Introverts can become successful entrepreneurs. There is this misconception that only extroverts can successfully run businesses.
Mark Zuckerberg, Warren Buffet, and Bill Gates, all of them are incredibly successful, and all of them are introverts. An introverted entrepreneur can easily be separated from a group of entrepreneurs.
No formula can guarantee if an entrepreneur will become successful or not. But having certain innate personality traits can slightly increase the odds of success.
Introverts will most likely be the quiet ones, who are a little far away from the center of attention. They might be taking notes or doodling on their own.
Here are the reasons why introverts are best suited for entrepreneurship:
1. They are superb listeners
Listening is a hard to learn skill that most people don’t have these days. Another thing to note is that hearing and listening are not the same things. It takes patience and a certain level of empathy to become a good listener. Listening allows you to become aware of something other than what you’re dealing with.
Introverts can make the best out of a bad situation. If a client is particularly unhappy, an introvert would first listen to the client and then give him a well thought out solution. Having empathy for what the other person is going through will provide introverts with an advantage when they’re dealing with people.
Listening to other people with sincerity allows you to build meaningful relationships. If you’re the kind of person who’ll listen to someone in their time of need, you’ll be remembered as a dear friend.
If you help someone in their time of need, they might help you back when you’re dealing with something. As an entrepreneur, you’ll need to build a network of people you can count on.
2. They don’t need to be accepted by others
Introverts live in their own worlds, and they hardly ever visit our world. Being a little disconnected from others is not such a bad thing; in fact, it might turn out to be a good thing.
Extroverts get their energy from other people. Being surrounded by other people and being the center of attention makes them feel good. Since introverts get their strength from being on their own, they don’t need other people to make them feel better.
Introverts will be glad if other people appreciate and accept their ideas and thought, but they won’t be too hung up on it. Introverts tend to focus on the task at hand instead of how other people will think about them.
3. They are creative
Introverts are dreamers.
You can find them at their stations, dreaming about how they’re saving the world or how they’re going to make the next masterpiece.
Entrepreneurs solve problems and capitalize on opportunities that no one else is paying attention to. This insightfulness requires them to think out of the box.
Most introverts have a creative disposition around them. Even if they aren’t full-fledged artists themselves, they at least have an appreciation for creativity.
Introverts listen to and learn about as many things as they can. This information and knowledge allow introverted entrepreneurs to give solutions that other people haven’t thought about. Being creative will enable entrepreneurs to make decisions that have the potential to improve productivity significantly.
J.K Rowling, Emma Watson, Steven Spielberg, Keanu Reeves, are some examples of creative introverts.
4. They are calm and composed
As a leader, staying calm and composed is necessary. Your team needs you to make the right decisions in times of uncertainty.
Being calm and composed in stressful situations makes introverts a respected and valuable member of the team. Entrepreneurs are often in cases where they are at their worst, being calm in that situation allows them to think of the next move and plan for the future.
Introverts like listening to others. Being the last to speak gives them the time to accurately articulate their thoughts in a way that other people will be inclined to accept.
Remaining calm when everyone else is freaking out gives you the chance to think of the best move.
5. They are excellent planners
To become successful, entrepreneurs need to be a step (or several) ahead of their competition. To achieve this, entrepreneurs need to be excellent planners.
Entrepreneurship is a risky career. More than 50% of businesses fail within the first five years since the start of their operations. To minimize the risks involved, entrepreneurs need to plan for different scenarios and situations.
Introverts like to be prepared for different scenarios. Being prepared helps introverts to avoid situations where their lack of spontaneity might hinder their performance.
When introverts become entrepreneurs, they make it a point to make a schedule and plan things.
Having a detailed plan before-hand allows you to stay on track and effectively deal with any hindrances that might come your way. An introverted entrepreneur is more likely to have a more detailed business plan when compared to the extroverted entrepreneur (although the scheme might not be used later on).
6. They boost their team
Introverts don’t need to be the center of attention.
Introverted entrepreneurs want their team and business as a whole to perform well. When an introvert is in charge, the team gets a more significant say in how things should be done or what decisions need to be made. For instance, If there are many live chat app agents on a website support, then each one would have their say in suggestions about how to improve any particular service or product because they are all interacting with customers.
Leaders need to be there for their team. A leader who’ll raise the morale of their team in difficult times is a godsend. Having a leader that cares about you and gives you opportunities to increase your skills is respected by every employee.
Reassuring other people that everything is going to be alright is something that introverts are good at. They can empathize with people on a deeper level.
An introverted entrepreneur makes sure that everyone on the team has his voice heard. Listening to different opinions and choosing the best one not only makes sure that the best choice is made but also gives the team a sense of contribution, which is vital for their morale.
Prioritizing the growth of the team over individual growth leads to better co-operation and collaborations within the group. It also encourages healthy communication, which is vital to a team’s success.
An introverted entrepreneur doesn’t want all the limelight for himself, thus allowing his team to reach a new level.
7. They can work on their own
The best thing about being an introvert is that you can perform well on your own.
Being able to achieve set objectives without continually relying on someone else is a blessing.
Large social gatherings and interactions tend to drain introverts. They prefer to work on their own, alone with their thoughts. Being alone allows introverted entrepreneurs to go into this state of complete focus where they can get the job done in record time.
Introverted entrepreneurs might even prefer to work alone as a solopreneur.
Steve Wozniak, a co-founder of Apple and introvert, said, “I’m going to give you some advice that might be hard to take: work alone. You’re going to be able to design revolutionary products and features.”
8. They are self-aware
Being self-aware has many advantages. Since introverts spend so much time on their own, they are better able to assess themselves and have clarity on who they are as a person.
Most introverts have a deeper understanding of themselves. This deeper understanding allows them to focus on the things that bring them true happiness and peace.
Self-awareness, as an entrepreneur is essential because the success of the business depends on your abilities as a founder and leader.
Entrepreneurs who are self-aware are in a position to form a personal brand that is authentic and genuine.
9. They focus on the bigger picture
Introverted entrepreneurs tend to focus on the bigger picture.
They have a clear vision of how they want their business to be like in the future and what steps they should take to achieve their goals and objectives.
Introverts are happy to listen to the opinions of others on their team. They might even incorporate some of the excellent advice into their strategy. But if they consider a piece of advice to be counter-productive for their business, they won’t give in to peer pressure and adopt it.
10. Little things matter to them
While entrepreneurs need to focus on the bigger picture to become successful, they also need to pay attention to little things.
Not focusing and paying attention to the minute details on a project can prove catastrophic in some cases.
Since introverts are brilliant planners, they make sure to plan out even the smallest details in advanced. Also, if something escapes their watchful-eye, they’ll make sure to get on top of it before signing off the final product.
Conclusion:
Having a particular personality type is not enough to become successful. You’ll need to put in the time and effort that your business requires.
Introverts have many personality traits that may benefit them if they choose to become entrepreneurs. Being excellent planners and listeners is an essential skill that will increase the chances of success for an entrepreneur.
Author’s Bio: Hamzah Adil is a young content writer who is passionate about the startup life. Other topics of interests include technology, business, social media and psychology. He is currently associated with that startup has developed a new live chat application called SwiftChat. SwiftChat allows its users to cater to visitors on their website in real-time.