Personality Influence Leadership

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Leadership Assignment – Does Personality Influence Leadership? Leadership is defined as ‘the process in which an individual influences a group of subordinates to attain a common goal’. The goal is attained by mutual cooperation and cohesive behaviour. A leader infuses a sense of positivity and directs others to reach the specified goal. (Meenakshi, 2012). In this essay I am going to explore and analyse personality trait theories, specific key examples and case studies of personality in practice, and the mechanisms of effective leadership; to formulate and finalise how personality traits influence leader emergence and performance. Early leadership theories and philosophies were formed on the basis that outstanding performance leaders differed in important ways from average people due to their unique extraordinary personalities (Humphrey, 2013). This is evident in early research by the historian Thomas Carlyle as he once stated “The history of the world was the biography of great men”, (Judge, 2002). In the ever-changing dynamic business world, Ford, Carnegie and Rockefeller, personified the industries they dominated, with Thomas Edison and Alexander Bell embodying the scientific entrepreneurial spirits; and the works of Florence Nightingale revolutionising health care and modern nursing. All these great historic leaders provided insight and ideas for theorists and scholars to research personality traits further, and to carefully examine prospective businesses and organisations for any significant personality trait theories. In addition to early personality trait theory, critical, influential reviews were published highlighting great areas of scepticism associating and concerning leadership traits. A review in the psychological bulletin claimed that leadership traits did not explain ideas in detail and measures of personality traits were moderately

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