Many people associate extroverts with the ideal qualities for successful engineering managers (EMs).
These include:
- Decisiveness
- Expressiveness
- And confidence
In short, the general consensus is they make excellent leaders. But introverts also possess a kind of quiet leadership that’s beneficial for the role, including reflective decision-making.
However, the goal is not to pit one type of person against another or to say introverts are better than extroverts. Both types have many kinds of people within them, and both have diverse strengths and skills to offer.
But I want you, as an introvert, to be aware of the great qualities you possess, such as reflective decision-making, so you can leverage them to excel as an EM.
The need for EMs to reflect
In most companies, the CTOs or VPs of engineering are responsible for setting the long-term strategy. As an EM, you’ll handle the mid-term technical strategy. Because of this, your decisions have a significant impact on those around you, and you’ll be involved in various aspects of decision-making.
For example, you’ll:
- Assist with hiring
- Refine the engineering process
- And decide who needs coaching or letting go
Rushing these decisions is not effective. All of them have consequences, whether positive or negative, for your team and the company as a whole. A more thoughtful approach can shift those consequences more to the former than the latter.
Reactive vs reflective decision-making
In my experience, extroverts tend to make reactive decisions in the moment, while introverts tend to make more reflective decisions because they take their time. Not always, but generally. As an introvert, you naturally lean more towards quiet analysis and are less likely to have those kinds of fast responses because you process information differently.
While the skill of quick decision-making is often beneficial for maintaining momentum, other times, it can be a hindrance when more thought-out decisions are necessary. This is where introverts like you shine, as they excel in making balanced decisions after careful reflection.
This method of decision-making carries another benefit, too.
When faced with a problem, extroverts tend to talk it out to process their thoughts. This can be valuable when everyone needs to be on the same page, and different perspectives are necessary for solving the issue.
However, involving others is often inefficient or even useless. Doing so can slow down or muddy the process and distract them from other responsibilities they need to focus on. Part of your role as an EM is effectively navigating the constant whirlwind of problems you face every day.
Reflective decision-making allows you to do just this.
Additional benefits of reflection
Common decision-making mistakes generally include the following:
- Lack of information
- Lack of common sense
- Lack of effort
Thankfully, your introverted nature and reflective decision-making make these relatively easy to address or avoid.
Because you take your time when making a decision, you’re more likely to seek out the relevant information you need. That same reflection leads you to a deeper analysis that prevents a lack of common sense.
And as mentioned before, taking the time to think helps you make decisions on your own. While talking out problems with others can be beneficial, its drawbacks include the possibility of misinformation or having an incomplete amount to work with.
Putting in the initial effort to figure out the issue will often help you reach a decision without needing help. If you still do, you’ll be better prepared to engage with others productively.
How to tap more into your reflective power
Knowing you have a particular skill or ability is one thing – making use of it is another. Keep in mind you don’t have to start applying or master every strategy below right away. Pick one you can start implementing, focus on it until you feel comfortable, then add another.
Use the right process
There are two types of decisions:
- Ones you know the answer to straightaway
- Ones requiring more thought
The first only needs you to make a choice and communicate what you chose. In other words, don’t overthink the issue. You already have other decisions to make and tasks to handle every day – don’t make your work more difficult by overanalyzing something you can easily answer.
The second type is different, needing you to slow down and think before coming to a conclusion. Keep in mind while you can make quick decisions, you rarely need to do so.
So, for this second type, I follow a simple process:
- Observe: you’re an introvert, so you are doing this naturally
- Evaluate: again, this will be easy for you since you’re also doing this naturally
- Take notes: this helps you process information and move what you’ve learned from your mind onto a page
- Review notes: I use journaling to slow down, capture my thoughts, process them, and turn my intuition into logical decisions
- Gather more information if needed: do ask for advice if needed, especially when you start out
- Decision: communicate your decision clearly to everyone involved
- Review: though this might not always be possible, depending on the situation, you are allowed to review decisions and correct them if necessary
I will add that in a new role, you might not have all the context needed to make an appropriate decision on your own. Making a decision without all the necessary information can actually be problematic for your team, the company, and yourself. In these situations, make it a habit to reach out and ask for guidance.
But when asking for advice also make sure you’re asking the right questions and phrasing them correctly. Oftentimes, I find that in formulating the right questions, you process the information and actually end up coming to a decision on your own!
Don’t schedule a meeting to make a decision
I’m rejecting more and more meetings.
Many of the reasons and topics for meetings can be handled through an async discussion on Slack or email, for example. Using these methods saves time and energy and is a more efficient way of completing work.
As an EM, you have more than enough meetings to attend – you don’t need to add any more to your schedule.
Meeting frequency or communication methods might be slightly different when you first start as an EM or join a new company, as you will need more guidance. But don’t feel like you have to consult everyone on decisions you can make yourself. Sometimes, you will make one that won’t please everyone – that’s okay.
You can trust your decisions because you know you’ve taken the time to think them through. You don’t need to gather a committee or get ten approvals just to stay on the safe side.
Completing work and making decisions on your own also shows the confidence you have in your own abilities to your peers, team, and superiors as well.
In addition, everyone will thank you for not scheduling needless meetings. Well, most people will (especially other introverts).
Lean into your quiet confidence
Confidence comes in different forms – it doesn’t require speaking frequently or loudly, as some people assume. Many use these techniques to overcompensate for a lack of confidence – they’re acting.
But confidence only requires you to be yourself. Being quiet and not very talkative doesn't necessarily equate with being shy.
Your lack of talking time also doesn’t mean people think there’s something wrong with you. If you can convey authority in your speech, people will respect you even if you only say a few words.
Remember you are not at school now – you don’t have to worry about what people think of you. Your confidence can come not from the way you dress or talk but from your:
- Knowledge
- Analytical skills
- And awareness of other people and situations
If you’ve worked as an engineer and are now an EM then you are clearly doing something right. Higher-level management and stakeholders must believe in you to have given you the job, so don’t think you have to change yourself to become an effective manager.
You can be quiet, not be best friends with everyone, and still be an amazing manager with the respect and trust of your team.
Make your words count
Introverts tend to speak fewer words than extroverts. But as mentioned, you don’t need to say a lot to show your authority and confidence.
However, you do need to be careful here. Don’t fall into the trap of not saying anything at all. For example, if you’re in a meeting and you sit in the corner and don’t participate, this won’t come across as confidence. You will come across as shy and meek.
Take your time, observe, reflect, and when the opportunity is right for you to contribute, make sure your words (few or many) have substance. People will respond well to what you say.
The short version: be yourself
An advantage of being an introvert is having an internal processing power that allows you to think through, analyze, and make decisions on your own.
Your natural abilities afford you qualities such as:
- Reflective decision-making: you're more observant and analytical, so you’re less likely to make snap decisions
- Avoiding common mistakes: your natural way of observing and processing allows you to gain all the information needed for successful decision-making
- Quiet confidence: you might not be the loudest voice in the meeting but if what you do say has substance, you will be respected
It’s not about how you look, act, or talk – your ability and the quality of your work are what matter.
Even if you don't talk much, you can prove your authority, experience, and knowledge with your actions. Your team will trust and respect you because they’ll see what you offer, and they’ll see that it’s real because it’s coming from you.
Want more tips on leading effective software engineering teams?
Join my newsletter if you’ve found this content useful
Originally published on Medium.com
Content in this blog post by Alex Ponomarev is licensed under CC BY 4.0.