subject: Exploring Personality And Leadership Traits [print this page] How does Personality contribute to Leadership Potential? Despite extensive debate going back many years concerning the nature of personality, there is still some uncertainty about key factors, particularly when we try to define leadership traits. Is there a clear link between personality characteristics and an effective leadership style? How important is the drive to succeed? This article explores some of the important issues.
The early research on personality most notably that of Cattell, emphasized the importance of around sixteen Source Traits. More recent studies have focused on broader, underlying dimensions of personality. A general consensus has now emerged that suggests that the basic structure of personality can be described in terms of five superordinate factors. These are widely referred to as the Big Five. The factors include extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotionality, and intellect or "openness to experience".
However, the exact nature of each dimension is far from clear. The first factor, for example, is usually called Extraversion, but there is potentially a good deal of variability in what it comprises. The main focus may be assertiveness and an open expression of impulses. Alternatively, it may be characterized by dominance and confident assurance. It is also apparent that sociability is not always strongly represented. Perhaps not surprisingly, some people have concerns about the relevance of personality tests. How much added-value do they offer in the context of work-based assessment? This is of particular interest when we seek to understand Leadership Style and Leadership Performance.
Personality and Performance Potential
It is evident that trait-based questionnaires provide fairly consistent and reliable measures of personality, but the correlation with observed work behaviour is low and rarely exceeds 0.30. This has prompted some to argue that there is little evidence that even the best personality tests predict job performance. An alternative perspective would be to recognize that trait-based measures provide some explanation of work behaviour, when related to specific criteria. For example, Leadership Traits relating to personal conviction, charisma and imagination ('vision') have been linked to Transformational Leadership. This type of insight may be of value in a selection situation. However, most personality questionnaires do not explore the dynamic interaction between the individual and their work environment, or explain the underlying processes that contribute to different styles of leadership.
Trait-based models of personality provide only a partial explanation of behaviour at work. They do not examine needs, motives, or context, or how these are likely to shape an individual's response in a particular type of situation. In many ways these needs and motives can be viewed as the "drivers" contributing to underlying Personal Strengths and Potential. These attributes are then reflected in the trait-based profile, and their impact can be significant.
Profiling High Performance at Work
An important study of Bell Labs engineers found that high performers were not identified by ability or personality traits. This may, in part, be a consequence of objective selection procedures, possibly reinforced by a process of self-selection. This would tend to reduce significant differences between employees on these dimensions. However, it can also be argued that personality traits are not the best start point when profiling high performance. They assess broad underlying characteristics but miss the more 'fine-grained' issues affecting motivation and performance.
In the case of Bell Labs, those individuals who were more effective did display distinctive patterns of work behaviour, reflecting the way they perceived their role and prioritized activities. However, these differences were not explained by personality traits or IQ. To profile these attributes requires a dynamic model of performance. Following the initial research at Bell Labs a training programme was developed, known as the Productivity Enhancement Group. The training sessions were run by respected engineers and included work-related exercises, case studies and frank discussion. Substantial productivity improvements were reported after this intervention, moving the 'average' performers closer to the 'stars'.
Identifying High Potential Managers
Although they are not explained by trait-based models, the patterns of response linked to superior performance can be viewed in terms of the interaction between individual needs and situational context. Understanding the dynamics of this process should, therefore, be of significant interest in selection, and a key element in the design of effective training and development programmes. Additional support for this model of work behaviour can be found in the work of Douglas Bray who pioneered Assessment Centres at AT&T, and Dr. Ann Howard, whose book "Managerial Lives in Transition" was a summary of thirty years of research. Needs and motivation are clearly linked to performance, with adjustment to work demands being characterized as a process of interaction.
Amongst the key findings of the Bray/Howard study, it was evident that higher-potential managers gave more desirable ratings to work that involved a lot of responsibility, required more initiative, was dependent on their decisions, and required practical intelligence and quick decisions. The leadership theories and insights into motivational processes highlighted by this research draw strongly on personality theory first outlined by Henry Murray and the research team at Harvard in the late 1930s.
Murray developed a list of needs that contribute to patterns of behaviour arising in response to 'environmental stimuli' (e.g. perceived job demands and work culture). Considerable attention has been given to the need for Achievement, Power, and Affiliation, and it has been shown that these factors influence the quality of 'match' between the person and the job. It has also been shown that needs predict job satisfaction and competency. There are clear links between performance outcomes and the motivational drivers that underpin leadership traits.
The way an individual adapts to the work environment can, therefore, be viewed in terms of underlying needs and motivation. These determine levels of energy that contribute to Personal Strengths, affect perceptions of Role Demands, and influence discretionary behaviour and performance. Potential is closely linked to responding effectively to new situations and the Learning Agility required applying knowledge and experience in new ways. For managers, this flexibility impacts on leadership skills and overall leadership performance.
Being receptive to feedback, and being able to adapt to new demands, are increasingly seen as essential Leadership Traits. The good news is that these can be developed through practical leadership skills training.
