20150701 - leadership styles and personality traits

Running head: LEADERSHIP STYLES AND PERSONALITY 1

Leadership Styles and Personality Traits

William Harding

Grand Canyon University

July 1, 2015

LEADERSHIP STYLES AND PERSONALITY 2

Leadership Styles and Personality Traits

Do our world and industry leaders have personality disorders and if they do, is it

undesirable? That being considered, three seemly-unrelated papers were evaluated, Lilienfeld et

al. (2012), Odom et al. (2012), and van Eeden et al. (2008), where some personality

disorders/traits, identified within individuals in successful leadership positions, were considered

desirable. The authors of the evaluated papers focused on three separate themes and used

different methods for conducting their research, but all of the identified individual themes

converged on the common theme of identifying positive personality traits associated with

individuals who possess effective leadership styles.

With consideration for the various personality traits and leadership styles associated with

individuals in either existing successful authoritative roles or individuals who strive to become

effective industry and global leaders, this paper will offer a comparative analysis of the three

evaluated papers, such that a common theme can be explored, where that common theme

proposes that individuals with seemly-undesired personality traits as well as a strong sense of

self-identity, do in fact exemplify effective leaders.

Comparison of Research Themes

With the Lilienfeld et al. (2012) evaluation of U.S. presidents and personality disorders,

the Odom et al. (2012) assessment of transactional and transformational management styles

within a South African company, and the Eeden et al. (2008) evaluation of Texas A&M

University students developing their identity of self, the three papers did share a common theme

that considered the personality traits of effective leaders. With that being considered, a closer

evaluation of each paper’s individual theme will help reinforce the proposal that there is a

common theme that is shared among the three papers.


Theme - Lilienfeld et al. (2012)

Lilienfeld et al. (2012) focused on the theme of determining if there are positive attributes

of psychopathic personalities within American presidents, as those attributes contributed to

creating exceptional leaders. With consideration of data collected from biographers, journalists,

and scholars, who were all experts in the data associated with 42 past U.S. presidents as well as

their associated noteworthy accomplishments, Lilienfeld et al. (2012) produced results that were

contrary to the proposed research question.

The Lilienfeld et al. (2012) research and resulting data may not have fully supported the

proposed research question, but the results produced significant information that connects the

psychopathic personality trait of fearless dominance to presidents who have had extraordinary

tenures as Commander and Chief. Additionally, the Lilienfeld et al. (2012) theme overlaps with

the themes of the other two papers in its inferences that individuals with self-confidence and

intellect brilliance make the best leaders.

Theme - Odom et al. (2012)

The Odom et al. (2012) theme of identifying effective leadership styles as might be found

through an examination of 8 managers and leaders of a South African company, was primarily

focused on the personality traits of laissez-faire behavior, transactional leadership, and

transformational leadership. The Odom et al. (2012) theme plays an important role in helping

the South African company’s migration to using leaders and managers with more clearly

developed transformational leadership styles.

The traits that are associated with the positive elements of transformational leadership

styles align well with the other two paper’s determination that ideal leaders are transformative.

That point being stated and with considered of transformational leadership traits, the most


effective U.S. presidents examined by Lilienfeld et al. (2012) and the students that desire to be

leaders, as defined by Eeden et al. (2008), were inferred to be proactive and assertive individuals

that seek to inspire others.

Theme - Eeden et al. (2008)

The Eeden et al. (2008) principal theme was to determine the impact of Personal Growth

Projects (PGP) on the development of a student's self-image as well as becoming an effective

leader. The examination of 90 Texas A&M student PGP assignments that were created as part of

a college leadership course showed that the need for students to develop a self-image as an

effective leader was an important trait that most successful leaders had also developed.

In support of a common theme shared between the three evaluated papers, the Eeden et

al. (2008) identification of the important role that self-image plays in developing as a successful

leader, supports the personality traits associated with effective transformational leaders as

determined by Odom et al. (2012) and also the desired personality trait of self-confidence

associated with effective U.S. presidents, as exposed by Lilienfeld et al. (2012).

Conclusion

The three papers that were examined focused on unique and distinct themes (such as

positive attributes of psychopathic personality traits within American presidents, identifying

effective leadership styles of managers within a small company, and determining the impact of

PGP on the development of a student's self-image as a leader), but following a comparative

analysis of the three papers, a clear and shared theme emerged that focused on the desired

personality traits and leadership styles of individuals defined as successful leaders. The papers

worked together to support the proposal that many individuals who have a strong self-identity


and who possess the seemly undesired trait of fearless dominance or the less than obvious traits

of risk taking and innovative problem solving, were the most effective leaders.


References

Lilienfeld, S. O., Waldman, I. D., Landfield, K., Watts, A. L., Rubenzer, S., & Faschingbauer, T.

R. (2012). Fearless dominance and the U.S. presidency: Implications of psychopathic

personality traits for successful and unsuccessful political leadership. Journal of

Personality and Social Psychology, 103(3), 489-505.

http://library.gcu.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com.library.gcu.edu:2048/lo

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Odom, S. F., Boyd, B. L., & Williams, J. (2012). Impact of personal growth projects on

leadership identity development. Journal of Leadership Education, 11(1), 49-63.


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van Eeden, R., Cilliers, F., & van Deventer, V. (2008). Leadership styles and associated

personality traits: Support for the conceptualisation of transactional and transformational

leadership. South African Journal of Psychology, 38(2), 253-267.


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20150701 - leadership styles and personality traits

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