You have always dreamed of your own business. But there is one thing that worries you.
Everywhere you go, there are books, articles, and coaches, all telling you that to be a great leader, you need to be a great people person.
You will need to inspire your team, wow your customers, and persuade your investors. You will have to whizz around arousing adulation wherever you go.
But you are not a people person — maybe you are even an introvert. Which makes you guaranteed to fail. Or does it?
A Confusion and a Myth
Early in my years of running a business, the other two senior members of the team and I took the Myers Briggs Analysis.
I was off-the-scale introverted.
And as a leader, it made me feel ashamed, useless, odd — and guaranteed to fail. In my defense, it wasn’t explained to me very well.
The truth is that introversion and being a people person are not exclusive, any more than being an extrovert is the same as being a people person.
Extroverts thrive in social settings and enjoy interacting, talking, and joining groups. Introverts don’t.
But being a people-person relies on different behaviors altogether. It requires empathy, a skill in building relationships, and connecting with others.
Part of my reaction came from the belief that introverts can’t be leaders. It is a common misconception. But there are so many examples to disprove that.
Introverts can still be great people-people because they can form deep connections and hold outstanding one-to-one interactions. There is no guarantee that your party animal extrovert can do either.
Introverts can be leaders, and they can be great people people, too.
If that wasn’t the case, we would be missing some of the most famous names in entrepreneurship.
Introverts listen. Which is a massive asset. Richard Branson is not alone in advising:
“Listen more than you talk. Nobody ever learned anything from hearing…