Most managers are seen as highly confident, outgoing individuals. Because of this, people think that only extroverts can be really effective leaders. This is not actually the case. In the business world, we can find all different personality types, including introverts.
What should be known is that introverts are really good listeners and can manage to establish some strong relationships. According to German Trujillo Manrique, introverts do have some unique advantages that they can prioritize. With this in mind, here are some management tips that are going to help them.
Always Build Genuine Relationships
It is not a personality that influences others. Team members are always attracted to those leaders that are seen as empathic, predictable and smart. The best thing that you can do is to know the employees that are managed. When you help them to achieve career goals and practically improve the work that they do, you are respected and seen as a highly effective leader.
Always Be Attentive When Listening
Being attentive to what others say is a huge part of being a really effective leader. As an introvert, chances are you do not talk a lot. This is why it is more important than ever to be a true, active listener. The highly introverted leader will be a patient listener. This is something that is in many cases much more important than oratory skills to help a business grow.
Take Advantage Of Problem-Solving And Listening Skills
Due to the fact that the introvert is a really good listener, he/she is much more capable to come up with conversation themes that are identified as being real issues or simply high concerns that should be addressed. Basically, listening and problem-solving helps to identify the real problems of the team and then put together a plan to fix them.
Encourage Brainstorming
One of the problems with extroverts is that they dominate the creative meeting. They tend to be locked into an idea to then actively lobby for it. Introverts are beneficial in the creative process since they cultivate creativity. This is why you should develop ideas before the meeting and encourage your team members to do exactly the same. Then, be sure that all ideas are discussed in order to find those that are the best.
Lead While Staying Behind
The introvert leader struggles with the visibility usually associated with the leadership role. This is seen as problematic but it is not since you can lead from behind. In fact, this is an effective leadership style that focuses on developing the leadership of the team while focusing on critical thinking and strategic decisions that will create future sustainability.
Always Ask Questions
This is a really effective leadership strategy introverts can use. The idea is to simply ask numerous open-ended questions. By doing this you practically let others do the actual talking. Introverts manage to easily communicate and connect in this way. At the same time, the team gets the opportunity to share thoughts, opinions and ideas. This is a win-win situation for everyone involved from the introvert leaders to the extrovert team members.
2018 ·
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