THE LEADER AS AN THE LEADER AS AN INDIVIDUALINDIVIDUAL

Damon BurtonDamon Burton

University of IdahoUniversity of Idaho

PERSONALITY AND PERSONALITY AND LEADERSHIPLEADERSHIP

Personality – Personality – set of unseen set of unseen characteristics and processes characteristics and processes that underlie a relatively stable that underlie a relatively stable pattern of behavior in response pattern of behavior in response to ideas, objects or people in to ideas, objects or people in the environment. the environment.

Understanding differences in Understanding differences in personality can enhance personality can enhance leadership.leadership.

What are the What are the Big 5?Big 5?

BIG 5 BIG 5 PERSONALITY PERSONALITY DIMENSIONSDIMENSIONS

extraversion,extraversion, agreeableness,agreeableness, conscientiousness,conscientiousness, emotional stability, andemotional stability, and openness to experience.openness to experience.

EXTRAVERSIONEXTRAVERSION Extraversion refers to traits that Extraversion refers to traits that

influence behavior in group settings.influence behavior in group settings. ExtraversionExtraversion – the degree to which a – the degree to which a

person is outgoing, sociable, person is outgoing, sociable, talkative and comfortable meeting talkative and comfortable meeting and talking to new people.and talking to new people.

DominanceDominance is also a characteristic of is also a characteristic of this personality trait because they this personality trait because they like to be in control and have like to be in control and have influence over others.influence over others.

EXTRAVERSIONEXTRAVERSION

Extraverts are confident, seek Extraverts are confident, seek out positions of authority and out positions of authority and are competitive and assertive.are competitive and assertive.

They like being in charge of They like being in charge of others and have responsibility others and have responsibility for others.for others.

Not all leaders need to be Not all leaders need to be extraverts and dominant but extraverts and dominant but it’s often helpful.it’s often helpful.

AGREEABLENESSAGREEABLENESS Agreeableness – Agreeableness – the degree to which the degree to which

a person is able to get along with a person is able to get along with others by being good-natured, others by being good-natured, cooperative, forgiving, cooperative, forgiving, compassionate, understanding and compassionate, understanding and trusting.trusting.

Agreeable leaders are warm and Agreeable leaders are warm and approachable rather than cold, approachable rather than cold, distant and insensitive.distant and insensitive.

They make friends easily and have a They make friends easily and have a lot of friends.lot of friends.

AGREEABLENESSAGREEABLENESS In today’s collaborative In today’s collaborative

organizations, agreeableness is organizations, agreeableness is valuable.valuable.

Agreeableness can be developed Agreeableness can be developed by being friendly and cooperative, by being friendly and cooperative, understanding other people in a understanding other people in a genuine way, and striving to make genuine way, and striving to make people feel good about themselves.people feel good about themselves.

They make friends easily and have They make friends easily and have a lot of friends.a lot of friends.

CONSCIENTIOUSNESSCONSCIENTIOUSNESS

Conscientiousness – Conscientiousness – the degree to the degree to which a person is responsible, which a person is responsible, dependable, persistent, and dependable, persistent, and achievement-oriented.achievement-oriented.

Conscientious leaders focus on a Conscientious leaders focus on a few goals that are pursued in a few goals that are pursued in a purposeful way.purposeful way.

This trait focuses on the task not This trait focuses on the task not relationships.relationships.

EMOTIONAL STABILITYEMOTIONAL STABILITY

Emotional stability – Emotional stability – is the degree is the degree to which a person is well-to which a person is well-adjusted, calm and secure.adjusted, calm and secure.

Leaders who are emotionally Leaders who are emotionally stable handle stress and criticism stable handle stress and criticism well and don’t take mistakes or well and don’t take mistakes or failures personally.failures personally.

They normally are high in They normally are high in emotional intelligence.emotional intelligence.

OPENNESS TO OPENNESS TO EXPERIENCEEXPERIENCE

Openness to experience – Openness to experience – is the degree is the degree to which a person has a broad range of to which a person has a broad range of interests and is imaginative, creative interests and is imaginative, creative and willing to embrace new ideas.and willing to embrace new ideas.

Open leaders are intellectually curious Open leaders are intellectually curious and seek new experiences thru travel, and seek new experiences thru travel, movies, books, the arts and movement.movies, books, the arts and movement.

New experience truly broaden the mind New experience truly broaden the mind and enhance receptivity.and enhance receptivity.

PROBLEMS WITHPROBLEMS WITH THE BIG 5 THE BIG 5

Each dimension is made up of numerous Each dimension is made up of numerous traits which makes it hard to measure.traits which makes it hard to measure.

Limited research have linked the Big 5 Limited research have linked the Big 5 with leadership success. For example, a with leadership success. For example, a review could not conclude that 4 of the 5 review could not conclude that 4 of the 5 dimensions related to successful dimensions related to successful leadership.leadership.

A study of U.S. presidents found A study of U.S. presidents found openness to experience was most highly openness to experience was most highly related to greatness (e.g., Lincoln & related to greatness (e.g., Lincoln & Jefferson).Jefferson).

PROBLEMS WITHPROBLEMS WITH THE BIG 5 -2 THE BIG 5 -2

Extraversion, conscientiousness and Extraversion, conscientiousness and emotional stability also were correlated emotional stability also were correlated with greatness.with greatness.

Few leaders have consistently high Few leaders have consistently high scores across all Big 5 dimensions.scores across all Big 5 dimensions.

Leaders must understand their Leaders must understand their personality traits and emphasize the personality traits and emphasize the positive and mitigate the negative.positive and mitigate the negative.

Intelligence, knowledge, values and Intelligence, knowledge, values and problem-solving skills are also problem-solving skills are also important.important.

What is locus of What is locus of control?control?

LOCUS OF CONTROLLOCUS OF CONTROL

Locus of control – Locus of control – reflects whether reflects whether people place primary responsibility people place primary responsibility for things within themselves or on for things within themselves or on outside forces. outside forces.

Internal control Internal control – is the belief that – is the belief that their own actions determine what their own actions determine what happens to them. happens to them.

External control – External control – is the belief that is the belief that outside forces determine one’s fate. outside forces determine one’s fate.

LOCUS OF CONTROL LOCUS OF CONTROL - 2- 2

Internals versus externals behavior Internals versus externals behavior differently across a wide range of differently across a wide range of settings. settings.

Internals are self-motivated, in control Internals are self-motivated, in control of their behavior, active in social and of their behavior, active in social and political causes, and actively seek political causes, and actively seek information. information.

Internals are also better at handling Internals are also better at handling complex information and problem-complex information and problem-solving and are more achievement solving and are more achievement oriented.oriented.

LOCUS OF CONTROL LOCUS OF CONTROL - 3- 3

Internals are more interested in Internals are more interested in influencing others, so they are more influencing others, so they are more likely to assume leadership roles. likely to assume leadership roles.

Externals prefer structured, directed Externals prefer structured, directed work situations. work situations.

Externals are better at handling work Externals are better at handling work that requires compliance and that requires compliance and conformity, but are worse at initiative, conformity, but are worse at initiative, creativity and independent action.creativity and independent action.

Externals are better followers than Externals are better followers than leaders. leaders.

AUTHORITARIANISMAUTHORITARIANISM Authoritarianism – Authoritarianism – is the belief that is the belief that

power and status differences should power and status differences should exist in organizations. exist in organizations.

Authoritarians adhere to conventional Authoritarians adhere to conventional rules and values, obey established rules and values, obey established authority, respect power and toughness, authority, respect power and toughness, judge others critically and disapprove of judge others critically and disapprove of displaying one’s feelings. displaying one’s feelings.

Highly authoritarian leaders rely heavily Highly authoritarian leaders rely heavily on formal authority and are unlikely to on formal authority and are unlikely to share power with subordinates.share power with subordinates.

AUTHORITARIANISM - AUTHORITARIANISM - 22

The new leadership paradigm is less The new leadership paradigm is less authoritarian.authoritarian.

How followers respond to authoritarian How followers respond to authoritarian leaders depends on how authoritarian leaders depends on how authoritarian they are themselves. they are themselves.

Dogmatism refers to how receptive Dogmatism refers to how receptive people are to others’ ideas and opinions people are to others’ ideas and opinions and is closely related to and is closely related to authoritarianism.authoritarianism.

Dogmatic leaders are close-minded and Dogmatic leaders are close-minded and unreceptive to other ideas and make unreceptive to other ideas and make decisions with limited information. decisions with limited information.

VALUESVALUES

Values – Values – are fundamental beliefs that are fundamental beliefs that an individual considers to be an individual considers to be important, are stable over time and important, are stable over time and impact attitudes, perceptions and impact attitudes, perceptions and behavior. behavior.

Values prompt people to prefer Values prompt people to prefer things be done in a particular way. things be done in a particular way.

Strong values drive behavior.Strong values drive behavior. Two types of values are (a)Two types of values are (a)

instrumentalinstrumental and (b)and (b) end values. end values.

What type of What type of values were we values were we measuring with measuring with the Life Values the Life Values Inventory (LVI)?Inventory (LVI)?

VALUES - 2VALUES - 2 End Values – End Values – beliefs about the kind of beliefs about the kind of

goals that are worth pursuing (e.g., goals that are worth pursuing (e.g., security, health, & social recognition).security, health, & social recognition).

Instrumental Values Instrumental Values – beliefs about – beliefs about the types of behavior that are the types of behavior that are appropriate for reaching goals (e.g., appropriate for reaching goals (e.g., helping others, honesty & courage). helping others, honesty & courage).

Values are learned, not inherited, Values are learned, not inherited, often early in life. often early in life.

Teachers and coaches have a huge Teachers and coaches have a huge impact on values.impact on values.

ATTITUDESATTITUDES Attitude – Attitude – a positive or negative a positive or negative

evaluation of people, events and things.evaluation of people, events and things. Three components of Attitudes include: Three components of Attitudes include:

(a) (a) cognitions (i.e., thoughts), cognitions (i.e., thoughts), (b)(b) affect affect (i.e., feelings), and (i.e., feelings), and (c)(c) behavior. behavior.

Cognitive component focuses on ideas Cognitive component focuses on ideas and knowledge you have about a topic. and knowledge you have about a topic.

Affect component concerns how we feel Affect component concerns how we feel about things.about things.

Attitudes change more easily than Attitudes change more easily than valuesvalues..

ATTITUDES - 2ATTITUDES - 2 Self-Concept – Self-Concept – is the collection of is the collection of

attitudes we have about ourselvesand attitudes we have about ourselvesand includes self-esteem (i.e., general includes self-esteem (i.e., general feelings about oneself).feelings about oneself).

Leaders with positive self-concepts are Leaders with positive self-concepts are more effective in all situations.more effective in all situations.

How leaders relate to others depends How leaders relate to others depends on their attitude towards others.on their attitude towards others.

Theory X and Theory Y represent 2 Theory X and Theory Y represent 2 different sets of attitudes about how different sets of attitudes about how to interact and influence followers.to interact and influence followers.

THEORY X VERSUS THEORY X VERSUS THEORY YTHEORY Y

BAD ATTITUDESBAD ATTITUDES

According to Marshall According to Marshall Goldsmith, leaders sabotage Goldsmith, leaders sabotage their effectiveness with 3 bad their effectiveness with 3 bad attitudes, including:attitudes, including:• winning at all costs in all winning at all costs in all

situations,situations,

• clinging to the past, andclinging to the past, and

• never being able to say you’re never being able to say you’re sorry.sorry.

SOCIAL PERCEPTIONSOCIAL PERCEPTION Perception – Perception – the process people use to make the process people use to make

sense out of their surroundings and sense out of their surroundings and experiences by selecting, organizing and experiences by selecting, organizing and interpreting information.interpreting information.

• People often see the same event differently.People often see the same event differently.

• In a survey of 2000 workers, 92% of In a survey of 2000 workers, 92% of managers rated their performance good to managers rated their performance good to excellent whereas only 67% of workers gave excellent whereas only 67% of workers gave them similar ratings.them similar ratings.

• 40% of women but only 10% of men perceive 40% of women but only 10% of men perceive that women face a “glass ceiling.”that women face a “glass ceiling.”

PERCEPTUAL PERCEPTUAL DISTORTIONSDISTORTIONS

Perception Distortions – Perception Distortions – are errors in are errors in perceptual judgment that arise from perceptual judgment that arise from inaccuracies in the perceptual process.inaccuracies in the perceptual process.

• Stereotyping, halo effect, projection and Stereotyping, halo effect, projection and perceptual defense are common perceptual defense are common perceptual errors.perceptual errors.

• Stereotyping – Stereotyping – the tendency to assign an the tendency to assign an individual to a group or category (e.g., individual to a group or category (e.g., female, black, elderly, or disabled) and female, black, elderly, or disabled) and then to attribute widely held then to attribute widely held generalizations about the group to that generalizations about the group to that individual.individual.

PERCEPTUAL PERCEPTUAL DISTORTIONS - 2DISTORTIONS - 2

• ““Halo Effect” – Halo Effect” – occurs when the a person occurs when the a person develops an overall impression of the person develops an overall impression of the person or situation based on one characteristic.or situation based on one characteristic.

• A “halo” characteristic blinds the person to A “halo” characteristic blinds the person to other factor that should be part of a more other factor that should be part of a more complete assessment (i.e., punctuality).complete assessment (i.e., punctuality).

• Projection – Projection – the tendency to see your own the tendency to see your own personal traits in others so you project your personal traits in others so you project your own needs, feelings, values and attitudes own needs, feelings, values and attitudes into the judgment of others.into the judgment of others.

• If you are highly motivated, you assume If you are highly motivated, you assume followers are as well.followers are as well.

PERCEPTUAL PERCEPTUAL DISTORTIONS - 3DISTORTIONS - 3

• Perceptual Defense – Perceptual Defense – tendency to tendency to protect themselves against ideas, protect themselves against ideas, objects or people that are threatening objects or people that are threatening by disregarding negative experiences.by disregarding negative experiences.

• We develop perceptual “blind spots” so We develop perceptual “blind spots” so negative information doesn’t hurt them.negative information doesn’t hurt them.

• For example, growing up in a home For example, growing up in a home where parents argue all the time might where parents argue all the time might prompt a person to try to avoid conflict prompt a person to try to avoid conflict at all costs.at all costs.

What are What are attributions?attributions?

WHAT IS AN WHAT IS AN ATTRIBUTION?ATTRIBUTION?

Attributions Attributions – – are reasons given to are reasons given to explain successes and failures.explain successes and failures.

Weiner (1985)Weiner (1985) suggests that we each suggests that we each act as naïve psychologists trying to act as naïve psychologists trying to understand the reasons for why a understand the reasons for why a particular outcome occurs. particular outcome occurs.

For exampleFor example, a girl may try to figure , a girl may try to figure out why she lost a tennis match or out why she lost a tennis match or did poorly on an exam. did poorly on an exam.

UNDERLYING UNDERLYING ASSUMPTIONSASSUMPTIONS

Understanding human behavior Understanding human behavior requires first understanding how we requires first understanding how we perceive the social environment. perceive the social environment.

People seek a stable and People seek a stable and predictable environment in order to predictable environment in order to control their surroundings and control their surroundings and predict others’ behavior.predict others’ behavior.

To understand behavior, people look To understand behavior, people look for dispositional qualities in others.for dispositional qualities in others.

ATTRIBUTIONAL ATTRIBUTIONAL PROPOSITIONSPROPOSITIONS

Outcomes generate positive or negative Outcomes generate positive or negative emotions and a search for the reasons emotions and a search for the reasons for the outcome.for the outcome.

Attributions are organized into key Attributions are organized into key dimensions that influence psychological dimensions that influence psychological consequences such as expectancy consequences such as expectancy change or emotional feelings.change or emotional feelings.

Attributional consequences impact Attributional consequences impact behaviors such as achievement behaviors such as achievement motivation. motivation.

WEINER’S (1972) WEINER’S (1972) ORIGINAL MODELORIGINAL MODEL

Ability

Task Difficulty

Coaching

Luck

Officiating

EffortStrategy

Preparation

Performance

Internal External

Stable

Unstable

ATTRIBUTION THEORYATTRIBUTION THEORY

• Attributions – Attributions – are reasons used to explain are reasons used to explain the causes of events or behaviors.the causes of events or behaviors.

• Attributions can be categorized into 2 Attributions can be categorized into 2 dimensions: (a) dimensions: (a) locus of causality locus of causality (i.e., (i.e., internal or external),internal or external), and (b) and (b) stabilitystability (i.e., stable or unstable).(i.e., stable or unstable).

• Internal – Internal – the cause of the behavior or the cause of the behavior or outcome is due to the person.outcome is due to the person.

• ExternalExternal – – the cause of the behavior or the cause of the behavior or outcome is due to situational factors.outcome is due to situational factors.

INTERNAL VERSUS INTERNAL VERSUS EXTERNAL EXTERNAL

ATTRIBUTIONSATTRIBUTIONS

What is What is attributional attributional bias?bias?

ATTRIBUTIONAL ATTRIBUTIONAL BIASESBIASES

Fundamental Attribution Error – Fundamental Attribution Error – when judging others we when judging others we underestimate the influence of underestimate the influence of external factors and overestimate external factors and overestimate the impact of internal factors. the impact of internal factors.

Self-Serving Bias – Self-Serving Bias – people give people give themselves too much credit for themselves too much credit for what the do well and give external what the do well and give external factors too much blame when they factors too much blame when they fail.fail.

What are What are cognitive styles?cognitive styles?

COGNITIVE STYLECOGNITIVE STYLE

Cognitive Style – Cognitive Style – how a person how a person perceives, processes, interprets and perceives, processes, interprets and uses information. uses information.

Cognitive styles are preferences. Cognitive styles are preferences. Brain dominance often factors into Brain dominance often factors into

these styles.these styles. Whole Brain Concept – considers Whole Brain Concept – considers

person’s preference for (a) person’s preference for (a) left versus left versus right brain thinking right brain thinking and (b) and (b) conceptual versus experiential conceptual versus experiential thinking. thinking.

WHOLE BRAIN MODELWHOLE BRAIN MODEL

Provide an example Provide an example of one leader who of one leader who might be a good might be a good example of each example of each cognitive style.cognitive style.

PROBLEM-SOLVING PROBLEM-SOLVING STYLESSTYLES

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator –Myers-Briggs Type Indicator – measures measures how people prefer to gather and how people prefer to gather and evaluate information to solve problems evaluate information to solve problems and make decisions. and make decisions.

The MBTI uses 4 different pairs of The MBTI uses 4 different pairs of attributes to classify people into 16 attributes to classify people into 16 personality types.personality types. • introversion versus extraversion, introversion versus extraversion, • sensing versus intuition,sensing versus intuition,• thinking versus feeling,thinking versus feeling, • judging versus perceiving. judging versus perceiving.

The EndThe End