Why We Need Quiet Leaders in a Loud World (And How to Elevate Them)

Though I hesitate to call myself a leader, I am comfortable being called quiet. I’m an introvert, no bones about it. This probably doesn’t surprise some of my readers. For me, small talk in big crowds is a test of fortitude. I prefer to exercise alone. I've never considered myself popular, nor have I been praised for being the life of the party—and I don't foresee that happening any time soon. Recently, I read Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain. No lie, I was silently fist pumping. This is a book I could have used sooner. Then again, the topic is as important as ever.

The world favors extroverts, particularly when it comes to leadership. I don't think extroverts are bad, but a lack of introverts is. My take is that leadership teams should aim for a relative balance of introverted and extroverted contributors, and introverts should feel confident that their quiet style brings high value. The common problem is that introverts are not taken seriously as leaders. There is considerable evidence to suggest that a diversity of perspectives leads to better decision-making, and the analysis that comes with quiet leadership is critical.

I don't want to cherry pick Cain's ideas and present them as my own, so I'll focus on my experience as a quiet person. In cultures where the loudest voice wins, everyone loses. The quiet voice depends on the quality of its content. As a quiet person, you know you have to make your words count. And others have to be paying attention and thinking critically to hear the sense in the words.

We should be listening for quiet voices and elevating them into leadership positions. The key to navigating a loud world is not to get louder, just as it is unwise to panic in the face of crisis. To focus on task-relevant action, you need to reduce task-irrelevant stimuli. Quiet leaders generally aren't overstimulating (though they can get overstimulated). They are good people to turn to when the volume or the temperature is climbing to harmful levels. You can be sure they want to cool things down.

Notes to Quiet Leaders (Advice for Introverts)

• You can learn how to lead, quietly.

• Introversion is not an excuse for inaction. It's a reason to act.

• Figure out what percentage of your day you can sustain being more extroverted (mine is about 10–20%, or 1.6 to 3.2 hours in a 16-hour waking day).

• Schedule quiet time every day.

• Hold your communication to a high standard and practice it (listening, writing, speaking, etc.).

• You can be another quiet person's hero.

• Team up with extroverts who know when to call on you.

• If there are no extroverts who know when to call on you, help them understand why they should. Just avoid going full Milton Waddams from Office Space.

• Try not to shrink when it gets loud. Soak it in and grow bigger.

Steps for Teams to Elevate Quiet Leaders

1. Identify who they are. Once you know that, you can stop forcing them to be a different kind of person and start playing to their natural strengths.

2. Transform your team's culture of feedback and decision-making to ensure fair process and an accurate representation of perspectives (for example, before you start a group discussion, survey the entire group and display the data so the team can see the balance of perspectives, rather than letting the first voice steer the ship).

3. Empower quiet leaders in quiet ways. They probably aren't hoping for grand gestures. A thoughtful letter or one-on-one conversation will likely be more meaningful, and you can communicate confidence by giving them uninterrupted time for focused work that matters to the success of the whole.

I'm quiet, and I approve this message.