Introverted CEO’s Lead the Best Companies

When we think of CEO’s, we imagine charismatic, confident and inspiring leaders with great, big personalities. Possessing traits associated with extroversion such as openness and outgoing nature meant success in leading the company.

But a new study carried out by researchers at Harvard, Stanford and the University of Chicago has shown that introverts may have the edge to dominate a negotiation, motivate employees, and convince investors over extroverts.

The findings of the study published at National Bureau of Economic Research showed that companies run by introverted CEO’s performed better than their peers. Moreover, they also discovered that publicly traded companies run by extroverted leaders averaged a 2% lower return on assets.

So what traits do introverts possess that make them better leaders than extroverts who are known to be entertaining and fun to be around?

Introverted bosses are known great listeners, fantastic story tellers and  creative in tackling problems. Researcher Adam Grant added that they tend to be good in collaborating and give their workers more leeway in developing their own ideas.

Lastly, introverted candidates don’t have the personality to impress a hiring panel so they just rely on their past performance and experience to grab the coveted position.

So when it comes to hiring CEO’s, companies shouldn’t just rely on charisma and personality traits.  Rather, it should be based on demonstrated success as well as experience.

10 Good Qualities of an Introvert

Introverted people are often labelled as socially anxious and incapable of handling social stimulations. However, introverts possess qualities that may actually give them the edge in life.

Here are some of their quality traits that may help them succeed in life.

1. They are good listeners.
2. They are self-sufficient.
3. They can concentrate with everything they’ve got.
4. They are easy to please.
5. They are very observant.
6. They are good at studying.
7. They can keep secrets.
8. They tend to be driven and disciplined.
9. They are masters of their emotions.
10. They are thought-provoking when you engage them in a discussion.