Personality and development

1. The Role of Personality in
Leadership
Presented by:
Bob Barnwell
Debbie Dover
Allyson Haga
Gary Hughes
Ryan Dailey

2. Per·son·al·i·ty
• 1 a: the quality or state of being a person b: personal
existence 2 a: the condition or fact of relating to a particular
person ; specifically : the condition of referring directly to or
being aimed disparagingly or hostilely at an individual b: an
offensively personal remark <angrily resorted to
personalities> 3 a: the complex of characteristics that
distinguishes an individual or a nation or group ; especially :
the totality of an individual's behavioral and emotional
characteristics b: a set of distinctive traits and characteristics
<the energetic personality of the city> 4 a: distinction or
excellence of personal and social traits ; also : a person
having such quality b: a person of importance, prominence,
renown, or notoriety <a TV personality>
(Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, 2008)

3. Lead·er·ship
• 1 : the office or position of a leader 2 :
capacity to lead 3 : the act or an instance
of leading 4 : LEADERS <the party
leadership>
(Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, 2008)

4. Leadership
• Leadership involves persuading other people to set
aside for a period of time their individual concerns and to
pursue a common goal that is important for the
responsibilities and welfare of a group
• This definition is morally neutral
• Leadership is persuasion, not domination; persons who
can require others to do their bidding because of their
power are not leaders
(Hogan, Curphy and Hogan, 1994, p. 493-504)

5. Leadership
Leadership only occurs when others
willingly adopt, for a period of time, the
goals of a group as their own. Thus,
leadership concerns building cohesive and
goal-oriented teams; there is a causal and
definitional link between leadership and
team performance

6. History
of
Personality

7. History
• Astrology
• Ancient Greece - 4 Humors
• Melancholic
• Sanguine
• Choleric
• Phelgmatic

8. History
• Phrenology – 18th Century
• Franz Josef Gall--Body Types
(Treveno & Konrad - Science & Education, v17 n5, p477-491, May 2008)

9. History
• 1930's – Allport identified more than 17,000 terms for
personality traits
(Schneider, Human Resource Management, 2007)
• 1940's – WWII sparks rapid growth in evaluation technologies
• Isabel Myers begins work on a personality test
(Kennedy, Journal of Employment Counseling, 2004)
• Military focus on personality & leadership
(Schneider, Human Resource Management, 2007)
• William Sheldon's Somatypes

10. History
• 1950's & 60's - Tupes and Christal
• Boiling down thousands of terms into 5 key
factors
(Schneider, Human Resource Management, 2007)

11. The “Big Five” Factors
Personality Testing

12. Conscientiousness
(McCrae and Costa, 1989)
(Mount et al, 1994)
(Hogan, 1991)
Characteristics
– Responsible
– Dependable
– Able to plan
– Organized
– Persistent
– Need for
achievement
– Scrupulousness
Illustrative Adjectives
– Organized
– Systematic
– Thorough
– Hardworking
– Neat
– Dependable

13. Extraversion, Surgency,
Sociability
(McCrae and Costa, 1989)
(Mount et al, 1994)
(Hogan, 1991)
Characteristics
– Sociable
– Talkative
– Assertive
– Ambitious
– Active
– Dominance
– Tendency to
Experience Positive
Emotions
Illustrative Adjectives
– Extroverted
– Talkative
– Assertive
– Gregarious
– Energetic
– Self-dramatizing

14. Agreeableness
(McCrae and Costa, 1989)
(Mount et al, 1994)
(Hogan, 1991)
Characteristics
– Good-Natured
– Cooperative
– Trusting
– Sympathy
– Altruism
Illustrative Adjectives
– Sympathetic
– Cooperative
– Warm
– Tactful
– Considerate
– Trustful

15. Emotional Stability, Adjustment
(McCrae and Costa, 1989)
(Mount et al, 1994)
(Hogan, 1991)
Characteristics
– Calm
– Secure
– Not Nervous
Illustrative Adjectives
– Not Envious
– Relaxed
– Calm
– Stable
– Confident
– Effective

16. Openness to experience,
Intellectance, Culture
(McCrae and Costa, 1989)
(Mount et al, 1994)
(Hogan, 1991)
Characteristics
– Imaginative
– Artistically Sensitive
– Aesthetically
Sensitive
– Intellectual
– Depth of Feeling
– Curiosity
– Need for Variety
Illustrative Adjectives
– Intellectual
– Creative
– Artistic
– Imaginative
– Curious
– Original

17. The “Big Five” Factors

18. Measurement and Theories
• Endless supply of both

19. Left, left, left, right, left…
• The Military studies leadership?

20. Are Leaders Born or Made?
• Three ways to become a leader (Bass,
1989 & 1990)
– Trait
– Great events
– Transformational leadership

21. The Dark Side, Why Does
Leadership Matter?
• Because when they fail there are
negative consequences!

22. Leadership Effectiveness
• Beliefs, values, and ethics
• Not who they are, but what they do
• Hard to change imbedded personality
traits

23. In Clark Aldrich's book, "Simulations and
the Future of Learning," he tells the story
of a manager who listened to the ideas
presented to him by his subordinates and
then went to his boss and presented them
as his own. He then had the subordinates
dismissed so that there were no
witnesses left. I imagine that he was
considered a good leader by both his
boss and himself, yet the subordinates
would of course have said otherwise. In
most circumstances the best judges of
leadership are the followers.

24. Application—Leading Down
• Role of a leader
– Creating a team
– Delegate responsibilities
– Motivate subordinates

25. Application—Leading Down
Leader “Big Five” personality characteristics have an
effect on subordinate attitudes (Smith & Canger, 2004)
• High levels:
– Agreeableness
– Emotional Stability
– Extraversion
• Low levels:
– Conscientiousness
• Positive ratings

26. Application—Leading Down
• Subordinate Big Five personality characteristics
only have a moderate effect on leadership style
(Hetland, Sandal & Johnsen, 2008)
• Agreeableness
• Emotional stability

27. Possible reasons why subordinates do not
have an effect on leadership style
• Frequency of contact
• Learning climate
• Job responsibilities

28. When leading down, leaders must use
their strongest and most effective
personality traits to direct and influence
subordinates. While there is not
necessarily a "wrong" personality trait to
use, agreeableness and extraversion
appear to have the highest level of
positive feedback.

29. Conclusion
The bottom line is performance. Whether
you are working in a team, leading a
department, or selling a service or a
product, the way you communicate and
persuade is critical to your personal
success and you company's overall
effectiveness
(Dr Maynard Brusman, Working Resources, Vol 4, No 8)

30. Conclusion
“Personalities at work are like cars in the
city: They often can keep us from our
destination.”
(Pierce J Howard, The Owner's Manual for Personality at Work, 2001.)

31. Questions?