The Extrovert Bias in CEO Calls for Return to the Office

The COVID-19 pandemic was nothing less than a paradigm shift for the business world. It shattered the longstanding convention that employees must be physically present in office spaces to do their jobs effectively. As remote work became the norm, workers around the globe had to adapt, finding new ways to be productive from the confines of their homes. However, as the threat of the pandemic starts to recede, we’re hearing increasing calls from top-level executives for workers to return to the office. This demand has led to a lot of debates on whether these calls are primarily driven by productivity concerns or the personal preferences of CEOs. A closer look may reveal an intriguing possibility – that this demand might be more about the CEOs’ extroverted tendencies and their need for human interaction, rather than tangible productivity benefits.

Let’s first clear up an often misunderstood term – extroversion. Contrary to popular belief, extroversion is not about being outgoing or socially adept; it’s about gaining energy from external stimuli, including human interaction. Extroverts thrive in active, fast-paced jobs, such as leading companies, where they interact with a variety of people and juggle multiple challenges. A study by the Harvard Business Review found that extroverts make up a disproportionate amount of corporate leadership, around 96% of managers and executives. This bias in corporate leadership may give us insights into why some CEOs are clamoring for a return to traditional office settings.

The physical office environment, with its bustling hallways, water-cooler conversations, and face-to-face interactions, is the natural habitat of the extroverted leader. For them, human interaction isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s an essential part of their working day. It fuels their energy, sparks their creativity, and drives their decision-making process. There’s an undeniable emotional charge that comes from physically sharing a workspace with colleagues, something that’s harder to achieve remotely. For extroverted CEOs, this may translate to a genuine belief that their organizations can do their best work when physically co-located.

The productivity argument often fronted by CEOs advocating a return to the office has, at face value, some merits if common sense is your guidepost. After all, one can easily concoct examples where collaboration undeniably would be easier in person anecdotally. A question, however, that arises is whether those situations apply in whole or in part to what is required to be reasonably successful. “Reasonably” because everything is tradeoff and it is beyond reality to assume that the social contract between employers and workers always favors the optimal path for the employer.

The extroverted bias in leadership may also neglect the preferences and potential productivity benefits of introverted employees. Introverts, who are energized by quiet, solitary environments, have found that remote work can be a boon to their productivity. The lack of interruptions, the ability to control their environment, and the relative peace and quiet can make remote work more conducive to deep, concentrated work. And let’s not forget, introverts can make up to half the workforce, depending on the industry.

This is not to say that all extroverted CEOs are consciously pushing their preferences onto their teams or ignoring the data about remote work productivity. It’s more likely that their bias is unconscious, resulting from their personal experience of how they work best. But it’s essential that leaders recognize this bias and make deliberate, data-driven decisions about remote work policies, rather than letting personal preferences dictate.

The reality is, there is no one-size-fits-all answer to the office vs. remote work debate. Different tasks and different people require different environments to be productive. That’s why a flexible approach may serve companies best.