The value of quiet leadership in a loud world

We need more quiet leaders – those who lead by example, practice active listening and empower teams to make their own decisions. In this article, David Stopforth, global head of planning, IPG Mediabrands highlights the strength of quiet leadership in a predominantly extroverted world. He advocates for organizations to nurture diversity in leadership, enabling both introverts and extroverts to thrive and drive success.

What makes a leader? In a world where experts estimate 65-75% of the general population is extroverted, we could be forgiven for answering that question in extrovert terms. Leaders are front people, lead singers with boundless energy and charisma, capable of communicating a grand vision and making bold decisions.

This is, of course, true. People with front-facing skills, those who are natural public speakers or presenters, often do make excellent leaders and progress quickly to leadership positions. Their ability to rally teams around a shared cause, imbue people with energy, and build successful cultures at speed are highly desirable traits. The statistics back this up; a Sutton Trust analysis of BBC data in the UK found that highly extroverted people had a 25% chance of being in a higher-earning job.

Extrovert leaders are also capable of setting ambitious goals and viewing risk and opportunity as two sides of the same coin, but history shows there are virtues to having a diverse range of leadership styles in any organization.

Those that lean more toward being introverted often excel when talking to people one-on-one or in small groups, and their primary skills lie in coaching, encouraging and correcting others to help them develop and reach their goals.

Fans of Liverpool FC like me know you can be Jurgen Klopp or Arne Slot and still inspire, develop respect and build connections with teams. You can be Tim Cook or Steve Jobs and still build one of the most profitable businesses in history.

What are the traits of quiet leaders?

1. Lead by example

Quiet leaders influence others through their actions rather than words. They demonstrate integrity, work ethic, and a calm demeanor, setting the tone for others to follow. In a practical sense, that means rolling up your sleeves and getting involved in the day-to-day work of your team and being alongside them – not just in front of them.

When teams are working late and starting early to get a project over the line, it means being there with them and putting yourself in the mix to help solve the problem, not just outlining the path.

2. Active listening

Quiet leaders prioritize listening over speaking, ensuring they fully understand the perspectives, concerns, and ideas of their team. I’m a firm believer that leaders should listen to people at all different levels of seniority within a team and ensure their voice is heard. This approach fosters open communication and creates a culture where everyone feels valued and heard.

3. Trust

Instead of micromanaging, quiet leaders trust their team members to take ownership of tasks and decisions. Rather than being prescriptive, it’s possible to set out the parameters of a problem and let a team decide how to tackle it. Being on hand to provide guidance where needed can help to encourage autonomy without leaving people to struggle.

4. Thoughtful decision-making

Quiet leaders avoid hasty judgments and make deliberate choices. They analyze situations, seek diverse perspectives, and make decisions based on logic and empathy, balancing long-term vision with immediate needs.

5. Consistency and calmness

During periods of uncertainty or conflict, quiet leaders maintain composure and provide a steadying influence. Their calm presence helps diffuse tension, reassures teams, and allows for clearer thinking under pressure.

Maintaining a sense of calm means you can position yourself as approachable, and as a point of escalation, because you are one step back from a problem. In some ways, empowering your team to make choices and remaining calm can position you as a safety net in case things do go wrong.

The path to recognition for quiet leaders

How does a quiet leader get noticed in an organization? It’s a challenging question, particularly in environments that reward those who are naturally more visible and outspoken. Our more extrovert colleagues are likely to reach leadership positions quickly, and be supported in building out quiet leadership traits.

Quiet leaders are rarely the front-facing figures drawing attention in meetings or captivating an audience at a conference. Instead, their contributions shine behind the scenes.

Their road to recognition may take longer, but it’s not an impossible task. The key for quiet leaders of tomorrow is advocacy. They need champions within the organization who can highlight their strengths to senior decision-makers and help bridge the gap between their capabilities and the visibility needed to be recognized.

Feedback from colleagues often provides the clearest window into a quiet leader’s value. Peer reviews, particularly those allowing for open-ended responses, tend to reveal the qualities that set these leaders apart. These traits, when paired with measurable outcomes such as team retention, development, and high-quality work, underscore a quiet leader’s effectiveness.

Yet recognition isn’t only about understanding a quiet leader’s impact—it’s also about creating opportunities for them to grow their presence. Organizations must take an active role in developing these leaders by crafting tailored plans to broaden their profiles.

Encouraging people to push their comfort zones by presenting projects, taking part in panels, and so on can help people to build confidence and visibility over time.

Development works in both directions. Extroverted leaders who excel in public-facing roles might need to deepen their technical skills or strengthen their one-on-one connections. Similarly, quiet leaders may need to sharpen their presentation or communication abilities.

In the end, the proof of effective leadership lies in outcomes – how teams feel, the quality of their work, and their leader’s ability to inspire and sustain progress. Leadership isn’t one-size-fits-all, and organizations thrive when they embrace diversity. Recognizing and supporting quiet leaders is part of this puzzle, and it ensures that organizations not only grow but do so with balance and depth, valuing all the voices that contribute to their success.

Investing in tomorrow’s leadership

My advice for future quiet leaders is this: seek out organizations that celebrate diversity of backgrounds, thoughts and leadership styles, and embrace your strengths. Trust that your thoughtful, steady approach makes a difference.

For brands and agencies seeking more diverse leadership, creating pathways that recognize and amplify quieter voices, and fostering an environment where all styles can flourish will pay dividends. If you’re already a quiet leader, take the initiative for others. It’s incredibly rewarding to see the next generation of leaders step into positions of responsibility.