Perception of Introverted Leaders by Mid to High -Level Leaders

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Abstract

The purpose of the study was to provide further research in the area of introverted leadership and connect positive traits of introverts (i.e., analytical thinking, organized and detail-oriented behaviors, cautious and strong decision making, etc.) to desirable leadership roles. The study examined mid to high- level leaders' perceptions of introverted leaders. A qualitative interview method was used with 31 participants who were mid- to high-level leaders in a variety of occupations. The participants identified themselves as follows: 14 as introverted leaders, 14 as extroverted leaders and 3 as ambiverts. The study showed that the majority of participants believe that both introverts and extroverts can be positive leaders. Results showed that participants also stated that leaders must be able to compensate or learn to exhibit extroverted qualities in order to be successful.

Keywords: Leadership, Introverted Leaders, Extroverted Leaders, Analytical Thinking

Introduction

It is well documented in U.S. culture that the perception of a successful leader is one with extroverted, charismatic, outgoing personality traits (Zaccardi, Howard, & Schnusenberg, 2012). One may envision Bill Clinton, former U.S. President, Steve Jobs, former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Apple, Inc., Muhammad Ali, boxer, and many other charismatic figures throughout history. The purpose of the study was to provide further research in the area of introverted leadership and connect positive traits of introverts to desirable leadership roles. This qualitative research study investigated mid to high-level leaders' perceptions of introverted leaders. By looking at introverted leaders from the view of other leaders, information can be noted that could not be found by evaluating the perception of introverted leaders by the general public. The rest of the paper is structured as follows: Literature Review section reviews existing literature. Problem Background section clearly states the problem this study addressed. This sections is followed by detailed Methodology, Data Collection and Analysis, and Findings sections.

Literature Review

It is well documented in U.S. culture that the perception of a successful leader is one with extroverted, charismatic, outgoing personality traits (Zaccardi, Howard, & Schnusenberg, 2012). One may envision Bill Clinton, former U.S. President, Steve Jobs, former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Apple, Inc., Muhammad Ali, boxer, and many other charismatic figures throughout history. It is well-known that many believe that CEO's of companies need...