Do introverts make better CEOs?

Think of a CEO, and the first image that comes to mind is of a suave, smooth talking, extroverted person. But while such a candidate may do well in the hiring round, it doesn’t necessarily mean that he/she makes for a great CEO. A Chicago-based consultancy firm, ghSmart, conducted a 10-year study assessing the personalities of 2,000 CEOs and realised that the most successful ones were surprisingly introverts. Their study, called the CEO Genome Project, looked for specific attributes in high-performing leaders. From Mark Zuckerberg to Warren Buffet, there are plenty of introverted CEOs in today’s scenario. But are they more successful?

A person has to prove themselves

Rukshana Eisa, Image consultant, says since some of the most successful CEOs are introverted, such as Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates, there is some truth to the study, but she’s still on the fence. “Generally, one would be drawn towards a more charismatic person as opposed to someone who is shy or not very vocal. Ultimately, the person has to prove themselves. It helps if one looks the part and is affable, suitably dressed and has the right body language. First impressions are important but also to be a good CEO one needs to be reliable, good at decision making, sensitive to the co-worker’s needs and someone who listens to team members. Introverts tend to have a better life balance, they also tend to take their time with decisions, mull over them and come back with a rational answer. 

"A while back, I was called to assess potential candidates for a Polish airline and we had only a few minutes with each person so in such a case I think an introvert would lose out,” she says, adding, “I do a lot of confidence training with individuals. Once they start looking good on the exterior, they receive compliments, which is a big confidence boost. Training is also needed for right body language, presentation skills and speaking in front of the camera. Sometimes through these sessions, shy people come out of their shell and shine.”

Introverts are deeply perceptive

Personality types are pitted for every job. Varkha Chulani, Clinical Psychologist and Psychotherapist, explains, “Introverts, for example, would flop as salesmen as it goes against their temperament. Our personality types make us suitable for certain kinds of careers. Introverts tend to be more thoughtful and deeply perceptive and have a perspective which extroverts lack. As a CEO, one needs to be aware of different aspects such as organisational skills in terms of on the floor running, patience and understanding of each role. There’s a higher probability that an introvert’s understanding of such dynamics are more deeply entrenched. It can happen. If judging a person based on one meeting, an introvert may lose out. We ought not to make judgements based on one meeting but several interviews over a period of time. Introverts can be excellent leaders, he/she can be social when needed and therefore lead a whole team. Qualities like attention to detail, ability and perseverance in what they do help. A good CEO should also do his/her work well and be able to connect professionally in a way that builds relationships. He/She should know the pulse of the people and should be seen as humane.”

Extroverts stand out more

“My experience has been that CEOs are often extroverts,” says Roopak Saluja, Media entrepreneur, founder and CEO, The 120 Media Collective & Sooperfly. “But there are always exceptions, like Satya Nadella of Microsoft who is more of a quiet engineer type but has made a great transformation as CEO. He has been successful as he has been listening to people. While speaking and communicating comes naturally to most leaders, empathy and listening skills develop over a period of time. I’m a far better listener than I was 10 years ago. Extroverts do tend to stand out more and it’s easy to pick someone like that, it’s a natural bias. A well-rounded leader needs to be a good communicator and can’t be reticent. I think just like an extrovert needs to learn how to listen better, introverts need to learn to get their point across.”

Take well-calculated risks

Introverts should be given a shot “Being an introvert may be perceived as a barrier for a leadership position, but you don’t always have to be the loudest voice in the room to be heard,” says Zahra Khan, CEO and Editor-in-Chief, Hauterfly. She feels introverts have a natural capacity for thoughtful communication and are adept at taking well-calculated risks, which is why they too can make great leaders.