A511.2.3.RB - Reflecting on Leadership Traits

Welcome back to the second week! 😎 The focus of this discussion will be on the two models on leadership derived from either traits or skills. The trait-approach model is based on the theory that certain personality traits are innate within certain people that enable them to become leaders (Northouse, 2016, p. 40). From this stance, this theory was challenged to identify a definitive list of characteristics for leadership, which shifted to the interactions between leaders and their situation instead. In the skills-approach model, an emphasis on the competencies of a leader is centralized in three personal skills including: technical, human, and conceptual (Northouse, 2016, p. 69). The technical skills represent the proficiency in type of work, the human skills are interpersonal capability with dealing with people, and the conceptual skills is being able to work with ideas and concepts.

Between the two models, the research boils down to the actions that a leader takes based on their capabilities (skills) and personality characteristics (traits). There is a mix between a leader's own natural instincts and environmental situation along with the ability to learn and develop their proficiency as a leader over time. This is evident in a lecture that I have analyzed by Ms. Roselinde Torres (2013) that discusses what makes a great leader in the 21st century below:

Ms. Torres focuses on three questions that are based on either traits, skills or a mixture of both. The three questions on what makes a great leader are:

1. Where are you looking to anticipate the next change to your business model or your life?
2. What is the diversity measure of your personal and professional stakeholder network?
3. Are you courageous enough to abandon a practice that has made you successful in the past?

In the first question, the trait-approach would look at characteristics such as being proactive versus reactive and in the skills-approach would look at the developing a planning state-of-mind that can be refined with experience through a conceptual and technical basis. For the second question, it is the personality trait of sociability and emotional intelligence (EI) for the trait-approach and on the human interpersonal skills for the skills-approach model. Lastly, for the third question, the leadership characteristics of courage comes from self-confidence for the trait-approach model and the insight from a mixture of technical and conceptual skills in the skills-approach model.

Each of these questions can be analyzed through both models, but the most coherent depiction of reality combines the two models to give supporting details.

In considering the traits approach to leadership, what are some of your traits you consider adding or detracting from your ability to lead?

My job working as an U.S. Air Force Officer comes with living and practicing the three Air Force Core Values being: Integrity First, Service Before Self, and Excellence in All We Do (United States Air Force Academy, 2018). Each tenant holds different leadership traits that are pertinent to the core value. For 'Integrity First' the main traits of interest include honesty, courage, and accountability. In 'Service Before Self' characteristics of duty, loyalty and respect are paramount. Lastly, 'Excellence in All We Do' centralized on the aspects of mission, discipline, and teamwork.

Each of these core values have been instilled in me through my commissioning source starting in the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program in college and has been maintained throughout my career. These core values are meant to be applied to our every action and has been supported through decades of military leaders.

After decades of studies of leadership traits (see image below), it was found that some traits were more consistent than others and included: intelligence, self-confidence, determination, integrity, and sociability (Northouse, 2016, p. 40).

Photo: Studies of leadership traits and characteristics adapted from "The Bases of Social Power" that provides a summary of traits identified by researchers from the trait-approach model of leadership (Northouse, 2016, p. 22).

These recurring traits can be linked to the Air Force Core Values with 'Integrity First' referring to the integrity trait, 'Service Before Self' to the sociability aspect, and 'Excellence in All We Do' as a combination of intelligence, self-confidence, and determination.

Overall, I would not detract from any of these traits, but rather will continue to work on each of these traits and hone them through the skills-approach model to become a better leader. It is important to practice the process of leadership because it takes experience to learn how to become a better leader. We all start with some leadership capability, but the potential that each of us can go varies based on how much effort, time, and care that we apply to our leadership style. According to Katz (1974, p. 91), much of these skills are developed through many years of experience and coaching. Technical skills are developed by learning it in industry or educational institutions over time. Human skills are rooted in psychology, sociology, and anthropology theories, but are best practiced by socializing with others with our own interpersonal capabilities. Lastly, our conceptual skills may be more abstract, but can be coached on from our mentors and leaders. All managers and leaders require competency in these skills in one way or another and can be applied with the various traits that each person has.

Considering Stogdill’s (1948, 1974) findings that leadership traits must be relevant to a leader’s actions (Northouse, 2015), how are traits important to your leadership style?

Stogdill contested the thought that all leaders possessed the same set of traits, but rather the traits that they possess must be relevant to the situation of the leader's function. In Stogdill's first set of survey results, there was an implied notion that leadership is determined by situational factors and modified it in his second survey that moderated traits and situation  (Northouse, 2016, p. 20). In his latter research, Stogdill found that the trait-approach is linked to leadership in the following ten characteristics:

1. Drive for responsibility and task completion.
2. Vigor and persistence in pursuit of goals.
3. Risk taking and originality in problem solving.
4. Drive to exercise initiative in social situations.
5. Self-confidence and sense of personal identity.
6. Willingness to accept consequences of decision and action.
7. Readiness to absorb interpersonal stress.
8. Willingness to tolerate frustration and delay.
9. Ability to influence other people's behavior.
10. Capacity to structure social interaction systems to the purpose at hand.

This shows the relevance of the situation in determining which traits a leader decides to exhibit. What can be used to distinguish leadership is the concept of EI. The idea can be summed up to the aspect of sociability and being able to connect with followers in order to earn the respect as a leader. According to Goleman (1998) there are five components of EI as shown below:

Photo: The five components of emotional intelligence at work (Goleman, 1998, p. 88).

These five components help connect our personality traits and capabilities that distinguish our leadership style. Goleman (2000) differentiated between six primary types of leadership being: commanding, visonary, affiliative, democratic, pacesetting, and coaching. Each leadership style utilizes certain traits more than others. In the commanding style, there is a demand for immediate compliance that is rooted in the drive to achieve, initiative, and self-control. For a visonary leader, their main goal is to move followers towards a vision through self-confidence and empathy as a catalyst for change. The affiliative leader aims at promoting harmony and creating emotional bonds with followers. They exude empathy through solid communication and relationship building. In a democratic leadership style, there aims to have a consensus through follower participation that leans heavily on collaboration and communication. A pacesetting leader sets the standard for performance and is conscientious on ability with a drive to achieve set by initiative. Lastly, the coaching style of leadership focuses on developing followers to become leaders for the future. They also exude empathy along with self-awareness to develop others.

The primary leadership traits that I portray would be considered sociability in terms of collaboration and intelligence in terms of technical and analytical abilities. I would say that my natural state for a leadership style would be considered to be affiliative and coaching. The way I interact with my co-workers and subordinates exude is people-oriented with a servant disposition. I aim to take care of my team and will cater to their needs so that they are able to do the best job as possible for the mission. In a laboratory setting that I currently work in, this type of leadership has worked well.

However, back in ROTC, I had to develop my commanding and democratic leadership. When working with the younger cadets, I had to utilize traits that embodied an authoritative figure while being democratic with my cohorts in making leadership decisions for the wing. From these life experiences, I have learned that certain personality traits are important for being applied to different leadership styles. Overall, we can hone traits that come more naturally to us and work on characteristics that may not come as easily when practicing a certain type of leadership. For some people, it may be easier to execute one leadership over another because it jives well with their innate characteristics, but for others it can be practiced on. Leadership is a process and is something that anyone can practice with their baseline traits that they have.

References

Goleman, D. (1998). What makes a leader?. Harvard Business Review, 76(6), 82-91.

Goleman, D. (2000). Leadership that gets results. Harvard Business Review, 78(2), 78-90.

Katz, R.L. (1974). Skills of an effective administrator. Harvard Business Review, 52(5), p. 90-102.

Northouse, P.G. (2016). Leadership: Theory and practice (7th ed.). Los Angeles, CA: Sage Publishing.

Torres, R. (2013). What it takes to be a great leader [Video File]. TED Conferences, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/roselinde_torres_what_it_takes_to_be_a_great_leader/transcript#t-516924

United States Air Force Academy. (2018). Character + leadership. United States Air Force. Retrieved from https://www.academyadmissions.com/the-experience/character/center-for-character-and-leadership-development/