Chapter 2 -Trait Approach

Trait
Trait Approach
Approach

Leadership
Theory and Practice, 3/e
Peter G. Northouse, Ph.D.

1
Chapter 2 -Trait Approach

Overview
Overview
• Great Person Theories
• Historical Shifts in Trait Perspective
• What Traits Differentiate Leaders
From Nonleaders?
• How Does the Trait Approach Work?
2
Chapter 2 -Trait Approach

Great
Great Person
Person Theories
Theories
Trait Approach: one of the first systematic
attempts to study leadership
• “Great Man”
Theories (early
1900s)
– Focused on identifying
intrinsic qualities and
characteristics possessed
by great social, political,
& military leaders

3
 Chapter 2 -Trait Approach

Historical
Historical Shifts
Shifts in
in Trait
Trait Perspective
Perspective
Early 1900s 1930-50s 1970’s - Early 90s Today

6 Major
Great Man Traits Interacting Revival of Critical Role of Leadership
Theories With Situational Traits in Leader Traits
Demands on Leaders Effectiveness
• Intelligence
•Research focused • Landmark Stogdill (1948) • Stogdill (1974) • Self-Confidence
on individual study - analyzed and - Analyzed 163 new studies • Determination
characteristics synthesized 124 trait studies with 1948 study findings • Integrity
that universally - Leadership - Validated original study • Sociability
differentiated reconceptualized - 10 characteristics
leaders as a relationship between positively identified with
from nonleaders people in a social situation leadership

• Mann (1959) reviewed 1,400 • Lord, DeVader, &

Innate Qualities findings of personality and
leadership in small groups
- Less emphasis on situations
- Suggested personality traits
could be used to discriminate
leaders from nonleaders
Situations
Alliger (1986) meta-analysis
- Personality traits can be
used to differentiate
leaders/nonleaders
• Kirkpatrick & Locke (1991)
- 6 traits make up the
“Right Stuff” for leaders
Personality / Behaviors
4
Chapter 2 -Trait Approach

Leadership
Leadership Traits
Traits
Studies of Leadership Traits and Characteristics

     
Lord,
Stogdill Mann Stogdill Kirkpatrick &
DeVader, &
(1948) (1959) (1974) Locke
Alliger
(1991)
(1986)

Intelligence Intelligence Achievement Intelligence Drive

Alertness Masculinity Persistence Masculinity Motivation

Insight Adjustment Insight Dominance Integrity
Responsibility Dominance Initiative Confidence
Initiative Extroversion Self-Confidence Cognitive Ability
Persistence Conservatism Responsibility Task Knowledge
Self-Confidence Cooperativeness
Sociability Tolerance
Influence
Sociability

5
Chapter 2 -Trait Approach

Major
Major Leadership
Leadership Traits
Traits
• Intelligence - Intellectual ability • Integrity - The quality
including verbal, perceptual, and
reasoning capabilities of honesty and
• Self-Confidence - Ability to be trustworthiness
certain about one’s competencies
and skills • Sociability - Leader’s
• Determination - The desire to inclination to seek out
get the job done (i.e., initiative, pleasant social
persistence, dominance, drive)
relationships

6
 Chapter 2 -Trait Approach

Big
Big Five
Five Personality
Personality Factors
Factors
1.Neuroticism: tendency to be depressed, anxious,
insecure, vulnerable & hostile
2. Extraversion: tendency to be sociable, assertive
& posses positive energy
3. Openness: tendency to be informed, creative,
insightful & curious
4. Agreeableness: tendency to be accepting,
conforming, trusting & nurturing
5. Conscientiousness: dependency to be organized,
controlled, dependable and decisive
7
Chapter 2 -Trait Approach

How
How Does
Does the
the
Trait
Trait Approach
Approach
Work?
Work?
• Focus of Trait Approach
• Strengths
• Criticisms
• Application
8
Chapter 2 -Trait Approach

Focus
Focus of
of Trait
Trait Approach
Approach
Leader Personality
Assessments
• Focuses exclusively • Organizations use
on leader personality assessments to
– What traits leaders find “Right” people
exhibit – Assumption - will increase
– Who has these traits organizational effectiveness
– Specify
characteristics/traits for
specific positions
• Personality assessment
measures for “fit”

9
Chapter 2 -Trait Approach

Strengths
Strengths
• Intuitively appealing • Highlights leadership
– Perception that leaders are component in the
different in that they leadership process
possess special traits – Deeper level understanding
– People “need” to view of how leader/personality
leaders as gifted related to leadership process
• Credibility due to a • Provides benchmarks for
century of research what to look for in a leader
support

10
Chapter 2 -Trait Approach

Criticisms
Criticisms
• Fails to delimit a • List of most important leadership
traits is highly subjective
definitive list of – Much subjective experience & observations
leadership traits serve as basis for identified leadership traits

– Endless lists have • Research fails to look at traits in

emerged relationship to leadership outcomes
• Not useful for training &
• Doesn’t take into development
account situational
effects
– Leaders in one situation
may not be leaders in
another situation

11
 Chapter 2 -Trait Approach

Application
Application
• Provides direction as to which traits are good to
have if one aspires to a leadership position Leadership Traits
• Through various tests and questionnaires, • Intelligence
individuals can determine whether they have the • Self-Confidence
select leadership traits and can pinpoint their • Determination
strengths and weaknesses • Integrity
• Sociability
• Can be used by managers to assess where they
stand within their organization and what is
needed to strengthen their position

12