Introverts are often the unsung heroes in the workplace. They’re the reliable, hardworking, and self-motivated workers who get the job done quietly – whether you notice them or not.
But since we have this image of entrepreneurs as extroverted “life of the party” types, we tend to think of introverts as better suited for employment. This can’t be farther from the truth.
You see, some of the biggest billionaires around happen to be self-proclaimed introverts. Bill Gates, Elon, Musk, and Warren Buffett, just to name a few. In fact, Musk used to describe himself as a “reserved, introverted engineer” before he recalibrated and started sharing his ideas to the world.
About 30 percent of CEOs around the world are introverts, so it’s clear that introversion isn’t an obstacle. In fact, it’s probably their capacity for introspection and creativity that enabled them to come up with breakthroughs in their respective industries.
So, even if you’re not a social butterfly, you can still smash it as an entrepreneur.
Need a little more convincing? Here are five reasons why introverts have a lot of potential to become successful entrepreneurs.
Introverts Are Creative
Flip through any history book and you’ll see that most of the world’s greatest writers, entrepreneurs, artists, and inventors were introverts. There’s an undeniable connection between introversion and creativity. Why is this so?
Since introverts prefer silence and solitude, they have more time to sit with their thoughts. How can this make them good entrepreneurs? Such introspection can come in handy when analysing problems then coming up with creative solutions for these.
They Are Passionate
Quick! What do most billionaires have in common? (Aside from oodles of money, of course?)
The answer? Passion.
Zuckerberg is passionate about connecting the world. Musk is crazy about sustainability and exploring new frontiers. Gates dedicated most of his life to bettering technology, particularly computers.
Their passion for learning and innovating in their respective fields helped them overcome monumental obstacles to get to where they are today. So, belying their quiet, unassuming appearance, many introverts actually reserve their energy to focus on the things they consider most important.
And it’s this laser focus is just one of the few things that can make them a force to reckon with as entrepreneurs.
Introverts Are Great Listeners
Entrepreneurs need to have their ears to the ground all the time. They need to have an ear for their clients’ needs and wants, their employees’ concerns, and even what their competition is doing.
Fortunately, most introverts are great listeners by nature. (That’s what happens when you prefer to observe rather than speak.)
They Work Well On Their Own
Sure, nobody succeeds as an entrepreneur if they don’t collaborate with others well. However, entrepreneurship is often a lonely, uphill battle that only a few can traverse.
Very few people can and will understand your vision, especially if it’s far from coming to fruition yet. It’s also highly likely that you’ll spend long hours, days, months, and even years working on something until it’s ready to launch. And you’ll probably be doing most of that work on your own.
Fortunately, working solo doesn’t bother introverts. They actually prefer (and even thrive on) solitude. It makes brainstorming and innovating easier. All that time to think helps them process and analyse problems more thoroughly, thus paving the way for more effective brainstorming and innovation.
Contrary to Popular Belief, Introverts Can Be Just As Good With People – Just In a Different Way
We often assume that extroverts are more amiable bosses because they’re more outgoing.
However, that doesn’t necessarily make them better with people.
According to research conducted by a Wharton professor, introverted leaders actually handle proactive employees better.
Introverts turned out to display more empathy and put this to use making their employees feel valued. And because they’re not as concerned with seeking external validation for themselves, they tend to be more generous about acknowledging the contributions of everyone on the team.
Don’t you think a boss like that would attract their share of the best talents around?
Starting a business can be scary. Building and growing one can also feel like a lonely journey.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. Especially now that businesses are going digital and there’s a lot of help on hand.
Remote Staff has been assisting both extroverted and introverted entrepreneurs find skilled remote workers from the Philippines since 2007. Hence, if you’re looking for a remote workforce that suits your business (and your personality style), we got you covered.
Call us today or schedule a call back and let’s get started.
Serena has been working remotely and writing content for the better part of the last decade. To date, she's written for Pepper.ph and Mabuhay Magazine, among others, and has churned out more than a thousand articles on everything from The Basics of Stock Market Investing to How to Make Milk Tea-Flavored Taho at home.
