Tag Archive for: adaptive leadership

Why Introverts Make Powerful Leaders

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introvert leadersIntroverts are the folks who prefer to recharge their batteries alone rather than with other people. That isn’t to say they don’t like people — many introverts love working with others, but they also value their alone time. Sometimes, but not always, they may also have low self-confidence. They may not be able to see themselves in a leadership or administrative role. That’s where they’re wrong — introverts make some of the best leaders for several reasons.

What Is an Introvert?

An introvert is someone who may keep to themselves more often than not. They recharge their batteries by working and relaxing alone and may prefer small groups to large gatherings. However, being an introvert doesn’t mean someone is afraid of speaking or can’t step up to be a leader. Around 12% of people identify themselves as completely introverted, often drifting toward extroverted partners who likely can help them express themselves better.

Some traits commonly associated with introverted people include the following:

  • Quietness
  • Shyness
  • Thoughtfulness
  • Prefers privacy
  • Easily overstimulated

These traits are loosely related to introverts, meaning they may not fit every introverted person and might even relate to some extroverts. Many introverted people enjoy being around others and participating in social activities — they may just choose to take part on their own terms.

Introverts and extroverts have their places in business. However, workplaces with extroverted leaders yield 14% lower profits on average. While every person is different, introverts more often have traits that would make for exemplary leadership.

3 Stellar Traits of an Introvert Leader

Introverts often have traits that ensure they can lead teams well. Sometimes, the best leader isn’t an outgoing one who blazes the way — it’s the strong one who quietly reassures their team while supporting them from behind and picking them up when they fall. Strong leaders allow their employees to stand on their own without getting in the way of their successes, but they’re always there to provide guidance and offer a listening ear.

Many introverts are born with traits that naturally help them grow into better leaders than their peers. While some introverted people may not feel comfortable leading large groups, their quiet awareness and thoughtful decision-making can be vital to any team.

1. Expert Listening Skills

Many introverts prefer to listen over talk, participating more passively in conversations. Because they spend less time talking, they can study their conversational partners and pick up on small nuances, especially tone and body language, making them experts at listening to and reading people.

For example, something as simple as the pitch of someone’s voice can indicate whether they’re nervous or confident, something that people who aren’t as intuitive wouldn’t pick up on. Introverts might be able to identify these subtle changes in a person because their listening skills are often sublime.

2. Sincerity Above All

Extroverts can be genuine, too — they may find it easy to connect with other people and praise them for their exploits. However, you may be less likely to receive compliments from an introvert. Since introverted people often don’t talk as much as extroverts, going out of their way to compliment someone might mean much more than an extrovert who praises someone whenever they get the chance.

Around 96% of people feel praise makes them more productive, so an introverted leader who genuinely expresses their opinions is a must-have in any business. An introverted leader will assess the situation and praise anyone who deserves it — and they’ll be able to guide anyone who needs assistance.

Similarly, introverts will stand up for themselves. Introverted people may often come off as shy, but in a workplace, they can feel empowered to stand behind their decisions and won’t let people walk all over them. An introvert can exude confidence just as much as an extrovert, so employers can feel assured in enlisting an introvert in a leadership space.

3. More Creative Solutions

Extroverts and introverts can both be creative, but since introverts use self-reflection and think before acting, they have more time and opportunity to develop innovative solutions to tricky problems. When in business, you must understand situations from several angles. Having someone who considers every perspective is vital to the well-being of any company.

The best decision-making process relies on gathering the necessary information and sitting with it before making any conclusions too hastily. Many introverted people prefer to wait before making a decision and think over all the possible outcomes and variables so they understand the facts before making a decision. This person is valuable for any business, especially during times of crisis.

Introverts often use their intuition, leading them to success and practical decision-making. As a result, they’re more likely to realize when someone needs a little extra encouragement or just a friend to lean on. They’ll likely ensure everyone is involved in a project or feels appreciated in their team. That way, these leaders know everyone is included in a group.

How to Make Yourself a Better Leader

The good news is you don’t have to change yourself to become a better leader or pretend to be something you’re not. Both introverts and extroverts are valuable in leadership roles — as long as they demonstrate the right skills to prove they can support a team.

If you want to gain some of the most beneficial traits of a powerful leader, you’ll have to tap into yourself and learn how to reflect and listen more than you talk and act. Introverts make great leaders because they tend to solve problems more effectively, adding immense value to their company.

Here are some soft skills you should work on building if you want to succeed in a leadership role:

  • Active listening: To help others solve their problems
  • Critical thinking: To solve problems with your head instead of on impulse
  • Proper communication: To get across ideas and uplift others

You shouldn’t have to change who you are to fit any role. However, improving certain skills and learning different methods of problem-solving and communication can benefit you as you transition into a leadership position.

Introverts Are Some of the Best Employees to Have

Introverts tend to lean on the more intuitive and reflective side, making them an asset to any business, thanks to the skills they’ve honed in their interactions throughout the years. They’ll provide a fresh viewpoint and sage wisdom after thinking over certain possibilities. While some introverts might not have the best conversational skills, they’ll do their jobs to the best of their abilities and tackle new things that come their way.

However, both introverts and extroverts can make great employees. The best team members are well-rounded and demonstrate characteristics that will help a business flourish and positively affect company culture. One personality trait can’t guarantee a good leader, but it can help people understand where they’re lacking and how they can improve for the sake of their workplace.

By: Mia Barnes is a freelance writer and researcher who specializes in mental wellbeing and workplace wellness. Mia is also the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Body+Mind magazine, an online women’s health publication.

(The opinions and views of guest contributions are not necessarily those of theglasshammer.com).

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Op-Ed: Want to be a CMO? Learn to Pivot.

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Learn to Pivot (by Marcy Comer) I’ve spent my career working to get into the C-Suite, because I wanted to have the challenge and opportunities that come from leading a company and being at the top of my discipline. Now in this role, I’m continuing to learn that the secret to making it to, and staying in, the role of CMO is based on learning to pivot.

I grew up playing basketball, and a pivot is a classic move in which the player stops, holds the ball, and looks around for an opening on the court. You can apply this move in your job and your career. It requires you to stop and evaluate potential next moves. You have to stop the daily grind and evaluate. The more you look around, the more opportunity you find to make the next big move. And, making a big move is the way that you help to accelerate your career and the success of your team.

Here are five ways you can actively bring a pivot-first mentality to your career:
  1. Embrace the struggle as an opportunity: Most people avoid the pain of having to learn something new. But, when you take on painful work, you’re relieving the pain for your manager, coworkers, etc. Start finding the fun in learning and it will no longer be a pain; and it will make you a valuable asset in the organization. This is a pivot from just doing your job, to becoming someone who does hard jobs or unwanted jobs can be a big step towards career success. I’m not the only one who believes this: in a survey of more than 50,000 learners who completed MOOCs on Coursera, 72% reported career benefits such as doing their current job more effectively, finding a new job, or receiving a raise.
  2. Be your own futurist: Find out what’s on the horizon from people that are already respected and be that person for your circle; this means staying on top of news, ideas and conversations and learning from leaders in various fields. The only way to see which way to pivot is to be paying attention to the ever changing horizon and landscape around your business. CNBC has listed “futurism” as the number one skill for leaders.
  3. Don’t just talk about it, try to apply it: Get a trial of a new product, sign up for a course on it and experience the new thing for yourself. Bring it to your organization with your own point of view. Recently I spent a lot of time learning ChatGPT because I wanted to understand how it could impact the marketing function and what it could do to help the aerial imagery business, EagleView, where I work. I was able to apply those learnings to improve business processes, by pivoting to embrace the future, I was able to then lead others within the company on the new tech.
  4. Get better at your weaknesses: A weakness is only a weakness until you make it a strength. The pivot is in skill but also it is mental: if you believe a weakness can be turned into a strength, you will. Once I was in the final stages for a marketing role I really wanted but I didn’t get it because they said I didn’t have enough B2B experience. So I went out and learned as much as I could about it, started consulting companies as a B2B marketer and turned it into a strength. 77% of organizations report they are currently experiencing a leadership gap. Fewer than 20% of organizations have a bench of capable leaders ready to fill critical roles. You have to improve your areas of weakness to step into leadership roles.
  5. Don’t believe everything people tell you: People will always try to put you into a bucket, because it is easier for them if you are exactly who and what they think of you as. However, the pivot is to make sure that you don’t believe people who aren’t seeing your pathway to success. Once, I had a terrible manager at Amazon who kept telling me I needed to learn SQL to get ahead. While coding is definitely a weakness that I *could* get better at, what CMOs are writing SQL every day?

There are similarities between these examples and all of them ladder up to mindset. The key to bringing the pivot forward is to be constantly learning, understanding the world around you and then leveraging that knowledge to help those within your team and company. The more you scale and grow yourself, the better you will be able to find roles that interest you and a career with exponential growth opportunities.

Marcy Comer is the CMO of the EagleView Commercial Business, a role she stepped into after leadership roles at Amazon, Sears, 7-Eleven, Dosh, and Spruce. As a leader who has worked across B2B, B2C, B2B2C and D2C, she has developed a perspective for herself and her team on what it takes to succeed. Her unconventional approach is this: focus on the pivot.

(Guest Contribution: The opinions and views of guest contributions are not necessarily those of theglasshammer.com).

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Stephanie Schultz: VP & Head of Partnerships, Amex Digital Labs

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Stephanie Schultz“It’s essential to create the space for people to be heard, especially when some aren’t as comfortable voicing their opinions,” says Stephanie Schultz. “I don’t want to be in a meeting and have everybody agree with a particular direction or discussion. I want to hear the people who are dissenting, or might have a different perspective, because it’s a pressure test – it’s helping to make sure that we’re getting to the most thoughtful outcome.”

Schultz talks looking ahead of yourself in the job hunt, going for the win-win in strategic partnerships, working in a get-it-right fintech culture and the merits of adaptive leadership.

“It’s About The Next, Next Job”

Having no clear idea of what exactly she wanted to do after college other than live in NYC, Schultz graduated with an economics and business degree from Lafayette College – feeling she’d have the breadth to explore her options while getting her feet wet.

But in 2009, she inherited a tough job market in which few of her peers were landing any positions. It was tempting to take the first offer that came – an executive assistant role at a small audio-visual music company – until a previous internship manager questioned whether it was the direction she truly wanted to go.

“She was the one who really encouraged me that whenever I was to think about a job, it’s not about that job. It’s about the next, next job,” reflects Schultz. “That was so important, because in the moment, I had not thought that way – and it was hard to turn down a job at a time when no one was getting them, but I did.”

Schultz kept applying, including at American Express. She did not get the first role she applied for, but the hiring leader recommended her for another better-suited opening, which she then landed.

“I didn’t plan to be working in fintech or at a financial services company, but I was attracted to the brand and the values of the company,” says Schultz. “So thinking about the next, next job, I realized I could spend a long time at Amex, learn a bunch of different things and really launch my career.”

Twelve years on, she’s moved from product development to heading up partnerships for Amex Digital Labs, the innovation hub working to make Amex a leader in fintech. Her team is focusing on developing the next generation of products, customer benefits and membership experiences across the evolving digital landscape through partnerships with both major tech companies and start-ups.

The Strategy of Win-Win Partnership in Fintech

“There is so much disruption happening in payments, which has really excited me and kept me passionate about the work itself,” says Schultz. “The technology is continuously evolving and so are customer needs. Payments are so foundational to everyday life, so it’s exciting to keep learning, to be on the cutting edge of improving and innovating, and to make a tangible impact in something that people do every single day.”

A recent product Schultz introduced, called Send & Split, was created in partnership with PayPal and Venmo, synonymous with peer-to-peer payments. Rather than create their own platform, the Amex Digital Labs team worked with PayPal and Venmo to develop a unique digital integration within the Amex mobile app to create a better customer experience – enabling Card Members to send money to friends and family without the standard Venmo or Paypal credit card fee. Her team also developed value-added features like enabling the splitting of transactions, such as an AirBNB stay or dinner, making it seamless to share bills and ease the social interactions between users.

Not only does she have a reputation for getting stuff done, but also for being able to navigate the tougher territories of strategic partnership. She feels if you come from a receptive solution space, there is often a win-win meeting ground to be found amidst conflict.


“I feel that throughout the years at Amex, I’ve been the person at the helm of some of the more complex questions or unique products,” reflects Schultz. “When a lot of people are saying it just can’t be done, that is the point at which they bring me in to help lead and figure it out.”

Her approach is not to force or strong-arm an outcome but rather – in the context of long-standing relationships across multiple lines of Amex business, complicated initiatives, and unchartered territories – to seek and find a workable and lasting solution for all involved.

“Building relationships is core to what I do, and it’s about thinking of the bigger picture and setting those partnerships up for success,” reflects Schultz. “I used to enter a negotiation feeling as though it’s my side versus your side. Throughout the years, I’ve completely shifted my perspective: it’s not me versus you. We’re in this together, and we want this to be a lasting partnership. So how do I find what really works for both of us? It’s about being real and authentic and transparent with your objectives, and what you’re both trying to achieve, and how you can get there most effectively, together.”

An Integrated Culture of Doing it Right

One of the hardest moments at work was the day Schultz told her boss she was pregnant, because she realized she was anxious about moving towards a time of managing multiple priorities, with family first, and how big of a change it would personally be for her.

“That was a difficult moment to navigate and come to that realization, but now has been the greatest gift of all,” says Schultz. “Becoming a mom has helped me to be more efficient and effective at prioritizing my time and has been a net positive thing on who I am as an all-around human being and empathetic leader.”

Fintech is not at all a “move fast and break things” culture as you might expect, because with working with heavy regulations and major tech companies, the work culture is far more focused on doing it right than just doing it fast.

“The culture at American Express has been something that has kept me in this role. It’s a culture that welcomes the diversity of perspectives and ideas and makes the space for that,” she observes. “You would think the culture might have multiple layers of hierarchy and you have to navigate that, but that has not been my experience. The expert is in the room while the presentation is happening.”

Former Amex Vice Chairman Ed Gillian, whom Schultz was inspired by, was often on the ground floor around projects that were driving digital transformation, working beside managers and analysts.

Digital Labs also has creative ways of cultivating inspiration, as ideas come from any direction. Regularly, her team has inspiration calls where they can share anything, from an article to a new app feature, that may be inspiring them. When it comes to ideas from the ground up, the team has a forum and toolkit to equip anyone with the spark of inspiration to be able to go from idea stage to concept and then to action, while also having access to the investment and resources to get the project off the ground.

Being Adaptive in Leadership

The one thing she most wishes to impart on her mentees is the power of belief and the feeling of being championed, pointing out how teacher Rita Pierson inspired a classroom of struggling students in an underprivileged community to succeed by reframing the way they perceived themselves: “I think that sometimes people’s potential can be redefined based on what other people see in them. There were moments throughout my career when I didn’t necessarily see myself having that potential, but I had a mentor or a sponsor who saw that in me. Everybody deserves that.”

Within the Women’s Interest Network in Amex, Schultz is involved in the Ready To Lead program, mentoring and creating connections for aspiring leaders from other business units. She’s often found mentoring more like building a relationship, and particularly in her role, she often learns about new features and products from her mentees.

When it comes to being a leader, Schultz is thoroughly committed to supporting the unique working processes of each individual she manages, rather than imposing her own style of work.

“I have a more adaptive leadership style with my team. Some people might want me to roll my sleeves up and get in and white-board with them. Other people might prefer to take the challenge away and come back to me later with ideas,” says Schultz. “I personally feel I am there to set the charter for the team, to set the vision and the goals. I believe in a model of service to the people on my team. What works for you to be effective and then how do I flex my support based on what you need, to be a sounding board and roadblock remover and helpful guide along the way?”

While her style is more casual than the normal latitude of management approaches in financial services, being authentic in her own leadership has resonated and served her team and success.

Schultz spends as much time as she can with her toddler, Cooper. Since becoming a working mom, savasana has gone from the pose she could not stay still for to a treasured and glorious moment.

By Aimee Hansen

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