Communication styles of self-identified introverted student leaders in Hanoi- A multiple case study

Abstract

ABSTRACT Common opinions often link leadership to stereotypically extroverted characteristics such as charisma, optimism, sociableness, authority, and energy. However, it is not always easy to identify introvert and extrovert personality, and some research has suggested that introverted personality is not incompatible with effective leadership. This study involved three self-identified introverts who had held various leadership positions as students. The participants completed the 16 Personalities Test to triangulate their self-perception and joined semi-structured interviews to reflect on and share their leadership and communication experiences. their narratives demonstrate that their self-perception as introverts is closely linked to their preferred environment, emotional responses and communicational comfort zone. While varied in their level of self-acceptance, they tend to object to stereotypes of introverts as lacking in communication skills and see introversion-extroversion as a spectrum. Regarding communication styles, their responses were analyzed based on the adapted framework by de Vries et al. (2009), including preciseness, expressiveness, emotionality, supportiveness, threatening, and reflectiveness and revealed both similarities and diversities in their priorities and communication strategies.