Quiet Leadership in Action

When you think of influential leaders in the world, who comes to mind? For many of you, leaders with powerful oration skills and charisma, such as Nelson Mandela or Franklin Delano Roosevelt, may come to mind. However, impactful leaders are not always the ones with the loudest voices in the room; in fact, quiet leadership can be immensely beneficial to your team. Quiet leadership does not equate to being shy or timid; rather, it is characterized by empathy, creativity, active listening, and attention to detail. Those who employ this method often have strong inner leadership and aid their team through fostering collaboration and communication instead of controlling the team. While you may wish to lead with a larger-than-life leadership style, trying to force yourself into a box that does not fit may feel uncomfortable. If you have struggled with employing the typical leadership style you see in famous figures, learning about quiet leadership can help you find new methods to implement into your leadership style!

In a world filled with dominant leadership, the quiet style may seem like an anomaly. However, a myriad of influential figures have risen to success through embracing their natural abilities. Warren Buffett, founder and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, a multinational conglomerate holding company, is “constantly thinking critically and analyzing information quietly.” Buffet exemplifies quiet leadership through careful thought over issues before offering input and staying calm even in a high-stakes situation. Similarly, Marissa Mayer, CEO of Yahoo!, utilizes her natural introverted traits to her advantage through sharp focus and analytical thinking as well as allowing her team to have autonomy with their ideas rather than being overbearing. However, quiet leadership does not necessarily mean a lack of excellent public speaking skills or an inability to command a room’s attention. Barack Obama, former president of the U.S., is an introvert who was able to lead an entire country through implementing aspects of quiet leadership. During his presidency, he remained levelheaded and calm, took time to analyze before decision-making, and listened with empathy to effectively lead his constituents. These successful figures who utilize quiet leadership exemplify that there is no “right” way to lead and that you can lead effectively by staying true to your natural qualities. 

Now, similar to these influential leaders, if you are naturally quiet and would like to embrace it through your leadership, there are a multitude of characteristics of quiet leadership that you can implement.

Active Listening: A common trait amongst quiet leaders is the ability to listen to their team effectively to sincerely understand what is being said, rather than thinking about what to say next. This allows the team to have space to share their ideas freely, empowering them to take ownership and pride in their contributions, and helps the leader deliver more beneficial feedback. Furthermore, meaningful listening can improve one’s ability to empathize with team members to effectively provide for their needs, foster trust, and encourage collaboration.

Analyzation: All three figures mentioned earlier utilized this key aspect of quiet leadership. Carefully analyzing numerous, distinct perspectives on an issue before offering input is key to successfully resolving problems. Hastiness can result in an important piece of the puzzle being left out, potentially leading to major failures in solving a problem or achieving a goal. Instead, thinking about multiple angles to approach the issue, situation, goal, etc. in advance can ensure every base is covered.

Staying Calm: In times when the pressure is on and all eyes are on them, quiet leaders are able to remain levelheaded and retain the ability to critically think despite the stress. This allows quiet leaders to stay on track with their goals and aids those who are watching to similarly stay calm, rather than panicking and losing focus. Ultimately, this can cascade to a culture of calmness during crisis throughout the team, which strengthens the ability of the team to succeed under pressure. 

Embracing Solitude: Being able to adapt and work in a variety of environments is key to being a successful leader, especially the ability to be productive during solitude. Time away from a busy team allows quiet leaders to have focused time dedicated to further strategizing or reflection through analysis without any distractions. Consequently, this amply prepares leaders to reconvene with their team with fresh ideas and feedback.

Humility and Respect: As a leader, your actions will influence your team’s actions substantially, so leading with humility and respect can cultivate a team culture of mutual respect and open collaboration with each other, often some of the most important cornerstones of successful teams. This includes displaying humility in success and failure as well as accepting constructive criticism, overall establishing a safe environment for team members to make mistakes and learn from them. Additionally, demonstrating equal respect to each team member and their contributions fosters a culture where everyone feels valued and dedicated to furthering your team’s cause.

While it may feel tempting to mimic the leadership styles of extroverted influential figures, if their methods do not feel right for your personality, you may end up burnt out and exhausted. Instead, consider defying convention and leveraging your inherent abilities to guide your team in a manner that instills a sense of empowerment in you. Leadership looks different for everyone, and we encourage you to explore different styles of leadership to create your own unique blend!

Hayden Turner: State Historian (2025-2026)