Leadership Traits

You might be wondering how a leader becomes a leader: is there something in their personality or is it something that can be learned? In the earliest studies on leadership, it was determined that there was no way of identifying leadership traits. However, as personality measurements and frameworks have evolved, certain traits have been identified as showing a strong connection to leadership. In a true sense of leadership, it can be engaged in by many or all individuals and is not the ability of only a few or a special group. We will explore different theories on personality and leadership growth in this section.

Research has shown that an effective leader depends on common behaviors and characteristics like confidence, service mentality, effective coaching skills, reliability, knowledge in the area they are leaders, responsible, being a good listener, being visionary, realistic, a good sense of priorities, honesty, a willingness to share, and having strong self-esteem (Toor & Ofori, 2008). We might also believe a leader should convey confidence and authority through their actions, eye contact, and tone of voice. It is important to remember that leadership is situational. As we discussed earlier, some situations require a confident, forward approach to communication, while other situations might require a more laid-back or less confrontational approach. Good leaders adapt to the situation and the needs of their followers.

Intelligence is seen as important in leadership. People who have high intelligence may emerge as leaders because of their knowledge or intelligence, and intelligence matters more in the early entry stages of management and leadership (Toor & Ofori, 2008). Another factor that may cause people to emerge as leaders is extroversion, or the ability to be social and talk to people. While it might not be necessary for all leaders to be extroverts, the fact that an extrovert may be seen as a leader is possible.

Self-esteem has also been shown to have a connection with leadership (Toor & Ofori, 2008). People who positively assess their self-worth and ability to contribute are more comfortable with their capabilities and more readily embrace leadership roles. Leaders with high self-esteem don’t find their followers to be a threat and are more likely to support and encourage their followers, including providing opportunities to excel in their careers and interests. Integrity is also important in a leader, including having a strong moral compass and understanding of honesty and trustworthiness. These characteristics are important as well when we consider ethics, as leaders with integrity tend to be focused on ethics and doing the right thing in everyday life.

A leader has often been visualized through the “Great Man Theory” as someone wise, gifted, noble-hearted, and stands behind an accomplishment as an outcome of the thoughts that occur within themselves (Amiri, Eladwiah, Rahimi, & Admed, 2020). This view of leadership might imply that leadership is something that a person is born with. They have a set of desired traits to become a leader and then rise to the challenge when called upon. Some of us might know people in our own lives who just seem to be able to take on a leadership role when needed. Trait theory, originally posited by Gordon Allport in the 1930s, states that effective leaders share some common personality traits such as integrity, ethical decision-making, assertiveness, and compassion (Miller, 2022). It is important to remember that traits matter in situations. An entrepreneurial situation might require charisma and self-esteem, while a rule-bound company might be looking for an intelligent leader who is a rule follower, not a risk-taker. While it may seem necessary that leaders possess certain traits, it isn’t always the case.

There are some traits that are negatively associated with leadership. For example, agreeable, modest people are not perceived as leaders (Kalish & Luria, 2021).You may be able to name great leaders through history who were not ethical or did not have compassion. We want our leaders to be compassionate and honest people, but sometimes a leader rises to power who does not have these traits. The idea of being ethical and having integrity is a more recent definition of leadership based on previous experience with leaders who rose to power but did not possess specific traits. The evolution of leadership definitions helps us to more clearly identify great leaders as also being good people.

Theory X and Theory Y Leadership

Finally, there is the idea that leadership style is based on the perspective of the person who is the leader. McGregor’s (1960) Theory X and Theory Y posited that there are two different types of leadership styles based on the leader’s beliefs about what motivates the people working for them. Theory X leaders believe that people are naturally lazy and try to avoid work, need to be closely monitored at work, and most workers have little to contribute intellectually to the operations of the company (Morse & Lorsch, 1970). We might think of leaders who believe in a Theory X leadership style as being micro-managers constantly checking up on workers, disciplining, and not being open to suggestions from people who work for them.

In contrast, Theory Y leaders believe that workers have a positive attitude, want to be at work, and will therefore provide higher levels of encouragement and responsibility with less supervision. Theory Y leaders allow employee participation, encourage workers to make decisions about how they do their jobs, and provide support and encouragement (Lawter, Kopelman, & Prottas, 2015). You might prefer to work for a Theory Y type leader to be appreciated for the effort you bring to your job every day.

While there is no definite proof that leaders are born or that leadership can be built, we should all remember that we are leaders in someone’s life, even if we don’t recognize it. If you think of people who look up to you, who follow your directions, or who wait for you to make plans before anything gets done, then you are a leader in your circle. Leadership should not be viewed as just for the elite or powerful; we all exercise leadership in our own lives and should make sure we are thinking about the people who follow us when we make decisions or a request from someone. Being a fair and ethical leader is a goal we should all strive for.