Introverts make incredible entrepreneurs! However, I don’t know about you, but I often find that introverts are seen as less capable especially in positions of power, leadership, and business. In reality, introverts have amazing skill sets that are super powerful in the world.
I am a proud introvert;
I always have been, and this is not going to change. Nor should it. I love being an introvert, but I have often had trouble convincing the rest of the world of the amazing qualities being an introvert brings with it. Often, I was labeled as shy. Family members told me that I would not amount to as much as the extroverted kids in my family (I proved them wrong). I have often had to explain my quietness and my quietness was often commented on. Why does no one ever ask the people who are loud to stop being so…loud?
It means that at times I grew up feeling like there is something wrong with me. That I didn’t quite fit into this world.
If you relate to any of this, I am here to tell you that there is absolutely nothing wrong with being an introvert. In fact, being an introvert is pure power and I hope that with this blog post I can convince you of that.
I want you to see the amazing qualities you bring to the world. Particularly in the world of business and entrepreneurship. I want you to be inspired and realize why introverts make incredible entrepreneurs.
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Why do introverts make incredible entrepreneurs?
The meaning of introvert and extrovert.
Introvert and extrovert refer to certain personality traits and preferences mostly related to how you get and put out your energy. People often assume that you are either an introvert or an extrovert. In reality, it is more of a spectrum with introverts being on one end, and extroverts on another end.
At the end of the day, the terms introversion or extroversion are all to do with how to recharge and where you get your energy from. Extroverts get their energy from the people around them. They need that social contact to reset and recharge so that they can keep their energy levels up. Spending too much time alone tires them out. On the other hand, introverts are the opposite. They get their energy from within rather than from other people. Introverts often feel drained after spending a prolonged amount of time with others and tend to need time alone afterward.
Characteristics of extroverts:
- Recharge by socialising.
- Make decisions quickly.
- Speak more.
- Seek attention.
- Outgoing.
- Outspoken in large groups.
- Easily distracted.
- Action-orientated.
- Learn by doing.
- Very expressive.
- Excellent communicators.
- Enjoy being the center of attention.
- Are friends with many people.
- Enjoy group work.
- Prefer talking over writing.
Characteristics of introverts:
- Recharge by spending time alone.
- Reflect before making a decision.
- Listen more.
- Quiet in large groups.
- Enjoy one on one conversations.
- Introspective.
- Self-aware.
- Can concentrate for long stretches.
- Think before acting.
- Learn through observation.
- More sociable with people they know.
- Enjoy solitude.
- Have a small group of close friends.
- Can feel drained by people and need privacy.
- Quiet and reserved in large groups or around unfamiliar people.
Why do introverts get a bad reputation?
“Introverts are just shy”
A huge misconception surrounding introverts is that they are simply ‘shy’! This is far from the case. We’re quiet but not shy! The problem in our society is that the outgoing personality types are too often seen as being more capable as they are more outspoken. But let’s not forget that they can also be more impulsive and spend less time thinking things through. That’s not always a good thing. They spend less time reflecting on themselves and as leaders that can backfire. It does however make extroverts more confident in their leadership abilities, especially as they receive that positive feedback from the world. In fact, 87% of Extroverts believe they have what it takes to be a good leader, compared to 56% of Introverts.
Societies definition of leadership.
Introverts often get a bad reputation because of how our culture historically defines leadership. A leader is a single spokesperson who is more interested in public reputation, building wealth, and having control than in united teamwork. It is easy to see why extroverted individuals might be more likely to fit this category, even though most are not like this at all. In reality, a good leader is someone who motivates and inspires others, is honest, builds strong relationships, solves problems, and drives results. These are traits that are very much in line with those of introverted individuals.
Who makes better entrepreneurs, introverts or extroverts?
The truth is, neither extroverted nor introverted individuals are better in the entrepreneurial world. They are simply different! Both introverts and extroverts can be extremely successful in the business world and can bring lots of positive qualities as entrepreneurs. Each has its advantages and disadvantages.
However, there is still a stigma against hiring introverts into leadership roles or as entrepreneurs.
Given the bad rep that introverts still have to fight through in today’s world, I wanted to focus on the power they bring! If you are an introvert, I want you to see that you are powerful and can achieve everything you want just like anybody else.
15 Reasons why introverts make amazing entrepreneurs?
1. They are great listeners.
Introverts are natural listeners. In fact, they prefer listening to talking.
As an entrepreneur that is an invaluable skill. First of all, you can make people feel heard. The further you get into your entrepreneur journey the more likely it is that you will need to work with other people. These people, whether employees or collaborators, will have much valuable advice and insight that can improve the business. You want to be inclined to listen to their advice because it could change the trajectory of your business.
On top of that, when people feel heard and know they can comfortably express themselves they will connect with you. This is another benefit of being a great listener, you will form deeper connections with people and better understand them and relate to them.
2. Introverts are humble.
How often do we see leaders, entrepreneurs, and people of power who are unwilling to admit to their mistakes? Even when we know perfectly well, they are in the wrong.
Introverts are generally humble and more realistic about their strengths and shortcomings. They are much more willing and capable of admitting to their mistakes. Introverts understand that in order to be successful they need the power of the rest of the people, of the rest of their team. Staying humble and admitting to their mistakes helps them build a high degree of trust. Being realistic and admitting when things haven’t gone well or as planned means that problems can be sorted out at an earlier stage, rather than when things go too far or when it is too late. Their ability to remain self-aware and ability to reflect on themselves allows them to consider the impact of their actions.
3. They make decisions with certainty.
Introverts have an amazing ability to plan for every possible outcome. This is useful when making difficult decisions because they will consider things from every angle before finalising their decision. Extroverts can be a lot more impulsive in their decision-making and tend to make their decisions based on here and now. Decisions tend to have a long-term impact and therefore considering the wider picture can be of huge benefit. With introverts, every decision is well thought through, and therefore when they finalise it, they can be certain that it is the right one.
4. They are more cautious.
This fits into the point above about introverts making decisions with certainty. Since they do take their time to consider their options and decisions, they tend to be more cautious. As introverts talk less and listen more, this allows them to be better in tune with their surroundings and with the emotions of the people around them. They are natural empaths and have the ability to pick up on small social cues that extroverts might not have picked up on. This means that they have unbelievably good intuition. This gut feeling also allows them to remain cautious.
5. Introverts are great problem solvers.
Albert Einstein considered himself to be an introvert. Problems arise, whether in work or in business and even in personal life. Introverts are natural problem solvers because they are less impulsive in their actions than extroverts. They have the ability to sit with a problem for a long time and think of every possible solution. Their ability to be great listeners also helps in solving a problem because they are more likely to seek out and listen to the expertise of others who may provide the answers. As they have the ability to look inwards and reflect, it allows them to quickly learn from these problems, understand why they happened and how to prevent them in the future.
6. They’re not easily distracted.
Introverts are happy when they are alone. This is how they get their energy after all. This skill can be beneficial as it means they are less likely to be distracted by their surroundings. Extroverts struggle more to sit and work alone at a task. They will likely get distracted by what is happening around them as they continually seek to have an interaction with someone. The ability to stay focused for long periods of time is such a valuable skill as an entrepreneur. The road to entrepreneurship is a long one and often requires a lot of work. Most of the time the work will be exciting but undoubtedly there will be mundane and tedious tasks along the way too. You have to have the ability to get your head down and work work work through those tasks. Especially in the beginning when you are getting your business up and running, you will definitely have to make a lot of sacrifices to get things going. Introverts find this much easier.
7. They are great analysts.
Since they are able to sit still for long periods of time, and they can work alone without getting distracted, they are also great analysts. They have an amazing attention to detail, and they can consider every possible avenue before making decisions or before speaking out. They are extremely deep thinkers, whereas extroverts often work in haste and only consider what is on the surface. The ability to analyse situations, decisions, and people is an essential skill to being an entrepreneur. Decisions and actions you make as an entrepreneur can have an immense impact on the future of your business. Equally, having the right people on board is vital. Entrepreneurship often comes with lots of decision making and having the ability to analyse a decision or situation well and thoroughly will only benefit the trajectory of your business.
8. They work well in solitude.
Introverts are amazing team players and enjoy working with others, but they are also extremely content when working on their own. The entrepreneur journey is often a lonely one. When you start a business, as you are working to get it off its feet, often you will be working alone for long long periods of time. To succeed, you have to be ok with this. Working alone comes naturally to introverts, however, extroverts might struggle with this idea. Extroverts are more likely to need people around them to get the energy they need to push through the initial stages. Introverts are their own source of energy and rely on others less in this regard.
9. In tune with other people’s emotions.
Introverts are natural-born empaths. They feel the emotions of others and can tune into and anticipate other people’s needs. This is what makes them great leaders. They can consider the wider impact that their words and actions have on others. This allows them to build incredibly strong relationships which in the world of entrepreneurship and business is invaluable. The initial stages of being an entrepreneur can be lonely but as time goes by and the business takes off and begin to grow, you are likely to need a team to help you. The ability to tune in to others’ emotions will help you determine who is a good fit for your team. Although you may have fewer people around than an extrovert, know that the people you do have will be loyal. Your ability to build lasting relationships will benefit you at every level of your journey. From networking to support, you will have to make your dreams a reality.
10. They are calm under pressure.
Extroverts can often act without thinking as they have a lesser ability to analyse their emotions and control them especially in moments of crisis. Introverts are the opposite, their ability to solve problems, to analyse things in detail and their decision-making skills can help them in moments of pressure and high stress. Stress is unavoidable in the world of business; however, it can be completely counterproductive if you give into it. Introverts are generally more inclined to stay calm in difficult times and it can help them to resolve problems under pressure to achieve the desired goals.
11. They let their employees take charge.
Introverts have this amazing ability to analyse other people’s expertise and value. Their ability to stay humble and their indifference to power and individual gains allows them to rely on others. Extroverts have a more difficult time letting go of power. They prefer to stay in control of the situation. This can be detrimental to business. First of all, it can make other people on the team feel less valued and scared to share ideas. This can damage trust. Second of all, it can mean that an important idea that could ultimately help the business grow, gets completely overlooked.
Introverts are not afraid of letting others take charge.
They see their skill and value but are also willing to admit that others have skills and expertise that they lack. They do not feel the need to be in the spotlight all the time and therefore are willing to let another take over when they are better suited for that particular task. You cannot be amazing at everything. The ability to see that others can do something better or more efficiently and allow them to do it can be a huge benefit to your business growth.
12. They do not give up easily.
Introverts do not need to be in the center of attention. They often stay quiet when it comes to their plans and often only reveal their success when they simply cannot hide it anymore. Extroverts often make their plans known at very early stages. This can backfire because, if something goes wrong then everyone will know and this can be difficult to move on from. In addition, simply telling people about your plan and being prised for it can give the feeling of success and at times that can be rewarding enough in itself and make your work less and take less action.
13. They are driven by productivity rather than ambition.
Ambition is important. Without it, you are not likely to dream up goals, make plans, and take action to achieve what you set out to achieve. However, it has to be balanced. The world of business is hard and long, and it takes a huge amount of determination. If ambition is the only fuel, when things do go wrong or you fail, which is inevitable, then you will find it hard to get back up and keep pushing. Introverts are ambitious but they do not rely on it alone. They are driven by productivity; they are willing to sit and do something until it works. Even if it means starting over 10 times. They can remain consistent and in business, this is what drives ambitions into reality.
14. They build meaningful connections.
Just because introverts need that time alone to recharge, does not mean they are lonely creatures. Yes, their circle may be smaller but trust that every single one of their relationships is meaningful, loyal, based on trust, and life-long. Introverts are more cautious about who they let in into their lives. In business this is important. The right people will support you through the ups and downs. The wrong people will add to your downfall. Building strong relationships can help you form a strong network with other influential people and these connections can help you elevate your success in the future.
15. They are more self-reflective.
Being honest with oneself and having the ability to see personal strengths and weakness is essential in business. This skill comes naturally to introverts, and this is precisely what helps them to continually improve and make the right decisions for their business. To make a change you first need to face the problem. Introverts naturally reflect on themselves, and they can make the right adjustments so that they stay on the pathway of success.
Can introverts be successful entrepreneurs?
YASSSS! YASSSS! YASSSS!
If the above has not yet convinced you then I recommend this incredible TED Talk by Susan Cain.
Book Recommendations
Successful introverted women who will make you proud to be an introvert:
- Wendy Kopp – founder of Teach for America
- Hazel Wallace – founder of the Food Medic
- Oprah Winfrey – American Talk Show Host
- Courtney Cox – actress and founder of a production company
- Marissa Mayer – formally President and CEO of Yahoo
- Christina Aguilera – singer and songwriter and 5 times Grammy Award winner
- J.K. Rowling – writer
- Audrey Hepburn – actress
I hope you can see from that list that being an introvert should never ever hold you back from pursuing anything you want to do in life.
On A Final Note!
So I hope I managed to help you see the power that introverts bring to the world.
Introverts make incredible entrepreneurs! So if you are an introvert and you are worried about succeeding in your goals remember this post!
Are you an introvert? What has your experience been? Share in the comments below : ).
Natasza
xxx