1

Chapter Two

Traits, Motives, and Characteristics

of Leaders

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© 2010 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. 2

Learning Objectives

Identify general and task-related traits that contribute to leadership effectiveness.

Describe how emotional intelligence contributes to leadership effectiveness.

Identify key motives that contribute to leadership effectiveness.

Describe cognitive factors associated with leadership effectiveness.

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Learning Objectives (cont’d)

Discuss the heredity versus environment issue in relation to leadership effectiveness.

Summarize the strengths and weaknesses of the trait approach to leadership.

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Leadership Characteristics

1. Personality Traits

2. Leadership Motives and Needs

3. Cognitive Factors and Intelligence

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1. Personality Traits

General Personality Traits Traits observable both within and

outside the context of work

Task-Related Personality Traits Traits closely associated with task

accomplishment

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Figure 2-1 General Personality Traits of Effective Leaders

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Figure 2-2 Task-Related Personality Traits of Leaders

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2. Leadership Motives and Needs

Leaders have an intense desire to occupy a position of responsibility for others and to control them.

This desire is evident in four needs or motives, all of which can be considered task related.

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Figure 2-3 Leadership Motives

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3. Cognitive Factorsand Intelligence

Cognition refers to the mental process or faculty by which knowledge is gathered

Leaders must have problem-solving and intellectual skills to effectively gather, process, and store essential information

Six cognitive factors related to leadership effectiveness have been identified

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Figure 2-4 Cognitive Factors and Leadership

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The WICS Model of Leadership in Organizations

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The WICS Model (cont’d)

According to the WICS model, a leader needs the following for the successful utilization of intelligence: Creative skills to generate new ideas Analytical skills to evaluate whether

the ideas are good ones Practical skills to implement the ideas

and to persuade others of their value.

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Influence of Heredity and Environment

Are leaders born or are they made? Both. Individuals inherit a basic capacity to

develop personality traits and mental ability that sets an outer limit on how extensively these traits can be developed

Environmental influences, in turn, determine how much of an individual’s potential will be developed

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Trait Approach

Strengths Serves as a guide

to leader selection Can guide

individuals in preparing for leadership responsibility

Limitations Does not identify

which characteristics are absolutely needed

Does not specify how much of a trait or characteristic is needed

Can breed an elitist conception of leadership

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Summary

The trait-based perspective of leadership asserts that certain personality traits, leader motives, and cognitive factors contribute to leadership effectiveness

Personality traits include both general traits and task-related traits

Leaders can often be distinguished by their needs or motives

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Summary (cont’d)

Cognitive ability is important for leadership success

Traits, motives, and cognitive ability derive from a combination of heredity and environment

Traits do appear to distinguish leaders from nonleaders and effective leaders from less-effective leaders