What to Do When Introverted Leaders Are Drained from “Acting Extraverted”
Use these 9 strategies to sustain energy throughout the day and recover from the crash afterward
Last month, I made a Substack Note asking Introverted leaders about the main problems they face at work – and your answers were illuminating!
I could relate to almost everything that was shared, and today, I want to address one area specifically: How to handle exhaustion from “acting Extraverted” all day at work.
We’re going to focus on two pieces of that problem today:
Feeling depleted during your workday while handling the “people” side of management
Dealing with the energy crash that comes afterwards
According to our “Work Personality” Survey, 67% of Introverts say the way they express their personality changes significantly when they are at work, compared to 50% of Extraverts.
Going to work as an Introverted leader might feel a bit like putting on a mask. You might feel like you have to project a version of yourself that feels less like you and more like who you think a leader should be.
That gap between who you are and who you’re performing as can leave you feeling exhausted. I hope the strategies I share today can help you see new ways of protecting your energy.
Let’s get into it!
By the way, all of the tips we discussed in our earlier article about social exhaustion from meetings also apply here! So if you haven’t read that yet, go ahead and check it out.
How to Handle Exhaustion from “Acting Extraverted” All Day at Work
When you think about what makes you feel exhausted at work, meetings likely come to mind.
But, as you well know, leadership involves much more than just meetings. It’s also:
Checking in with team members (and managing their emotional loads, not just their tasks)
Being decisive and confident in high-stakes conversations with executives or stakeholders
Operating in busy, stimulating environments with more noise, motion, and even harsh lighting than you might have dealt with as a solo contributor in your own quiet space
All of this can feel overwhelming and draining for Introverts in particular.
Today, I want to share with you 9 strategies that I’ve used to both sustain my energy throughout the workday as an Introverted leader, and recover from the inevitable crash afterwards.
But before we get into those, I also wanted to let you know about our Free Team Dynamics Quiz. It’s a quick, two-minute assessment that helps you measure how effectively your team operates. And depending on how your team scores, you’ll get suggestions on how to boost effectiveness and work better together.
Okay, here we go with today’s article:
