I found an article worthy of note on the Harvard Business School's website. In the beginning of the semester we spoke a lot about leadership. The preferred type of leadership, how leaders influence their organizations and whether leaders are made or born were some of the discussed topics. According to one Harvard professor and recent studies her and her colleagues conducted, at times, introvert leaders can draw the best results. That can all depend on the type of environment and the employees lead. According to Gino(the mentioned professor), an introverted leader can have a great effect on his subordinates because he tends to talk less and listen more than his extroverted counterpart. As a result, this gives room for a lot more conversation, creativity and communication between the leader and his employees. Not only can this lead to greater employee satisfaction, but also to improved productivity and a higher work output. On the other hand, some say that an introvert or extrovert behavior can be adjusted depending on the situation at hand. Whether you agree with that or not, its eye opening to hear that one does not need to be an outspoken, loud or an extroverted leader to be a good leader or manager.
You can find the article here: http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/6494.html
gabriela j.
As an introvert and aspiring manager myself, I absolutely agree that introverts can make good managers. The less of a concern a manager has with their own self-aggrandizement the better, I think. Introverts are more willing and able to listen and empower employees and tend to be harder to "hate" as a boss. I do think, however, that introverts don't make good politicians. I think this is more of an insult of political responsibilities than of introverts, though! Jonathan Rauch, in one of my favorite pieces about introverts, "Caring for Your Introvert," agrees with my opinion about introvert politicians. This article was one of the most responded-to pieces in the history of The Atlantic. If you consider yourself a proud introvert, I recommend this and Rauch's eventual book, "The Introvert's Manifesto."
ReplyDeletehttp://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2003/03/caring-for-your-introvert/2696/
sbtrnhmskbls = Sean
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