Quiet Bosses can Make Great Leaders, Too

The image of the loudmouthed CEO blurting out directions to his subordinates at a company meeting is one that is often associated with the prototypical leader.

But the introverted CEO can be productive in the same role, says a new Harvard study. The study, which was headed by associate professor Francesca Gino of the Harvard Business School, set out to test the accuracy of the stereotype. And their findings sided with the reserved leader. By surveying a number of pizza shops, they were able to gauge each categorized CEOs’ effectiveness. Those that were productive had marked improvements in revenue, which was a monitored statistic.

What this proves is that thought leadership is where the true value of a CEO is located. It’s not about having a booming voice; it’s about resonance. The introverted CEOs also made strong connections with their employees, which can have a direct correlation with employee retention, a hidden benefit in all this.

But no matter which category a CEO falls into, the true test of any CEO should be their ability to implement a company’s business development strategies. Watch this video by Harvard Business Publishing for more information on this topic.