I don't know how many times I've heard the phrase "Quiet people can't be leaders because they can't tell people what to do." I've been denied a couple different leadership positions because people believe I do not possess the necessary skills to lead a team. Even though I don't enjoy telling others what to do, I have adapted a servant leadership style, earnestly desiring to inspire others and help them grow through as a result of my leadership. Contrary to popular belief, introverts can excel in leadership positions.

Many people believe leaders are simply people who tell others to do. However, this is only a small portion of a leader's job and leadership is more than simply giving commands. Forbes Magazine says "Leadership is the process of social influence, which maximizes the efforts of others, towards the achievement of a goal." Although leaders do assign tasks, a true leader inspires, encourages, serves others, sets goals, and knows their actions serve as an example for others to follow.

Introverts excel in leadership positions because they are great listeners and the best leaders respect their groups by listening to their groups concerns and thoughts. Many introverts are also naturally nurturing and encouraging which motivates their followers to tackle challenges head on and achieve their goals despite their weaknesses and insecurities.

Since introverts are so internally based, some of the best visionaries are also soft spoken because they spend all their time daydreaming about ways to change the world. Introverts also don't spend as much time talking as extroverts so people often evaluate their actions, making them great role models.

In addition, there are different leadership styles and many great leaders thrive without using the traditional transactional style. Introverts generally excel in positions that allow them to mentor or coach others since they are highly personable and concerned with each individual group member's well being. Due to this, introverts often adapt quiet, transformational, or servant leadership styles.

Changing Minds says servant leaders lead by serving others by helping them grow as individuals. A servant leader seeks to build community, nurture and empower others, and spur personal growth. They do not care much for their own needs but are constantly looking for ways to help others.

How can servant leaders excel if they are not concerned with giving straight commands? People look to servant leaders as role models because they realize these people seek to help them and often look towards them as role models. In addition, their followers often sense the genuine personal interest these leaders display towards their followers. People are also more likely to listen to servant leaders since they are not domineering.

Changing Minds also provides a great definition of a "quiet leader."

The approach of quiet leaders is the antithesis of the classic charismatic (and often transformational) leaders in that they base their success not on ego and force of character but on their thoughts and actions."

Like servant leaders, quiet leaders are not domineering but lead through their ideas and actions. The phrase "actions speak louder than words" effectively sums up this leadership style. Quiet leaders are comfortable telling others what to do but in a tactful way and only raise their voice when absolutely necessary.

These leaders generally don't even have to tell others what to do because their followers look at their actions and act in a similar way. For example, a quiet leader might be someone who regularly completes a task with the highest level of quality and displays a high degree of integrity. People see the positive results of these leaders' actions and change their habits to develop a similar level of success.

Encyclopedia.com defines transformational leadership as “A leadership style that involves generating a vision for the organization and inspiring followers to meet the challenges that it sets."

As expected, transformational leaders seek to transform their followers and whatever group they're leading. These leaders develop a vision for their group and also develop ways to help their followers grow individually at the same time.

All three of these leadership styles share some commonalities and seek to serve group members instead of the leader's own personal interests. These leaders also do not look to boss others around but help their group achieve a goal and experience personal growth at the same time. In addition, leaders with these styles are often powerful role models because they display great character qualities and a high degree of humility.

Don't be afraid to take on leadership roles if you're an introvert or let others change your leadership style. The world needs more leaders from all different styles, people who care about others more than themselves, and visionaries who seek to change the world.