According to a 2023 global survey, 56.8% of the world's population is introverted. Though they may be a majority, navigating the business world – let alone running your own business – is more difficult for introverts, simply due to the norms and expectations deeply instilled into day-to-day working life, and the energy and stimulation levels required.

Entrepreneur and psychology expert Ivy Malik explains that extroverts seek out high-stimulation environments (basically, the vibe of many modern workplaces) because they need higher levels of dopamine – the feel-good, reward hormone – than introverts to feel good. On the other hand, introverts are more sensitive to dopamine and peak earlier when it comes to overstimulation in the brain. High-stimulation workplaces and interactions, both of which are common in the business world, are not built for introverts.

“The typical business model is set up for extroverts, not introverts. Introverts can quickly become overstimulated, leading to fatigue and withdrawal,” Ivy explains. “In the business world, where networking and constant interaction with clients and teams are often key, this can pose challenges. Introverts might find themselves needing more downtime to recharge, which can be misconstrued as them being lazy and even anti-social.”

So many facets of the working day and business landscape, Ivy says, “caters to extroverted vibes”.

“Back-to-back meetings, working hours without breaks all speak to how an extrovert may operate, which puts the introverts at a disadvantage,” she says. “Networking events, open-plan offices, and collaborative projects are also all designed with social interaction in mind. Extroverts naturally thrive in these environments as they gain energy from being around others.”

For introverts, this can affect their mental state and focus while working, as well as their feelings of belonging and being understood by their colleagues. “These settings can be draining, leading to a sense of being out of place,” Ivy explains. “Withdrawal can be misinterpreted as arrogance, weirdness, or being seen as disinterested”.

When understood and supported appropriately, introverts have so much to bring to a business and workplace. Career coach and psychotherapist Eloise Skinner explains that a huge part of this stems from an ability to work independently, more specifically “the ability to work, reflect, brainstorm and problem solve without the need for team-wide intervention”, achieving “focused, deliberate results”.

So how can introverts best navigate and benefit from a workplace that is often not constructed or conducted with their needs in mind? Ivy advises that introverts must first and foremost “recognise that your introversion is a unique strength”. 

“You aren’t tired, you are overstimulated, so be selective in what and who you give your time to, without guilt”. Ivy recommends keeping up with developments in AI, to limit touchpoints and minimise unnecessary interactions and conserve energy. “Automation is your friend,” Ivy says, describing the use of it as “transformative” for introverts. “Leverage technology to automate and streamline processes, freeing up time for strategic thinking and innovation. With AI taking on routine tasks, introverts can reserve their energy for the human touchpoints that truly matter and can't be avoided, like client meetings or team collaborations.

“What you automate will be dependent on your work. It can be anything from setting appointments to gathering data on clients or even simple tasks like scheduling meetings.” Rest, also, is a non-negotiable. “Allow yourself rest when you need it. You’ll be more effective when you’ve recharged.” 

If you’re an introverted entrepreneur, Ivy recommends “focusing on group programmes rather than hosting numerous one-to-one client calls”.

“This approach allows me to reach more clients without depleting my energy while making a meaningful impact and furthering my mission,” she explains. There are even ways to make your business marketing introversion friendly – Ivy’s is “content-focused rather than networking-heavy, leaning into strategies like writing, podcasting, and video content”.

“This way I engage with my audience in a way that feels authentic and sustainable, without needing constant social interaction,” she says. If you are able, ask yourself if you can limit meetings, or cut them completely. “Most people dislike meetings, so don’t have them. If face-to-face contact is needed, send audio or video messages instead. This allows the introverts to respond in their own time without draining meetings.”

She also recommends that introverts “set clear boundaries around meetings and interactions” as an essential way to manage energy. “Taking short breaks to recharge between meetings and preparing for interactions in advance can help conserve energy in an environment that’s not naturally designed with introverts in mind.”

Limiting and changing the way we schedule meetings could benefit all workers on the introvert/extrovert spectrum. After all, US-based research has found that an estimated $37 billion is lost due to unproductive meetings per year, while only 30% of meetings are considered productive. 91% of UK workers have admitted that a third (20 minutes) of each 60 minute meeting is a waste of company time, while 55% of UK office workers have complained that they waste too much time in meetings, with a similar proportion (57%) saying they only attend a useful meeting once a week.

Of course, this kind of flexibility around meetings and how they are (or aren’t) conducted also requires understanding from the wider working world. “A great place to start is with an acknowledgement of people's preferred working styles and environments,” Eloise suggests, recommending an “office-wide feedback initiative, where employees are encouraged to share what works best for them, and how they'd best like to receive tasks”.

This could lead to a shift in working styles, with employees being able to share opinions over emails, rather than team-wide meetings. Eloise recommends allowing employees to “design their workload and tasks in a way that best fits their preferred working style”.

“As an employer, I would like to see more quiet and private spaces in the office,” Ivy adds. “Something I have seen Swedish offices do very well for different reasons, yet benefiting the introverts. It would be nice for introverts to be able to escape to other places than the quiet of the bathrooms.” She adds that flexible working hours would also be beneficial so that introverts can “manage their energy”, as would the encouraged use of tools that allow for async communication, such as project management software like Trello or Asana. This is because they allow for delayed responses and a less direct method of communication.

On top of acknowledging how introverts can best navigate the workplace, it’s also the responsibility of workplaces, and the people who work within it, to ensure that introverts can navigate their work as comfortably as possible. We all need to participate in a shift away from a default towards an extroverted way of working. 

“If you’re an extrovert reading this, be mindful of your introverted colleagues and friends,” Ivy says. “Make the space for them.”