According to research, about 70 percent of CEO's describe themselves as “introverts”. The list of well-known “Who's Who” of corporate introverted CEOs includes: Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, movie magnate Steven Spielberg, and Sara Lee's Brenda Barnes. Introverts make up 40 percent of the population.
Learn the advantages of introverted CEOs here! A common misconception in business is that you need to be an extrovert to succeed and to be a leader. Monumental leaders like Abraham Lincoln, Bill Gates, and Mark Zuckerberg all found success as self-proclaimed introverts and have all been seen as excellent leaders.
96% of high-level executives identify as extroverts. There is a strong, scientifically proven bias against candidates who fall on the other end of the spectrum. In studies, extroversion is consistently ranked as the most important trait a leader can have.
First of all, 98% of the high performers on the planet have one thing in common. They are Introverts. Bill Gates is an Introvert, Warren Buffett is an Introvert, Elon Musk is an Introvert.
Please enter a work email. Public emails are not accepted. A recent study from the University of Missouri found, perhaps unsurprisingly, that extroverts and people who exhibit proactive behavior are more likely to find career success.
Their silence allows them to take more time to process what's happening and take in more information. This is why, when faced with a problem, they will often take time to think things through– enough time that they can come up with a strategy.
Current tests consistently rate extroverts higher on the happiness scale than introverts. However, many of these tests measure degree of happiness using activities like socializing and interacting with the outside world, both of which extroverts need to thrive!
Throughout history and in business, introverts have been exceptional leaders. For instance, as many know, Bill Gates is an introvert, yet he built Microsoft and is one of the wealthiest people in the world.
For example, there are quite a few successful business leaders who are self-described introverts. Like Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, former Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer, Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg, Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett, and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos among the most notable.
Not only is Einstein one of the most famous scientists in history, but he was also a known introvert. Leaning into his introverted nature, Einstein believed that his creativity and success came from keeping to himself. He said, “The monotony and solitude of a quiet life stimulates the creative mind.”
The top personality traits of CEOs are extraversion and conscientiousness. CEOs score highly on extraversion, meaning that they rely on external stimuli to be happy, such as people or exciting surroundings.
Skills needed to be a CEO include sociability, teamwork, learning new things, creativity, time management skills, erudition, and strong communication skills. To find the most talented employees in the coming years, you will need these skills for you and everyone on your team.
You're an introvert.
It gets better. As an adult, you now leverage your strength for processing, contemplating and thinking things over, which is a trait of highly intelligent people. In fact, more than 75 percent of people with an IQ above 160 are introverted.
Someone who is introverted tends to be more shy and less likely to speak up in new situations. As a result, extreme introversion can hinder a person's career advancement deeply. However, C-Suite Network reports that 70% of CEOs classify themselves as introverts.
There's a famous saying — “It's lonely at the top.” CEOs often find this saying true. In fact, a study by Harvard Business Review found that over half of CEOs feel lonely in their role, and 61% indicated that feelings of loneliness hinder their performance.
If you look at some of the world's preeminent inventors, writers, and entrepreneurs, most of them are introverts.
Personality Type of Elon Musk
Based on the above traits, Elon Musk is INTP (Introvert, Intuitive, Thinker, and Perceiver).
Bill Gates, for example, is a self-proclaimed introvert.
Yet despite his electric performances on the screen, Reeves is well-known for his Introverted nature. He is not the type to be seen at Hollywood parties or in the company of other celebrities. Many photographs have been taken of him sitting alone, seemingly content to reinforce his reputation as an Introvert actor.
Steve Jobs and Sheryl Sandberg tend to be extraverts. They enjoy addressing an audience, being visible; they seek encounters and action.
As a younger man, though, he struggled to persuade others of the value of his ideas. And even though he has largely overcome his challenges in communicating, his life and career are defined by many of the typical traits of the introvert.
In our recent MBTI® global sample, we found that 56.8% of people around the world prefer Introversion.
“Introverts and extroverts are attracted to each other because of the differences,” says Ross. And, in some ways, this can work really well, like when the more introverted person feels like they need more social appointments on their calendar, or when the extroverted person is feeling overwhelmed by their commitments.
While introverts can create wonderful ideas and inventions, extraverts can inspire and motivate. Creative people are both introverted and extroverted but at different times and in their own versatile ways.