Leadership Traits

We've all heard of the stories about how someone stepped up and became a leader.  You may have even heard someone make the comment "Well that kid was born a leader."  Unfortunately, it is not all that simple.  Leadership traits are not necessarily hereditary - the particular debate goes back to your beliefs about nature versus nurture.

Nurture, Nature and Leadership Traits

The Nature or Nurture argument in a leadership setting means this:  Was the person born that way (nature), or did they learn about leadership from someone else (nurture)?  The theories of leadership we've studied as well as the traits of a leader, lean more towards nurture.

Leadership traits are learned from observing the successes and failures of others, or through direct trial and error experiences.  Whether or not a person accepts the responsibility of being a leader is a function of their personality.  The difference is subtle but important.  A person's experience allows them to understand what it takes to be a leader, but whether they express these leadership traits themselves is a personal choice.

Leadership Traits and Emotional Intelligence

Daniel Goleman has written extensively about what makes a person a leader.  In his book Emotional Intelligence, Goleman divides leadership traits into two broad categories:

• Self Management Skills, and
• The Ability to Relate to Others

Within these two broad categories, Goleman goes on to describe five components, or traits, of emotional intelligence that help to make a person into a leader.  Below is a brief summary of Goleman's findings.

Self Management Skills

This first broad category of leadership traits has to do with the abilities of leaders to "manage" themselves.  The hypothesis here is that leaders must first look inwards, and be in control of themselves, before they can start to lead others.

• Self Awareness - When we have a deep understanding of ourselves, including our strengths and weaknesses, then we are said to be self aware.  For example, if you know that you do not work well under pressure, then you are exhibiting the trait of self awareness.
• Self Regulation - The leadership trait of self regulation leverages self awareness but takes it one step further.  People that exhibit self regulation are able to not only understand their impulsive behaviors, but also control them.
• Motivation - Have you ever been asked this question: How can I get this worker motivated?  Well, the answer is quite simple: You cannot motivate others.  Motivation comes from within, and is a driving passion that exists inside a person.  The most a leader can do is to create an environment where motivation thrives.  Understanding the nuances of motivation is an essential trait for anyone in a leadership role.

The Ability to Relate to Others

The second broad category of leadership traits you need to master are those involving your ability to relate to those around you.   They describe, quite simply, a leader's ability to relate to others.

• Empathy - In order to be a successful leader, you must be able to deal effectively with others.  The first step in understanding another person's viewpoint is through the leadership trait of empathy.  Putting yourself in their shoes, and taking into account their reaction to your decisions.
• Social Skills - Goleman maintains that all of the other leadership traits culminate in this skill.  In this context, social skills are defined as the ability to build rapport with others, and get them to work together towards a common goal.

You may not see a lot of nature in the above leadership traits.  People are not born with good social skills.  They develop them by observing what is acceptable in society, and what is effective.  We also talked about personalities that will accept the role of a leader.  That is where motivation becomes so important.  We can learn to master these leadership traits, but without the right motivation you are simply a bystander.

Leadership Traits versus Leadership Styles

As a reminder, all of these leadership traits should not be confused with leadership styles.  In the above, we are talking about the traits or characteristics of a leader.  The things we might see in ourselves, or in leaders around us. This is not to be confused with how to effectively lead others, which has more to do with leadership styles.

If you're interested in learning more about recognizing the most effective way to lead others in a variety of work environments, then you'll want to take a look at our article on Leadership Styles.

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