Chapter 2

Leadership Traits
and Ethics
Leadership: Theory, Application, Skill Development, 1E, Lussier/Achua ©2001 South-Western College Publishing 2-1
 Two Meanings of
Personality
• The impression a person makes
on others
• The unseen structures and
processes inside a person that
explain why we behave the way
we do.
Leadership: Theory, Application, Skill Development, 1E, Lussier/Achua ©2001 South-Western College Publishing
 Traits

 Traits refer to regularities or

trends in a person’s behavior.
 The trait approach to personality
maintains that people behave the
way they do because of the
strength of the traits they possess.

Leadership: Theory, Application, Skill Development, 1E, Lussier/Achua ©2001 South-Western College Publishing
 Great Man (Person)
Approach
Sought to identify
the traits effective
leaders possessed.
Leadership: Theory, Application, Skill Development, 1E, Lussier/Achua ©2001 South-Western College Publishing 2-3
 Big Five Model of
Personality
Surgency

Agreeableness Adjustment

Conscientiousness Open to experience

Leadership: Theory, Application, Skill Development, 1E, Lussier/Achua ©2001 South-Western College Publishing 2-4
 Big Five Model of
Personality
Surgency

Agreeableness Adjustment

Conscientiousness Open to experience

Leadership: Theory, Application, Skill Development, 1E, Lussier/Achua ©2001 South-Western College Publishing 2-4
 Advantages of Big 5 Model

Advantages of the Big Five Model

•Provides explanation of leader and follower
tendencies.
•Personality traits tend to be constant over time.
•Important for leader to know own traits to
assess likelihood of success in various
environments
•Successfully works in many environments.

Leadership: Theory, Application, Skill Development, 1E, Lussier/Achua ©2001 South-Western College Publishing
 Advantages of Big 5 Model

 Useful categorization scheme for discussions

 Good profiling for corporate and occupational

functions

 Universally accepted across cultures

Leadership: Theory, Application, Skill Development, 1E, Lussier/Achua ©2001 South-Western College Publishing
 Disadvantages of Big 5
Model
• 5 factors are not enough to
adequately encompass all the
different personality traits
• Dimensions tend to be fairly
heterogeneous internally, which
makes them poor predictors of job
performance
Leadership: Theory, Application, Skill Development, 1E, Lussier/Achua ©2001 South-Western College Publishing
 1.
1. Bullying
Bullyingstyle
style

2.
2.Cold,
Cold,aloof,
aloof,arrogant
arrogant
6
3.
3.Betrayed
Betrayedpersonal
personaltrust
trust
Major
Reasons 4.
4.Self-centered
Self-centered

for 5.
5.Specific
Specificperformance
performance
problems
problems
Executive
6.
6.Over-manage
Derailment Over-manage

Leadership: Theory, Application, Skill Development, 1E, Lussier/Achua ©2001 South-Western College Publishing 2-5
 Locus
Locus of
of Integrity
Integrity
Control
Control

High
High energy
energy 9 Flexibility
Flexibility
Traits of
Dominance
Dominance
Effective Sensitivity
Sensitivity
to
to others
Leaders others

Self-confident
Self-confident Intelligence
Intelligence
Stability
Stability

Leadership: Theory, Application, Skill Development, 1E, Lussier/Achua ©2001 South-Western College Publishing 2-6
 Achievement Motivation
Theory
• attempts to explain and predict
behavior and performance based
on one’s need for achievement,
power, and affiliation.

Leadership: Theory, Application, Skill Development, 1E, Lussier/Achua ©2001 South-Western College Publishing 2-7
 Need for Achievement
• Unconscious concern for excellence in
accomplishments through individual
efforts
• Goal oriented, set moderate, realistic,
attainable goals
• Seek challenge, excellence, individuality
• Take calculated, moderate risk
• Desire feedback, work hard

Leadership: Theory, Application, Skill Development, 1E, Lussier/Achua ©2001 South-Western College Publishing
 Need for Power
• Unconscious concern for influencing
others and seeking positions of
authority
• Want to control situation, influence
others
• Enjoy competition they can win
• Willing to confront others, seek
positions of authority & status
Leadership: Theory, Application, Skill Development, 1E, Lussier/Achua ©2001 South-Western College Publishing
 Need for Affiliation
• Unconscious concern for developing,
maintaining, and restoring close personal
relationships
• Want to be liked by others, enjoy social
activities, seek to belong
• Enjoy developing, helping, and teaching
others
• More concerned about what others think of
them rather than getting their own way

Leadership: Theory, Application, Skill Development, 1E, Lussier/Achua ©2001 South-Western College Publishing
Theory X.................Theory Y
(Autocratic) (Participative)
Control Support

Leadership: Theory, Application, Skill Development, 1E, Lussier/Achua ©2001 South-Western College Publishing 2-8
 “If you think you
can
you can,
if you think you
can’t,
you can’t.”
Leadership: Theory, Application, Skill Development, 1E, Lussier/Achua ©2001 South-Western College Publishing 2-10
 Ways to Develop a Positive
Self-Concept
• Maintain a positive. Optimistic attitude--
few, if any, benefits to negative
pessimistic attitudes about others
• Cultivate optimistic thoughts
• If you catch yourself complaining, stop
and change to positive statements
• Avoid negative people!!

Leadership: Theory, Application, Skill Development, 1E, Lussier/Achua ©2001 South-Western College Publishing
 Ways to Develop a Positive
Self-Concept
• Set and achieve goals
• Focus on successes--do not dwell on
failures
• Accept compliments
• Think for yourself
• Do things to help others less fortunate--
you’re never as bad off as you think

Leadership: Theory, Application, Skill Development, 1E, Lussier/Achua ©2001 South-Western College Publishing