What do Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, Andrea Jung, Mother Teresa, and Abraham Lincoln have in common? Well, they are acknowledged as good leaders. But only a few know that they are introverts. If it surprises you that an introvert can be a successful leader, you haven’t heard about using introversion as a strength.

To unlock the power of introversion, one must understand four main challenges that, if ignored, can hold introverted leaders back. Let’s start off with stress. Being an introvert means losing energy during long or intense social contact. That’s why introverts might feel unwell during meetings or need more time to recover after events.

The second challenge is perception gaps. If you are an introvert, you might have misconceptions about how others perceive you. When thinking in silence, you can be viewed as indifferent, indecisive, or even unintelligent. People may perceive you as lacking assertiveness, making you more vulnerable to additional work or manipulation.

Career derailers are the third challenge. Simply put, these are behaviors or situations that slow down your climbing of the career ladder. For introverts, the main career derailer is poor people skills. Introverts often “undersell” themselves and miss out on promotions or desirable assignments. They might avoid networking or dislike “office politics,” as well as avoid difficult conversations. As a result, they don’t get enough influence, work harder instead of smarter, and become invisible.

Invisibility is actually the last challenge introverts face. Colleagues overlook their contributions, ignore suggestions, or simply fail to see their expertise. This happens not due to introverts’ weaknesses, but because of their tendency to be quiet or reserved. Once you recognize these challenges, it will be much easier to handle them and turn them into opportunities for growth.