Chapter 2: Trait Approach
Description (1 of 17)
• Leadership trait research became
common in the 20th century.
• Originally focused on “great man” theories.
• Stogdill reviewed the literature on
leadership traits in both 1948 and 1974.
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Description (2 of 17)
• Did not decrease modern interest in the
trait approach.
• Interest after the election of Obama.
• Jung and Sosik (2006) found charismatic
leaders qualities
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Description (3 of 17)
• Stogdill’s 1948 literature review found
these differences between leaders and
group-members:
• Intelligence.
• Alertness.
• Insight.
• Responsibility. (cont.)
Northouse, Leadership, 9th edition. © SAGE Publications, 2021.
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Description (4 of 17)
• Initiative.
• Persistence.
• Self-confidence.
• Sociability.
Northouse, Leadership, 9th edition. © SAGE Publications, 2021.
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Description (5 of 17)
• Stogdill’s 1974 literature review found
these differences between leaders and
group-members:
• Drive for responsibility/task completion.
• Vigor/persistence.
• Risk-taking/originality.
• Socially initiative. (cont.)
Northouse, Leadership, 9th edition. © SAGE Publications, 2021.
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Description (6 of 17)
• Self-confidence/personal identity.
• Accepts consequences.
• Absorbs interpersonal stress.
• Tolerates frustration/delay.
• Influences others.
• Structures social interaction systems.
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Description (7 of 17)
• Mann’s 1959 study found these qualities in
powerful leaders:
• Intelligence.
• Masculinity.
• Adjustment.
• Dominance.
• Extraversion.
• Conservatism.
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Description (8 of 17)
• Kirkpatrick and Locke’s (1991) six traits of
leadership:
• Drive.
• Motivation.
• Integrity.
• Confidence.
• Cognitive ability.
• Task knowledge.
• Authors believed these traits could be innate or
acquired.
Northouse, Leadership, 9th edition. © SAGE Publications, 2021.
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Description (9 of 17)
• The 1990s saw a focus on social intelligence, a
combination of:
• Social awareness.
• Social acumen.
• Self-monitoring.
• Responses informed by situational awareness.
• Research typically converges on five leadership traits:
• Intelligence.
• Self-confidence.
• Determination.
• Integrity.
• Sociability.
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Description (10 of 17)
Intelligence
• Leaders tend towards higher IQs.
• Strong verbal, perceptual, and reasoning
abilities.
• Optimally, leaders should be just over 1
standard deviation of IQ above followers.
Northouse, Leadership, 9th edition. © SAGE Publications, 2021.
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Description (11 of 17)
Self-Confidence
• The ability to be certain about one’s
competencies and skills.
• Influencing followers is easier when one
feels:
• High self-esteem.
• High self-assurance.
• The belief that one can make a difference.
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Description (12 of 17)
Determination
• The desire to get the job done.
• Leaders are assertive, proactive, and dedicated.
• Component characteristics:
• Initiative.
• Persistence.
• Dominance.
• Drive.
• “Grit,” which influences recovery from setbacks.
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Description (13 of 17)
Integrity
• Honesty and trustworthiness.
• Highly principled and accept responsibility.
• Loyal and dependable.
• Followers trust a leader with integrity to
deliver on their promises.
Northouse, Leadership, 9th edition. © SAGE Publications, 2021.
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Description (14 of 17)
Sociability
• Inclination to seek out pleasant social
relationships.
• Friendly and outgoing.
• Tactful, diplomatic, and courteous.
• Sensitive to others’ needs.
• Good interpersonal skills.
• Forge cooperative relationships with
followers.
Northouse, Leadership, 9th edition. © SAGE Publications, 2021.
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Description (15 of 17)
Five-Factor Personality Model and Leadership
• Research indicates the “Big 5” personality
traits:
• Extraversion (surgency).
• Conscientiousness.
• Openness (intellect).
• Neuroticism.
• Agreeableness.
Northouse, Leadership, 9th edition. © SAGE Publications, 2021.
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Description (16 of 17)
Strengths and Leadership
• Everyone has strengths or talents.
• Good leaders leverage their own strengths as
well as those of their followers.
• Character strengths and virtues can improve
leaders/leadership.
• Integrity is the primary contributor to
differences in executive performance.
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Description (17 of 17)
Emotional Intelligence
• Emotional intelligence is the interplay of:
• The affective domain: emotions.
• The cognitive domain: thoughts.
• Components of emotional intelligence:
• Perceiving and expressing emotion.
• Using emotion to facilitate thinking.
• Understanding and reasoning with emotions.
• Managing emotions in oneself and relationships.
• Not a fixed characteristic; can be trained.
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How Does the Trait Approach
Work?
• Focuses exclusively on the leader.
• Leader’s traits are central.
• Designated leadership profiles.
• Traits assessments for personal
development
Author, Title and Edition. © SAGE Publications, 2018.
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Strengths
• Intuitively appealing.
• Extensive body of research.
• Benchmarks for growth.
• Helps organizations identify and train
leaders.
Northouse, Leadership, 9th edition. © SAGE Publications, 2021.
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Criticisms
• No definitive list of traits.
• Does not consider situational influences.
• Highly subjective determinations of the most
important leadership traits.
• Hasn’t connected traits to specific leadership
outcomes.
• Limited usefulness for training and
development.
Northouse, Leadership, 9th edition. © SAGE Publications, 2021.
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Application
• Provides direction for personal
development.
• Helps managers to:
• Assess their current role in an organization.
• Determine their leadership strengths.
• Develop ways of strengthening their position
within the organization.
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