Congratulations to all extroverts: you rule the world! Well, society thinks so at least.
So, you are welcomed to continue doing that and skip this post, as it is devoted to us, shy introverts, who dream of being good leaders but believe they are not loud and charismatic enough to do that.
Introverts were often misunderstood. We all remember, how our parents apologized for our shyness when we were kids, or how our classmates did not like us much when we were not very sociable at school. But does it mean that we do not have any chances to become leaders?
The answer is "No, it doesn’t!"
Leaders are not necessary loud people. We all remember Gandhi and Einstein, both of whom were introverts but still great and powerful persons. All introverts have all skills good leaders need:
- they are calm (what is important to demonstrate in conflict situations)
- they can listen carefully (a leader should not talk only but listen to his team as well)
- they can analyze (what is necessary when it comes to making an important decision)
Are you ready to become a good leader? Do not be shy to use your introvert’s nature, as it can help you much here. How to do that?
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ve1LsqxIA04]
Write everything down!
Being an introvert, you understand how easier it is to write than to speak sometimes. But it doesn’t mean that you do not have any good ideas to tell about! So, use all writing tips you know, and put your ideas down on paper: it will be easier to make key points and speak them to the audience afterward; moreover, you can print them and give to your listeners as some practical material.
You can also think of all possible questions the audience may have after listening to your speech, and write down the answers to them as well.
Listen!
You have one great advantage over extroverts: you listen carefully before you speak. And this quality is very important to have in business world. A good leader should be able to listen to his clients, friends, colleagues… A good leader will listen carefully, analyze everything, and give his answer afterward.
Rush is not good here, and being a good talker does not mean having good ideas.
Deal with your comfort zone!
The fact is, introverts do not like working with people much. They prefer sitting alone and doing all their job alone. As far as you understand, it is impossible to do, when you are a leader.
Yes, we feel ourselves very comfortable at our "zone", but we should get out of it sometimes. Try to take part in conversations, even if you consider them useless; do not be shy do discuss your ideas; don’t be afraid of taking part in a new project where team work is needed.
It can be difficult first, because introverts feel themselves really bad when they are out of their comfort zones. But no one tells, that you should not come back to your comfort zone, if you are a leader. We all need it sometimes. So, always find 20-30 minutes at least to spend alone and gather all your thoughts to come up with new awesome ideas afterward.
Speak when everyone panics
Bad things happen sometimes, but we all respond to them differently. As an introvert, you have a skill of staying calm where other ones can panic at once. Use this quality to demonstrate your leadership.
When crisis happens in business, you can turn it into a new opportunity and show others that there is no crisis at all actually. Let them know that you are a concentrated and discreet person, who can stay calm and lead everyone in difficult situations.
