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Leadership Traits and Theories

The trait approach focuses on identifying innate qualities that differentiate leaders from non-leaders. Early theories proposed that great leaders were born, not made. Research has since identified traits like intelligence, self-confidence, integrity and sociability that effective leaders tend to possess. The trait approach provides insight but fails to account for situational factors and how traits relate to leadership outcomes. Personality assessments are used to select leaders and develop strengths, though definitions of key traits are subjective.

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127 views15 pages

Leadership Traits and Theories

The trait approach focuses on identifying innate qualities that differentiate leaders from non-leaders. Early theories proposed that great leaders were born, not made. Research has since identified traits like intelligence, self-confidence, integrity and sociability that effective leaders tend to possess. The trait approach provides insight but fails to account for situational factors and how traits relate to leadership outcomes. Personality assessments are used to select leaders and develop strengths, though definitions of key traits are subjective.

Uploaded by

Gaffar
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Chapter 2: Trait Approach

Overview
 Great Person Theories

 Historical Shifts in Trait Perspective

 What Traits Differentiate Leaders From Non-


leaders?

 How Does the Trait Approach Work?


Great Person Theories

Trait Approach: one of the first systematic


attempts to study leadership

 “Great Man” Theories (early 1900s)


 Focused on identifying innate
qualities and characteristics
possessed by great social, political,
& military leaders
Historical Shifts in Trait Perspective
Major Leadership Traits
Traits to possess or cultivate if one seeks to be
perceived by others as a leader:
 Intelligence – Verbal, perceptual, and reasoning
capabilities. Ex. Steve Jobs
 Self-Confidence – Certainty about one’s
competencies and skills. Ex. Steve Jobs
 Determination – Desire to get the job done (i.e.,
initiative, persistence, drive). Ex. Dr. Paul Farmer
Major Leadership Traits

Traits to possess or cultivate if one seeks to be


perceived by others as a leader:
 Integrity – The quality of honesty and
trustworthiness. Ex. Character Counts! program

 Sociability – Leader’s inclination to seek out


pleasant social relationships. Ex. Michael Hughes,
university president
5-Factor Personality Model & Leadership
5-Factor Personality Model & Leadership
Big Five & Leadership Study Using Meta-Analysis
(Judge et al., 2002)

Results – a strong relationship between personality


traits and leadership
 Extraversion – factor most strongly associated with
leadership
 Most important trait of effective leaders
 Conscientiousness – second most related factor
 Openness – next most related
 Low Neuroticism
 Agreeableness – only weakly related to leadership
Emotional Intelligence & Leadership
Definition Underlying Premise

Ability to perceive and:


 apply emotions to life’s tasks
 people who are more
sensitive to their
 reason/understand emotions emotions & their impact
 express emotions on others will be more
effective leaders
 use emotions to facilitate
thinking
 manage emotions within oneself
and relationships
Different Ways to Measure EQ
 MSCEIT: EQ as a set of mental abilities
 to perceive, facilitate, understand, and manage emotion

 Goleman (1995, 1998): EQ as a set of personal and


social competencies
 self-awareness, confidence, self-regulation, conscientiousness,
and motivation
 Shankman & Allen (2002): EQ as awareness of three
aspects of leadership
 context, self, and others
How Does the Trait Approach Work?
 Focus of Trait Approach
 Strengths
 Criticisms
 Application
Focus of Trait Approach

Leader Personality Assessments

 Focuses exclusively  Organizations use personality


on leader assessments to find “right” people
 What traits leaders  Assumption - will increase
exhibit organizational effectiveness
 Who has these traits  Specify characteristics/traits for
specific positions
• Personality assessment
measures for “fit”
• Instruments: LTQ, Myers-Briggs
Strengths

 Intuitively appealing  Highlights leadership


 Perception that leaders component in the
are different in that they leadership process
possess special traits  Deeper level understanding
 People “need” to view
of how leader/personality is
leaders as gifted related to leadership
 Credibility due to a process
century of research  Provides benchmarks for
support what to look for in a leader
Criticisms
 Fails to delimit a  List of most important
definitive list of leadership traits is highly
leadership traits subjective
 Endless lists have  Much subjective experience &
emerged observations serve as basis
 Doesn’t take into for identified leadership traits
account situational  Research fails to look at
effects traits in relationship to
 Leaders in one situation leadership outcomes
may not be leaders in  Not useful for training &
another situation development
Application
 Provides direction as to which traits are Leadership Traits
good to have if one aspires to a • Intelligence
leadership position • Self-
 Through various tests and questionnaires, Confidence
individuals can determine whether they • Determination
have the select leadership traits and can
• Integrity
pinpoint their strengths and weaknesses
• Sociability
 Can be used by managers to assess where they stand
within their organization and what is needed to strengthen
their position

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