practice being genuinely friendly and up-beat with their teams. Not only do the leader's actions or inactions affect the mood of the team. The leader's tone of voice, facial expressions, body language also have a direct impact on the organization.

Many of us do not engage in activities that do not come naturally to us, and I believe that this is a mistake. As I have argued before, you are what you practice. Behaviors that are practiced regularly over time become habits and second nature. I do not know if an introvert can be rewired into an extrovert through practice (or if he/she would even want to.) I do know that there are many leadership activities that come more natural to extroverts. Management by walking around will energize an extrovert and will often be draining for an introvert. Either way, connecting with others is an essential leadership tool, and genuine face-to-face personal engagement is a great way to connect with others.