What is a Quiet Leader anyway?
A Quiet Leader? Isn’t that a bit paradoxical? Isn’t a leader supposed to be gregarious and bold, leading from the front with the loudest voice in the room?
You might think so if you look around at stereotypical heroic leaders in movies and TV shows. If you work in the corporate world, it's highly likely you have experienced it there too. Indeed, a 2009 study of 4,000 managers in the U.S. found that whilst around 50% of the general population is extroverted, 96% of managers or executives display extroverted behaviour. In another survey, 65% of senior executives viewed introversion as a barrier to leadership.
These findings suggest drastic implications for those of a quieter disposition in the workplace, often being overlooked for promotions and faring worse in hiring decisions. Many of those who do rise up the ladder, succeed by trying to fake until they make it, resulting in damaging consequences for self-esteem and significantly increased risk of burnout from pretending to be someone they are not.
We are not proposing that introverts make better leaders than extroverts, nor does just being quiet make anyone a good leader.
Indeed, at Quiet Leaders Academy, our view is that human behaviour is too complex to reduce people into 2 camps based on a single dimension of themselves. We also see little value in spending too much time debating labels such as introversion and extroversion. Firstly because many psychologists can’t even agree on the definitions and secondly because they exist on a continuum, meaning that everyone’s levels of introversion or extroversion are not static due to numerous situational factors. However, what we do propose is that there are certain ‘quiet’ qualities that lend themselves to excellent leadership. These qualities have been somewhat overlooked in the past due to the aforementioned extroverted expectations of what makes a good leader.
Whilst a Quiet Leadership style may come more naturally to people with certain personality traits, we offer our practical guidance to everyone. We believe the following attributes need to be developed and nurtured regardless of personality type, to enhance leadership capabilities to handle contemporary business challenges.
So what does a Quiet Leader look like?
A Quiet Leader Listens and Observes
By naturally listening more than they speak, Quiet Leaders make people feel heard and respected. They often see what others don’t see and hear what others don’t hear. This positions them perfectly to develop insightful questions and to summarise a situation for what it really is.
A Quiet Leader is is Prepared
Preparation gives the Quiet Leader confidence to speak-up, handle different viewpoints and present with confidence. Being prepared fosters the reputation of someone reliable, informed, knowledgeable and trustworthy.
There is no substitute for preparation, but over-preparation must be guarded against as it can create an overwhelming sense of pressure to know everything and wasting time and energy that could be used for other things.
A Quiet Leader Manages their Energy
A Quiet Leader can do everything that an outgoing, more gregarious leader can do. They know when to ramp their energy up, for example to attend a social event or deliver a presentation, however they may also be more prone to feeling drained by highly stimulating environments and lots of human interaction.
It is therefore key to the success of a Quiet Leader to rejuvenate themselves regularly by finding quiet time and space to recharge and reflect.
A Quiet Leader Empowers Others
With little desire to hog the spotlight, Quiet Leaders lead from behind, giving others the chance to shine and grow as the next generation of leaders. They are compassionate and empathetic, providing support and guidance to their colleagues and direct reports, whilst setting high standards.
Quiet Leaders make natural coaches, mentors and facilitators. Colleagues often report being amazed by how perceptive a ‘Quiet Coach’ can be, how they understand people and can express what others struggle to articulate or see for themselves.
A Quiet Leader Makes Connections
For many Quiet Leaders, networking has connotations of small talk, empty conversations and the sense that relationships are only being built to be ‘used’ later. However, the truth is that Quiet Leaders are built to connect with people. They love to go below the surface for deeper, more meaningful conversations where both parties feel listened to and understood.
Quiet Leaders don’t do ‘networking’, they do ‘connecting’.
A Quiet Leader Simplifies the Complex
Quiet Leaders excel at big-picture thinking, they recognise patterns and see situations from multiple perspectives.
Complex issues can often be resolved with simple solutions. However, developing simple solutions is not usually easy and often time is needed for reflection. Quiet Leaders assertively state the need for the appropriate time, information and perspective in order to solve complex problems.
A Quiet Leader is Cool, Calm and Collected
Quiet Leaders appear calm on the outside, even when they don’t feel it on the inside. They don’t get visibly flustered, defensive or aggressive
Calmness is contagious and makes people feel safe knowing they are not dealing with a volatile person. This is extremely valuable in times of high pressure or crisis.
A Quiet Leader is Humble, Curious and Respectful
There is no way that any leader can pretend to know it all in today’s fast changing and complex business world. A Quiet Leader enquires, listens and challenges the thinking of their team in a respectful and thoughtful manner in order to get a fuller picture and diverse viewpoints.
As lifelong learners, they are continually seeking new information and diving deep into a wide variety of topics. Of course this builds knowledge, but also increases perspective and spurs innovation.
A Quiet Leader has Strong Influence
A Quiet Leader is not someone to be messed with or seen as a pushover. They stick to their principles and values and make their point heard. Calmly and assertively. This sense of presence and quiet strength have a powerful impact on others, although it may need some practice to strengthen this muscle until it becomes second nature.
Composed, competent and assertive, a Quiet Leader never hides from responsibilities, always stepping forward when required.
Conclusion
Being a Quiet Leader entails having a seriously powerful combination of strengths. It is not necessary to have a management or leadership title. Indeed, the business world will be a more balanced, effective environment if Quiet Leaders at all levels step forward into their strengths. These strengths need to be understood, claimed, owned, embraced and developed. Too often the highest aim of a quiet person in our noisy world is to develop coping mechanisms to survive or blend-in. The truth is that Quiet Leaders can thrive because of, not in spite of their natural tendencies.
If you are interested in finding more about the programs available at Quiet Leaders Academy, click here