What does it mean to be a leader? What traits are required? Are the leadership traits depicted in table 2.2, Northouse (2013, pg. 23), i.e., Intelligence, Self-confidence, Determination, Integrity, Sociability, a requirement in good leaders? Are leaders born or made?
I am extremely proud to say that I am now in my 24th year of service in a large state police agency. I have now been in a supervisory role, or leadership role, longer than I have not. Since our agency, like all police departments is paramilitary, orders are to be followed, without exception. All of my supervisory roles have been in the field, not in bureaus. My decisions, and that of my superiors, can have lasting impact or dire consequences. I have had many bosses during my tenure. You seem to remember the most about the really good ones and the really bad ones.
Through evaluations my superiors have told me that I have strong leadership skills and “lead by example”. I know that I am demanding but fair and I also know that people enjoy working for me. I have always taken pride in my work and in my department. I thought that my subordinates could not follow my direction if they did not have the utmost confidence in my knowledge skills and ability. I have always ensure that I lead through my actions, words and work product in order to lead and inspire those under my command.
The intelligence trait is indicative of pride in one’s organization and career. It is not a measure of IQ but rather suggests that you apply enough whatever intelligence you have to learn policy and procedure to the point that you have a working knowledge of it when your subordinates come to you for advice or direction.
Self-confidence and command presence go hand in hand. Command presence is not domineering. It merely suggests in the way that you carry yourself that you are ready, able and willing to shoulder responsibility and make command decisions when necessary. You simply cannot have one without the other.
Determination means that you are aware of the task at hand, took ample time to prepare, collected whatever information is available and are prepared to issue a plan of action to achieve the desired consequences.
Integrity in my line of work is second to none. Who could ever follow someone into harm’s way that they did not trust? The supervisor must display in his words and actions that he is honest and has the best personal and professional interests of his subordinates in mind in every action and with every decision he makes.
The great leader must be sociable. He must able to relate to his subordinates on a professional and personal level; after all, the decisions he makes will effect both.
Two necessary traits not listed but which are critical to leadership are common sense and empathy. Leaders need to employ these traits in the decisions they make. They must understand that policy and regulations are not black and white. Having done the job efficiently would provide that he employs empathy and would err on the side of the employee whenever possible and appropriate.
I believe that one can learn these traits if they possess the appropriate work ethic and dedication to a chosen career. They will quickly exceed at their craft and look for positive influence from role models and proficient supervisors. Without the aforementioned traits in his toolbox, one cannot aspire to greatness when it comes to leadership.
Northouse, P. (2013). Leadership: Theory and Practice (Sixth Edition). Thousand Oaks, California: SAGE publications, Ltd..
PennState World campus, The Pennsylvania State University. (2015). Leadership in Work Settings. Retrieved 17 January 2015 from https://courses.worldcampus.psu.edu/sp15/psych485/002/content/01_lesson/printlesson.html
Barbie Jo Vickhouse says
Excellent post! I very much enjoyed reading this and agree with you that leading by example goes a long way in building trust with your followers. No one is going to follow anyone they believe is going to make poor decisions, so intelligence is very important. But I really like how you mention that intelligence isn’t necessarily IQ. Intelligence is very subjective- I believe a neuro-surgeon to be highly intelligent given his profession. But that doesn’t mean that he possesses the intelligence, or rather knowledge, to be able to lead your followers.
And you mention that there are two traits not listed but necessary- common sense and empathy. Again, I agree with you that they are necessary, but it could be argued that common sense would fall into the intelligence category. Northouse (2013) says that “intelligence is identified as a trait that significantly contributes to a leader’s acquisition of complex problem-solving skills and social judgement skills” (p. 24). In other words, commons sense is simply knowledge or intelligence you acquire in life by experience which is used to solve problems and make decisions.
And empathy would fit into the category of sociability. Northouse (2013) explains that leaders who exhibit this trait are “sensitive to others’ needs and show concern for their well-being” (p. 26).
References
Northouse, P.G. (2013). Leadership: Theory and Practice. Los Angeles: Sage Publications
Barbie Jo Vickhouse says
Excellent post! I very much enjoyed reading this and agree with you that leading by example goes a long way in building trust with your followers. No one is going to follow anyone they believe is going to make poor decisions, so intelligence is very important. But I really like how you mention that intelligence isn’t necessarily IQ. Intelligence is very subjective- I believe a neuro-surgeon to be highly intelligent given his profession. But that doesn’t mean that he possesses the intelligence, or rather knowledge, to be able to lead your followers.
And you mention that there are two traits not listed but necessary- common sense and empathy. Again, I agree with you that they are necessary, but it could be argued that common sense would fall into the intelligence category. Northouse (2013) says that “intelligence is identified as a trait that significantly contributes to a leader’s acquisition of complex problem-solving skills and social judgement skills” (p. 24). In other words, commons sense is simply knowledge or intelligence you acquire in life by experience which is used to solve problems and make decisions.
And empathy would fit into the category of sociability. Northouse (2013) explains that leaders who exhibit this trait are “sensitive to others’ needs and show concern for their well-being” (p. 26).
There are some people in life that seem to be the one that everyone else likes. In high-school there was always that one really smart girl or that one really amazing athlete who would talk and be so nice to everyone regardless of what clique they belonged. There was just something about their personalities that everyone else was drawn to and it made them great leaders. It seems as though throughout adulthood these types of people continue to be “natural-born leaders” who are easily followed by others. So why does this occur? It seems as though the Big Five personality factors can explain a lot.
There has been a lot of research done on personality and leadership that has narrowed down personality traits to five basic factors. According to Northouse (2013), neuroticism (your tendency to be depressed, anxious, hostile), extraversion (your tendency to be assertive and outgoing), openness (your tendency to be informed, insightful, curious and creative), agreeableness (your tendency to be accepting, trusting, nurturing), and conscientiousness (your tendency to be thorough, organized, dependable and decisive) are the five basic factors, or the “Big Five”. And possessing some of these personality traits can be associated with being a good leader (p. 27).
Not surprisingly, extroversion has the highest correlation to leadership. If we go back to the example of the smart girl in high school, she was friendly to everyone. She was exceptionally extroverted; she was sociable with just about everyone and always seemed to be so positive. She was the class president, or the president of Future Business Leaders of America, or captain of something. But everyone liked her and everyone seemed to follow her lead. And, more importantly, she seemed to do it without even trying.
So why aren’t all extroverted people great leaders? Well that’s because simply being outgoing and sociable isn’t what makes you a good leader. It helps, sure, but what needs to be considered are the major leadership traits one must have to be viewed as a leader. Northouse (2013) describes the evolution of leadership traits throughout history and narrows it down to five major leadership traits (not to be confused with the Big Five personality factors). These traits are intelligence, self-confidence, determination, integrity and sociability (p. 23). And that is why not all extroverts are good leaders. There are four other traits necessary to be viewed as a good leader. Lacking in any one of these areas changes how followers view the leader and their willingness to follow them.
References
Northouse, P.G. (2013). Leadership: Theory and Practice. Los Angeles: Sage Publications