If you’re the strong silent type but worry it could be holding you back, the latest study points to your shy tendency as a secret strength. You may appear as a ‘closed mouth’ but the latest reports point to the strong, silent type also being the most intellectual in a circle of social networks. Writing for the New York Times, psychologist and journalist Susan Cain said that shy people “prefer action to contemplation, risk-taking to heed-taking, certainty to doubt.” As well as attaining a higher standard of work, more introverted people are also more likely to make wiser risk assessments. Cain goes on to compare shy and introverted humans to members of the animal kingdom with a similar disposition. On average, 80 per cent of people are known as extroverts or ‘rovers’, representing the natural urge to ‘just do it’. The other 20 per cent are labelled ‘sitters’, or introverts, of the animal kingdom. Sitters tend to ‘look before they leap’. When a biologist David Sloan Wilson decided to conduct an experiment on the sitters and rovers of fish, he found that the impulsive nature of rovers led to their capture, while the sitters’ patience showed they ‘stayed back’ after observing the error of their rover counterparts. So what does that mean for the shy souls of the world? According to Cain, introverts, “who tend to digest information thoroughly, stay on task and work accurately.” Introverts have been proven to be stronger leaders, as they can assess all angles and risks. So while you might think your shyness is standing in the way of networking success, it could be just the tip you need to be ahead of the game.