In episode 31 of “Diary of a CHRO,” João Ricardo interviews Niels Jansen, Head of HR at LG Benelux. 

An introvert himself, Jansen believes that introverted leaders are often underestimated, despite the powerful qualities they bring to leadership. For instance, he highlights that listening is often more important than speaking.

Introverts lead differently, and that difference can be a major advantage. Jansen stresses: “I’m not saying the introverted leader is better than the extroverted one. Just different.” He considers that introverted leaders may have more difficulty in building relationships and bonding with the team, but that skill can be developed. “I still think with some right amount of practice you can get better at it.”

He also points out that introverted leaders tend to be reflective, which can pose a challenge: the more one learns about various perspectives on a problem, the more one questions one’s own views. “The pitfall I sometimes feel a reflective leader has is that because you’re looking at something from multiple angles, you also might doubt your point of view. You’re like, ‘okay, well I listened to you, you also have a point, so maybe I’m wrong.’ But you know, if you trust a little bit more in your own capability and your own decision-making, you will learn that often you are right.”

Jansen’s advice for the introverted, reflective leader is to trust more in their own decision-making capability: “As an introverted leader, you looked at the topic from multiple angles. So, 90% of the time you are right. So, stop worrying about the fact that maybe there’s a different answer to the problem. You are doing a great job, and you’re probably making the right decision. Stop questioning yourself.”

Watch the full episode: 

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