This chapter discusses key leadership traits identified in research: intelligence, confidence, charisma, determination, sociability, and integrity. It provides examples of how each trait is demonstrated in famous leaders like George Washington, Winston Churchill, Mother Teresa, Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey, and Nelson Mandela. These exceptional leaders exemplify traits like vision, strong will, diligence, inspiration, purpose, and hope. While traits are important, leadership is complex and there are no guarantees to becoming an effective leader.

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Chapter 2:Chapter 2:
Recognizing Your TraitsRecognizing Your Traits

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Chapter Objectives
1. Understand the six key leadership traits.
2. Reviewing traits and characteristics of
famous leaders.

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• Why are some people leaders while
others are not?
• What makes people become leaders?
• Do leaders have certain traits?
Discussion Questions

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• Studies on leadership identified many important
leader traits.
o What specific traits are needed to be a successful
leader?
• Research points to six traits:
o Intelligence
o Confidence
o Charisma
o Determination
o Sociability
o Integrity
Leadership Traits Explained

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• Intelligence includes having good
language skills, perceptual skills, &
reasoning ability.
• It is hard to change Intelligence Quotient
(IQ).
• It is possible to:
o obtain knowledge
o learn about your job & environment
o use information to become better leaders
Intelligence

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• Confidence is a trait that has to do with
feeling positive about one’s self & one’s
ability to succeed.
• Confident people:
o feel self-assured
o believe they can accomplish goals
o do not second-guess themselves—they move
forward with clear visions
o they are positive about self & ability
Confidence

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• How do we build confidence?
o Understanding what is required from us
o Have a mentor to show the way &
provide constructive feedback
o Practice builds confidence & assures us
that we can do what we need to do (e.g.,
Tiger Woods)
Confidence

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• Magnetic charm and appeal that gives leaders
exceptional powers of influence
• Charisma is not a common personality trait.
• To increase charisma:
o Be a strong role model for values
o Be competent in leadership to gain trust
o Articulate clear goals & strong values
o Communicate high expectations & show confidence in
followers’ abilities
o Inspire others
• Ex.: J. F. Kennedy, Gandhi, M. L. King Jr.
Charisma

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• Focused & attentive to tasks
• Know where to go & how to get there
• Includes initiative, persistence, & drive
• Persevere in the face of obstacles
• Easiest for leaders to acquire
• Focus on task, clarify goals, articulate vision,
& encourage others to stay the course
• Ex.: marathon runners, Nelson Mandela
Determination

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• The capacity to establish pleasant social
relationships
• Friendly, outgoing, courteous, & diplomatic
• Sensitive to others & cooperative
• Easier for some than others
• Increasing sociability requires that we try to get
along with our coworkers
o be friendly, kind, & thoughtful
• Ex.: Anne Fox in leadership class
Sociability

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• Honest & trustworthy with strong principles
• Inspire confidence because it creates trust
• Loyal, dependable, & not deceptive
• Undergirds all aspects of leadership
• To increase integrity—be honest & open
• Challenge:
o To strike a balance between being open while
monitoring what is appropriate to disclose
• Ex.: Former President Bill Clinton
Integrity

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• George Washington
• Winston Churchill
• Mother Teresa
• Bill Gates
• Oprah Winfrey
• Nelson Mandela
Historical Leaders

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• Founding father and general in the
Revolutionary War
• Traits:
o Modest
o Moral
o Common man
o Did not thrive on power
o Provided stability & reason
o Even & predictable
o Was “great” because he was “good”
George Washington
(1732–1799)

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• Prime Minister of Great Britain
• Traits:
o Brilliant orator—masterful use of language, plain
speaking
o Ambitious for others & the country
o Inspirational & hope-building
o A self-trained reader
o Suffered from depression—a loner
Winston Churchill
(1874–1965)

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• Humanitarian & Nobel Peace Prize Winner (1979) for her
work with the poor in Calcutta
• Founded Missionaries of Charity in 1950
• Traits:
o Simple
o Clear mission—focused on goals
o Determined & fearless
o Humble & spiritual
o Strong-willed
o Role model for others
Mother Teresa
(1910–1997)

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• Founder of Microsoft & wealthiest person in the
world
• Created a foundation for education & global
health
• Traits:
o Intelligent & visionary
o Task-oriented & diligent
o Focused & aggressive
o Simple, straightforward, unpretentious, & altruistic
William (Bill) Gates
(1954– Present )

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• TV show host, philanthropist, actress,
producer, & publisher
• Most powerful/influential woman
• Traits:
o Excellent communicator
o Intelligent, well-read, strong business sense
o Charismatic style
o Sincere & determined
o Self-disclosing
o Message of hope
Oprah Winfrey
(1954– Present )

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• First black president of South Africa &
1993 Nobel Peace Prize Winner for his
role in ending apartheid
• Traits:
o Self-reflective & deeply moral
o Vision unwavering—fairness & justice
o Steadfast, focused, & disciplined
o Nonviolent & not vindictive
o Consensus builder
o Courageous, patient, humble, & compassionate
Nelson Mandela
(1932– 2013)

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• Visionary
• Strong-willed
• Diligent
• Inspirational
• Purpose-driven
• Role models
• Symbols of hope
• From these exceptional leaders we can gain a better
understanding of the traits that are important for
effective leadership.
What do they all have in common?

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Case Study: An Emerging Leader
• What is your reaction to Tim’s story?
• From your perspective, which has the
greatest impact on Tim’s leadership journey
—nature or nurture?
• Of the six major leadership traits, which are
Tim’s strongest and weakest?
• What characteristics of Tim’s leadership
would you like to incorporate into your own
style of leadership?

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• Traits are important
o but only one dimension of a
multidimensional process
• Leadership is a complex process
o no simple paths or guarantees to
becoming an effective leader
Summary