No, Introversion Does Not Make You a Better Leader

Source: ChatGPT

I’m an introvert. This became pretty hard to ignore as I climbed the leadership ladder and ran into its most dreaded feature: constant social interaction. As far as I could tell, the extraverts had the upper hand. (Spoiler: Research agrees.)

Would it have helped to hear, back then, that introverts actually make better leaders? Maybe from a podcast, a leadership guru, or one of those confidence-boosting articles in the business media? I doubt it. And given how loudly the “introverts are secretly superior leaders” narrative is trending, it’s time someone said what introverted leaders actually need to hear.

Let’s admit it: The “introvert advantage” storyline is soothing. It’s comforting to believe that while extraverts were busy getting leadership acclaim, we were quietly developing our covert leadership superpowers. And the media knows how to feed that belief. But when "science" says exactly what you want to hear, it's worth asking: Are you being pandered to?

Let’s Define Our Terms

Psychologists break extraversion into “facets,” often grouped into two buckets:

• Getting ahead: assertive, energetic, dominant, takes the lead.
• Getting along: warm, friendly, sociable, upbeat.

Have high scores on these two? You’re probably an extravert. Low scores? You’re an introvert. Somewhere in the middle? That’s sometimes called an “ambivert,” though researchers keep reminding us this just represents the middle of a scale, not a separate species (Davidson, 2017).

Most extraverts score high on both fronts. Sure, there are those insufferable extraverts who score low on “getting along” but still manage to squeeze into the “extravert” category by scoring off-the-charts in “getting ahead." Nevertheless, statistically, extraverts are more likely than introverts to be warm, positive, and interested in others.

Which makes it ironic when the “introverts make better leaders” camp paints extraverts as selfish loudmouths. For example, a frequent pro-introvert claim is “introverts are better listeners”. There is no evidence to support that. Listening well takes genuine interest in the other, something extraverts are generally more inclined to show. If anything, neurobiological research suggests that introverts may find active listening harder because they don't like to multitask – that is, decode nonverbal cues and maintain conversational fluidity (Lieberman & Rosenthal, 2001).

Other arguments, such as “introverts stay calmer under pressure,” are equally unfounded. This would suggest that introversion is correlated with another personality trait: emotional stability. And yes, there is a slight correlation, but it goes the other way! (van der Linden et al., 2017)

What the Research Really Says

The majority of research on leadership traits finds that extraversion is an advantage (Javalagi et al., 2024; Judge et al., 2002; Spark et al., 2022; Wilmot et al., 2019). A few studies find weaker links, and a rare handful claim introverts might have the edge. The most cited of these is Grant and colleagues' 2011 paper, which the media has repackaged under definitive headlines such as: “Why Introverted Leaders Outperform Extroverts by 28%," “Why Introverts Can Be the Best Leaders," or “The Reason Introverts Make Better Leaders."

Let's take a closer look at the paper underpinning the media's hyperbolic claims: First, the authors clearly state that more extraverted leadership only hampers performance when teams are proactive (for example, “trying to improve their processes”) and so arguably less in need of leadership to begin with.

Second, there are key qualifiers in the two studies presented in the paper. In the first study (of a pizza franchise), 91% of the leaders were extraverted and the remainder were only mildly introverted. This tells us little about how introverts lead.

In the second study (an experiment), randomly assigned team leaders were nudged to act either "bold, talkative, assertive" or "quiet, shy, empowering." Teams had 10 minutes to fold as many T-shirts as possible. Unsurprisingly, under time pressure, the “assertive” leaders dismissed a (scripted) attempt by a team member to suggest a different method, while the “empowering” ones let the proactive team member take the lead. Where allowed to, the proactive team members taught their method to the rest of the team — and their method was better, unlike in real life, where proactivity does not guarantee better results. Therefore, the quiet leaders’ teams performed better. This hardly speaks to a real-world introvert advantage in leadership.

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To be clear, the authors play it straight: They report what they found, qualify their interpretation, and don’t overreach. It’s only the media that grabbed the findings and spun them like an Italian chef spins pizza dough: high, fast, and in the end twice as large. But then again, it's only the media that reaches managers in the real world.

So, should introverts avoid leadership? Not at all. But we do need to approach it with strategy—and evidence.

3 Research-Backed Rules for Introverted Leaders

Source: ChatGPT

1. Act extraverted, strategically.

Studies show that introverted leaders are perfectly capable of acting extraverted, and when they do, they reap the same leadership benefits as “true” extraverts (Spark & O'Connor, 2021). Even better: It makes them feel happier (Kuijpers et al., 2025; Margolis & Lyubomirsky, 2020; Schmidbauer et al., 2025; Zelenski et al., 2012).

“But that's so fake!” I hear the pro-introvert camp protest. As a matter of fact, when introverts are instructed to act extraverted, they often feel more authentic, not less (Cooper, et al., 2018; Fleeson et al, 2002; Fleeson & Wilt, 2010). That’s because extraversion is not just a trait, it’s also a state. All introverts have moments of “state extraversion” when they naturally act outgoing, assertive, or energized. So when you summon that part of yourself, you’re not faking; you’re flexing a real (if less frequently used) muscle.

Why, then, don’t introverted leaders just act extraverted more often? Mostly because they expect it will feel awful — although, as it turns out, they’re usually wrong (Schmidbauer et al., 2025). I’ve been there. What’s maddening is that every time I was forced to do it, I ended up feeling great and more alive (even if a bit exhausted). And yet somehow, every time, I forgot that and braced for misery all over again.

Plan your “extraverted” moments wisely. Especially for strong introverts, acting extraverted brings benefits but costs energy (Jacques-Hamilton et al., 2019). Therefore, you need to allow for some alone time—“restorative niches” in your schedule (Little, 2008).

And when you act extraverted, do not overshoot: You want to channel your own “state extraversion” self, not try to become Richard Branson or Steve Ballmer.

2. Sharpen your social skills.

Learn and practice good communication, from presentation skills to the art of listening. Keep in mind that good listening is not (only) about staying quiet (something introverts excel at), but about asking thoughtful questions, probing for clarity, making others feel heard. Study influencing and political skills and sharpen your emotional intelligence. Extraverts with poor social skills are no better at leadership than introverts, and there are many introverted leaders who are highly successful through having honed their interaction skills (Mitchell et al., 2022).

3. Ditch the martyr narrative.

Be wary of the “noble introvert leader unfairly ignored” story. It may feel vindicating, but research shows it can backfire. Having a strong introvert identity, and turning it into a cause, cancels the happiness effect when trying to act energetic, sociable, or assertive in leadership situations — and fosters feelings of inauthenticity (Bossom & Zelenski, 2022).

Introverts bring many strengths to the workplace. But specifically when it comes to leadership, strategic extraversion is essential.

And it's becoming even more so. In a world increasingly shaped by AI, if you are an introverted leader you will soon no longer be able to avoid interaction and send a message instead, no matter how personalized and warm it may be. Your team would suspect that your thoughtfully written message came from your AI “clone." But if you pop by their desk (or hop on a 5-minute call) and show warmth, interest, and energy? Those few minutes will be real, human, and motivating.

So when that moment comes, summon your extraverted self. You are not faking it. It is one of the most genuine leadership tools you've got.