Individual Differences and Traits Chapter 4 Individual Differences and Traits Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. Learning Objectives Explain the elements and impact of individual difference characteristics in leadership Discuss the role demographic characteristics play in leadership Identify the impact of values on leadership Present the relationship between abilities and skills and leadership including emotional intelligence and creativity Highlight the role of key personality traits relevant to leadership including the following The big five The proactive personality Type A Self-monitoring The dark triad Be able to use individual characteristics appropriately Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

The Leadership Question You now know that leadership is more than just a set of traits. Personal characteristics, including personality, however, do matter. What personal characteristics do you think matter most in leadership? Which ones detract from leadership effectiveness? Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

Individual Differences Framework Heredity Genes Race/ethnicity Gender Environment Culture and education Parental influence Physical environment Individual characteristics Demographic factors Values Abilities and skills Personality traits Leadership styles and behaviors Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

Individual characteristics Behavioral Range Comfort zone Individual characteristics Demographic factors Abilities and skills Personality traits Values discomfort Zone of discomfort Zone of Comfort zone Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

Demographic Characteristics U.S. business leaders are a homogeneous group U.S. leaders are similar in Birthplace Religion Education Social class Gender Race Homogeneity may negatively affect ability to innovate and be creative Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. Values Values are long-lasting beliefs about right and wrong and what is worthwhile and desirable Factors that affect values include Culture Personality Gender Ethnicity Generational differences Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. Values and Culture Culture is the basis of a person’s values Individualism is related to values of achievement Collectivism is related to values of sacrifice for the group Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

Generational Differences in Values 60+: The Tradionalists: GI generation Hard work, frugality, patriotism 50–65 Baby Boomers Nonconformity, idealism, self-focus, happiness, and peace 40–50 Baby Busters: Yuppies/me generation Ambition, material comfort 30–40 Xers Enjoyment of life, autonomy, flexibility, work-life balance Younger than 30 millenials/nexters Flexibility, meaningful experiences, tolerance, and openness Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. Values and Ethics Relativist view Right and wrong depends on the situation Universalist view All situations and actions are judged by the same standard Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. Abilities and Skills Ability or aptitude Stable, natural talent for doing something Skill Acquired talent developed for a specific task Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

Abilities: Practical and Emotional Intelligence Cognitive abilities, problem-solving Important but not sufficient for leadership Practical intelligence Skills needed to succeed in life Ability to work with others Key role in leadership Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

Emotional Intelligence Self-awareness Self-regulation Self-motivation Empathy for others Interpersonal and social skills Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. Creativity Perseverance in the face of obstacles Self-confidence Willingness to take moderate risk Willingness to grow and openness to new experiences Tolerance of ambiguity Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. Leadership Skills Technical Interpersonal Conceptual Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

Skills and Career Progression Upper management Middle management Level of leadership Supervisory Technical skills Interpersonal skills Conceptual skills Leadership skills Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. Personality Traits Psychological characteristics Develop early in life and hard to change Stable over time and across situations A set of characteristics rather than one trait Make the person unique and different from others Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

Traits that Contribute to Leadership Some traits are a precondition to leadership, but not enough to predict it Drive Motivation to lead Integrity Self-confidence Intelligence Knowledge of the business Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

How Traits Play a Role in Leadership Some traits are associated with leadership Traits and personality influence a leader’s preferences, style, and behavior Traits may affect the ease of learning new skills and behaviors Being aware of one’s traits helps in learning and development Traits along with other individual and situational factors can predict leader behavior Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

Big Five Personality Traits Conscientiousness Extraversion/introversion Openness to experience Emotional stability Agreeableness Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

Proactive Personality Action Goals Change Identify opportunities Take initiative Take control Remove obstacles Unconstrained by situations Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

Type A Characteristics High need for control “Doing more in less and less time” Defining characteristics Time urgency Competitiveness Polyphasic behavior Hostility Work-related behaviors Poor delegation Like to work alone Jump into action Set high goals Hard working Experience more stress Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

Characteristics of High Self-Monitors Able to read cues from the environment Able to change behavior to match situation Comfortable in new situations Ability to cope in cross-cultural situations May be a key factor in leadership effectiveness Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. The Dark Triad Machiavellianism Psychopathy Narcissism Nonpathological Self-promoting Disagreeable Exploitative Duplicitous Offensive Cold Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

The Leadership Question Revisited There is no one trait, or a set, that matters more although some can be very destructive. Any characteristic that helps the leader make a connection with others is likely to be desirable for leadership. Self-awareness, building on existing strengths, and addressing areas of weakness through either personal development or through organizational support are key to success. Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. What Do You Do? A new employee is transferred to your department and you hear from several people around the organization that she is hard to manage. She has a reputation for questioning everything, challenging her boss, and refusing to give up when she wants something. Several of her previous team members tell you that she does not play well with others and is always second-guessing their actions and decisions. Your supervisor, however, thinks she is a star and believes that you are lucky to get her. How do you approach the situation? Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. Leadership Challenge Psychological tests vary in degree of validity and reliability In the workplace, primary use of psychological tests should be development not assessment Selection should be based on past performance and relevant work behaviors not personality tests Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

Leading Change: Katzenberg Typical Type A Ambitious Impatient Competitive Angry Booted out of Disney Developed self-awareness Working on changing behaviors Shifted his focus to followers Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

Leadership in Action: Zhang Xin Chinese self-made billionaire Well-educated family during Mao’s revolution Experienced persecution and hardship Those events have shaped her life and approach Highly intelligent and educated Married entrepreneur and built an empire with him Creative, hard-working, frugal, high perseverance, high initiative Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.