Get it, girl! How being an introvert makes you more successful in work

Extroverts are typically viewed as being outgoing and socially confident, while an introvert is considered shy and reticent.

And while many believe being a gregarious person will give you a boost up in the business world, that doesn't seem to be the case.

Over the past ten years, scientists have been studying CEOs and through careful observation found that introverts make the most successful business people.

The CEO Genome Project analysed 2,000 CEOs and studied their career history, business results and behavioural patterns.

Researchers found that while being an extrovert is seen as a good thing in business, it was the introverts that came out on top.

“We’ve been struck by how few of the successful leaders we’ve encountered fit [the] profile,” said CEO Genome Project founder, Elena Lytkina Botelho, to the Harvard Business Review.

“Our analysis revealed that while boards often gravitate toward charismatic extroverts, introverts are slightly more likely to surpass the expectations of their boards and investors.”

While having a lot of confidence and an out-going personality may double your chances of getting to the top, researchers found that an extroverted personality “provides no advantage in performance on the job”.

So, to break it all down, the most successful leaders have one (or more) of these four behavioural characteristics:

• The ability to make decisions quickly and with conviction
• Being insightful and focused on delivering business results
• Being highly adaptable and open to change
• Delivering steady and reliable results, as opposed to irregular peaks of success

Introverts rely on their traits (their inner reserve, composure, calmness, awareness of others, cautiousness, sensitivity and good listening skills) to get work done carefully and successfully.

However, Elena noted that there's certainly no "one size fits all," and these introverted skills can be easily learned.