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“Everyone shines, given the right lighting,” writes Susan Cain in Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking.
Yet, in the corporate world, the spotlight tends to shine on extroverts—those who speak up quickly, network effortlessly, and exude charisma. In boardrooms, offices, and leadership pipelines, extroverted individuals are often perceived as the ideal archetype of a leader. Meanwhile, introverts—who may listen more than they speak, reflect before they act, and lead with quiet strength—are frequently overlooked or underestimated. Despite growing research and real-world evidence that introverts can be exceptional leaders, and even outperform their extroverted counterparts in certain scenarios, biases against introverted individuals continue to persist.
However, the reality is far more nuanced within the walls of the C-suite.
In their forthcoming book, We Are All Ambiverts Now: Introverts, Ambiverts and Extroverts in the C-Suite, Karl Moore, associate professor of organization and strategy at the Desautels Faculty of Management, and Gabriele Hartshorne-Mehl, a McGill alum and current student at Osgoode Hall Law School, underscore why successful leaders must embody both introverted and extroverted communication styles.
“About 40 per cent of senior leader CEOs were introverts, about 40 per cent extroverts, and about 20 per cent ambiverts”, said Moore. “As a senior leader, you need to act like an introvert and listen to be an effective leader. Other times, introverts need to act a bit more like extroverts and work the room a bit because that’s what’s required of senior leaders.”
Unlike much of the research in this area, which often draws on data collected from student populations, Moore and Hartshorne-Mehl interviewed over 750 CEOs and reviewed hundreds of articles to understand how individuals, regardless of their personality and preferences, can adopt both introverted and extroverted communication styles, leading to ambiversion.
Know thyself
Self-awareness is key to becoming a good leader, regardless of whether you identify as an introvert or extrovert. Introspection is especially important for individuals who are trying to navigate between the two traits and achieve a balanced style of communication.
“It doesn’t really matter what your communication style is,” said Hartshorne-Mehl on the McGill Delve podcast. “Extroversion, especially, is a very accessible skill, and when you become an expert at that, then you already have these unique introverted traits as well. That makes you a really strong leader.”
Still, ambiversion isn’t without its challenges. For introverts, adopting extroverted behaviours can be draining; for extroverts, leaning into quiet reflection may feel unnatural. Managing energy and time becomes crucial. That might mean carving out space for solitude, closing the office door, delegating, or recharging in ways that restore balance.
“One of the main things you can do and recognize as a good introverted leader is that you may at times rightly step back and say, ‘Hey, what do you think’?” said Moore. “And so you bring other people to lead the conversation, and it makes them happy because they are being honoured, their capabilities are being respected.”
Walking a tightrope between role-playing and authenticity
Leaders must also develop the skill to strike a balance between acting out their role as a leader, and being true to their authentic selves. Increasingly, in recent years, employees expect leaders to be their authentic selves in the workplace.
“So there are social roles we play in a number of contexts, that we lean into a bit, but you have to be authentic,” said Moore. “Today we are more authentic, more true to ourselves; we’re more honest about our weaknesses and occasional fragilities.”
Karl Moore and Gabby Harthstone-Mehl discuss their new book on the McGill Delve podcast. Search “McGill Delve” in your favourite podcast player.
This article was written by Mahin Siddiki, contributing writer.
Karl Moore
