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Two strengths and Two Limitations of the Trait Theory
Strengths and limitations of trait theory
Trait theory of leadership example
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In an increasingly politically correct, democratic society—where equality of treatment and equity of outcome oftentimes overshadow individual performance—trait theory of leadership has managed to survive. Instead of focusing on the context of a specific leadership situation or the subordinates in an organization, trait theory targets only the man or woman in charge. Essentially, trait theory suggests that potential leaders and great leaders who have already demonstrated success are best analyzed in a vacuum. While trait theory may have fallen in an out of favor over the past century, it does have certain advantages that are especially pertinent to those in the military. Before treading any further into its occupational applicability, however, the reader will benefit from a brief survey of trait theory’s origins, approach, strengths, and critiques.
Origins
Arguably the first approach to the study of leadership, the trait approach was employed in the field long before it was tackled in the classroom. After all, Sun Tzu preached “know your enemies” (Sun Tzu, 2002 pg. 6) long before Socrates entreated students to “know thyself” (Socrates, 1879, pg. xi). From ancient battlefields to philosophical mysteries, understanding the inherent characteristics of a person has proven a worthy goal. People’s aspirations to leadership however, had yet to be matched with a theoretical basis for many years. It was not until the early 20th century that the topic found itself under the scholar’s gaze.
Approach
Initial studies often focused on the “great man” approach, whereby already successful and admired leaders were scrutinized to find common characteristics (Northouse, 2010, pg. 15). Jesus, Washington, Napoleon, and the like found t...
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...ew people who I initially felt were more reserved than I would have liked. As the season progressed, two individuals progressed along with it, ultimately becoming very aggressive on the court. Whether, I was incorrect in my initial read of the individuals or if they truly grew into their role I am unsure. Yet, the example does highlight some of the criticisms of using the trait approach.
In the end, people, unlike the trait approach to leadership, do not operate in a vacuum. I should not rely on initial assessments unless necessary when establishing an organization. Additionally, I should be wary of rejecting challenging missions based on an assessment of my traits. Just as certain members of the floor hockey team ultimately exceeded my expectations as the season progressed, I too must remember that leadership is a process and a journey, not a checklist.
However, it’s that ambiguity that allows different types of personalities to thrive as leaders. From soft-spoken to loud and booming, from conceptual thinkers to detailed planners, leaders have varied greatly in character and leadership styles.3 Today our Air Force has the most educated and skilled Airmen that its ever had. Technologically-advanced Millennials make up more of the Air Force today than any other generation and they are industrious, free-thinking, and keenly perceptive. It is essential that leaders be sincere with their subordinates as people can easily distinguish between genuine concern and manufactured emotion. As stated by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner who surveyed thousands of people on what they want in their leaders, the results were
Kirkpatrick, S. A., & Locke, E. A. (2001). Leadership: Do traits Matter? Academy of Management Executive,5,, 48-60.
The most effective leaders know better than to try to be someone they are not. They should always be searching for opportunities to reinvest in their strengths. Leaders need to stay true to who they are and make sure they have the right people around them. The book says those who surround themselves with similar personalities are at a disadvantage to those who are secure enough to be surrounded by people who strengths will compliment theirs.
Leadership is a quality which cannot be acquired by any person from the other but it can be acquired by self-determination of a person. Leadership can best be called the personality of the very highest ability-whether in ruling, thinking, imagining, innovation, warring, or religious influencing. Leadership is practiced not so much in words a it is in attitude and in actions. Their actions leave a long lasting memory in the line of history and lead up to may events that occur today. To be a leader one will need many qualities. Leaders have a purpose and strategies to accomplish that purpose. They are driven and motivated. In the end they should be able to attain good results. These innate talents help to make up a leader that will succeed and be efficient in carrying out tasks. But, the purpose of this paper is determine what truly makes a leader successful. A successful leader should be considered more on their impact rather than their accomplishments of their organizations alone for they are not sufficient in determining the key to their success .
A trait is a stable characteristic that causes an individual to behave a certain way. A person’s personality is made up of a special combination of various traits that are unique to each individual (Cherry). In 1936, psychologist Gordon Allport categorized all of the traits into three levers: cardinal traits, central traits, and secondary traits. He said that cardinal traits are traits that dominate an individual’s whole life, that central traits are general characteristics that form the basis of the personality, and that secondary traits are traits that refer to specific attitudes or preferences that only appear in certain situations (Cherry).
In my career…in my life I have been exposed to a handful of exceptional leaders that have influenced me in positive ways. For me, it took time to ascertain who those good leaders were – mostly because of my tendency to perform long and drawn-out analysis of their traits before forming a conclusion - typical ‘C’ personality (DiSC). The person that has always been at
The purpose of this research report is to investigate the personality of Beyoncé Knowles in terms of humanistic and trait conceptions of personality.
The general personality traits, which are related to success both in and outside the workplace, are all inherent in my answers given in the Leadership Assessment Quiz. With statements such as, “it is easy for me to compliment others” and “team members listen to me when I speak,” it is apparent I possess these characteristics. Whereas my task- related personality traits associated with successful leadership, such as courage, still need to be developed. Not only do I know this in myself, but it is clearly pointed out throughout the test, with statements such as, “resolving conflict is an activity I enjoy” and “I would enjoy coaching other members of the team”.
First, trait theory of leadership development holds that a person is either born with, or without leadership qualities. According to this approach, it is the inherited cognitive ability that will enable
The leadership is a result of a combination of traits, with special emphasis on the personal qualities of the leader, which he should possess certain personality traits that would be special facilitators in leadership performance. This theory shows that leaders are born as such, there is no likelihood of 'making' them later with personal development techniques.
The Traits theory, otherwise known as the Great Man theory, is the origination of leadership theories. This theory believes that there is a unique set of qualities for a leader, mainly: his intelligence and ability to judge, his knowledge power, self-confidence and dependabil...
As an officer in the United States Army, it has been imperative for me to understand every facet of leadership and why it remains important to be an effective leader. During this course, I have learned some valuable lessons about myself as a leader and how I can improve on my leadership ability in the future. The journal entries along with the understanding of available leadership theories have been an integral part of my learning during this course. For all of the journals and assessments that I completed, I feel it has given me a good understanding of my current leadership status and my future potential as a leader. All of the specific assessments looked at several areas in regards to leadership; these assessments covered several separate focus areas and identified my overall strengths and weaknesses as a leader. Over the course of this paper I will briefly discuss each one of these assessments and journal entries as they pertained to me and my leadership.
The Great Man theory postulated that great leaders are born not made. This theory attempted to identify the set of attributes that all natural born leaders have in common. There is indeed truth to the belief that some people inherently have more leadership gifts than others, however, it has now become clear that leadership is actually learnable. This perception birthed the trait theory of leadership that examines which individual characteristics should be pursued to lead effectively. The premise of this concept is if you possess certain traits and attributes people will follow you. The weakness of this theory is that it identified dozens of traits but no single set emerged as ideal for all circumstances. Closely related is the skills theory of leadership, as in trait theory it attempts to identify a key set of attributes but in this case practical skills rather than staple qualities of a leader. The premise of the skills theory is that if you want people to follow you, you need technical, conceptual, and persuasive skills along with diplomacy, affability and visionary acuity to see the big picture and to think strategically (Day, Fleenor, Atwater, et al, 2014). Next, there is the Situational Leadership theory which argues that there is no one size fits all model. Certain traits, skills, and styles fit better in one situation than another so a leader must adapt. Transactional leadership and transformational leadership are two theories that can be considered together. Transactional Leadership proposes there is a reciprocity of behavior between the leader and follower and people will follow based on the incentives in place. Therefore, the leader’s job is to find the right combination of rewards and
As Yukl (2010) indicates, such factors (e.g. personality, values and capacities) attributed to a leader. Normally it is widespread acknowledged that someone is born to be a lead...
After understanding the theory behind both the trait and skill approach, I was eager to evaluate and reflect on my own leadership traits. It was interesting to see how the trait approach allowed me to better understand whether or not I have certain traits considered to be important for leadership, while skills approach allowed me to evaluate my strengths and weaknesses in the technical, human and conceptual skills. From completing the Leadership Trait Questionnaire (LTQ) and the Skills Inventory, I was able to reflect more on how I behave towards others in a leadership context, as well as the skills that I currently possess. As a naturally extroverted person, I have been taking on leadership roles from a young age. The findings from these two