Leadership Traits

Question 1

What is the traits theory of leadership?

Answer 1

It assumes that leaders are born and not made. Assumes that leadership consists of certain inherited characteristics that distinguishes leaders from others.

Traits: distinguishing personal characteristics
Characteristics: combination of traits

Question 2

What are derailed leadership traits?

Answer 2

Poor human skills
Destructive narcissism
Greed and resistance to change

Question 3

What are the traits in the Big 5 model of personality?

Answer 3

Surgency
Agreeableness
Adjustment
Conscientiousness
Openness

Question 4

Describe the 5 traits in Big 5 theory?

Answer 4

Surgency: dominance, extraversion, energy, determination

Agreeableness: Sociability, Sensitivity, Emotional intelligence

Adjustment: Emotional stability, self confidence

Conscientiousness: Dependability, intergrity

Openness: Flexibility, intelligence, internal locus of control

Question 5

What are the correlation of Big 5 with leadership?

Answer 5

Highest: Surgency
Conscientiousness
Openness

Weakest: agreeableness

Negative: Adjustment (neuroticism)

Question 6

What are the realities of the traits approach?

Answer 6

• Fails to take situation into account
• Fails to consider how traits are inter-related and how they influence the behavior of a leader
• Ignores the fact that some traits should be moderate
• Traits do not distinguish effective leaders but rather predict the emergence of leadership