The traits theory of leadership focuses on the traits of an individual, stating that certain traits are found in leaders and not in those who are not leaders. This theory points out that certain personal characteristics are found in those who lead, and not in those who do not. The theory states that an individual must have a certain set of traits in order to be a good leader. (Robbins, S. P. , & Judge, T. A. pg 377) Traits associated with leadership are being charismatic, enthusiastic, and courageous.
Leaders according the trait theory should be strong willed, enthusiastic, disciplined, and an extrovert, having these characteristics make the person a good leader according to the traits theory. According to Robbins, S. P. , & Judge, T. A. (2007), “Sociable and dominant people are more likely to assert themselves in group situations, but leaders need to make sure they’re not too assertive—one study found leaders who scored very high on assertiveness were less effective than those who were moderately high” (chapter 12).
Assertive behavior and a take charge attitudes are traits deemed to qualify one as a leader by the traits theory standards. There are many different characteristics that leader’s posses, these traits make the person able to express ideas and initiate activities. The strengths of using traits to determine if a person can be a good leader is that even if a person has good ideas and abilities if they do not have an extrovert personality trait they probably will not make a good leader.
Traits play a partial role in being an effective leader; however they are not the only qualities that determine if a person will be a good leader. Leaders need to be extroverted, compassionate, and work well with others in order to successfully lead a group, these traits come second to the knowledge the person must have in order to fully understand the group’s goals. Some weaknesses of the traits theory is that traits are not the only thing that makes a good leader they play a role but just because a person possesses certain traits does not mean they will make a good leader if they do not understand the subject matter.
A quiet individual may make an excellent leader if they have the know-how to run the team, and know how the project should work. It is not always best to choose a leader based on their personality traits but more on a combination of these traits and their know-how. Research has linked many different traits to leaders but not all leaders possess the same traits making it an iffy theory to use to determine leaders (Robbins, S. P. , & Judge, T. A. pg 377).
Richard Branson the chairman of Virgin Group possesses many traits characterized as leadership traits (Robbins, S. P. , & Judge, T. A. pg 378). However Branson’s know-how has also added to his success as a leader, if he did not know how to market and manage the company then his charismatic attitude would not have helped the company become so successful. His traits do help him communicate with others and get others to follow his lead but without the knowledge needed to run a large company he would fail.
Branson has been successful in building Virgin Group because he is an extrovert and he is knowledgeable in the ins and outs of running the company. The traits theory is a valuable resource, as it shows people what behaviors are successful for leadership; however it is only one piece to the puzzle and cannot alone make someone a good leader. Hard work and knowledge of the project are also essential key elements, when picking a good leader for the group.
Behavior and trait characteristics will ensure the leaders ability to interact with those in and outside the company but it will not help with the technical aspects of leadership which must be learned before taking a leadership role. A person’s traits maybe important if a company is looking for someone to take charge of a group that needs more structure however the person still needs other learned skills to be successful. Resources Robbins, S. P. , & Judge, T. A. (2007). Organizational behavior (14th ed. ). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall.