A Guide to the Trait Theory of Leadership

Ask “What Makes a Great Leader?” and you get a different answer every time.

For me, a great leader is empathetic, adaptable, and inspiring. For others, a great leader should be decisive, intelligent, and relatable.

This meaning evolves over time.

A concept that has long been debated is whether leadership is innate or learned.

Some see leadership as a black and white concept: either you have it or you don’t. But is that really true?

In this article we will examine the feature theory of leadership and what critics have to say about it.

This idea, first introduced in the mid-19th century, considers certain traits to be inherited, such as:

• intelligence
• to trust
• creativity
• competence
• People / communication skills
• trustworthiness
• determination

That was the social consensus for a long time. You either had what it takes to be a manager or you didn’t.

The feature theory and approach has served as a measure of how we view our leaders. It puts the emphasis on the person, not the followers or the environment – which can be helpful in understanding why people are attracted to certain leaders.

Then, about a century later, in the 1940s, the narrative expanded.

Researcher Ralph Stogdill discovered that some people were leaders in some situations and not in others. This contradicted the idea of ​​feature theory and introduced leadership as something influenced by the environment.

Think back to your group projects in college or high school.

Where did you fall into the roles? Were you the leader, the supportive but calm contributor, the I-do-everything-myself, the absent last-minute helper?

They could have been all four, depending on the situation. Perhaps you only feel comfortable moving up as a leader when no one else wants to.

With this in mind, there are several additional leadership theories:

• Situational leadership theories argue that leaders arise out of necessity. When a situation calls for it, one person will act as a leader. However, the same person may not be up to the opportunity in a different environment.
• Behavioral leadership theories suggest that leadership is a learned behavior that anyone can study.

Now that we know what theories are out, let’s talk about what critics are saying about feature theory.

Criticism of the trait theory of leadership

Many leaders today disagree with the trait theory of leadership.

They believe that anyone can learn and build the skills necessary to succeed as a leader. A small survey of US consumers confirmed this opinion.

And there is some research to support this.

A 2008 study of heredity and human development found that 70% of leadership skills are not genetically inherited, but learned through experience.

Further research suggests that few characteristics distinguish leaders from followers. When comparing executives with their followers, there is little difference in the qualities they possess or can possess.

Another criticism of trait theory is that it overlooks socio-economic inequalities.

How do you determine who has the potential to lead if your population doesn’t start on the same starting line?

For example, marginalized groups growing up in underfunded and underfunded communities may not have equal opportunities to demonstrate leadership skills. Their ability to develop this potential can also be limited.

With this in mind, some consider the notion that leadership is inherited as flawed because it does not take into account all variables.

Property vs. Litigation

These two concepts fall on opposite sides.

The former argues that leadership is innate, while the latter claims that it builds over time as a result of the interactions between the leader and followers.

As the process leader, you are responsible for maintaining relationships with others and providing support. The theory is that over time you will acquire the role of a leader and create an environment in which your followers can thrive.

If one examines both theories, both theories can be true.

Leadership is nuanced and, as such, can function in different models and environments.

On the traits side, everyone is born with personality traits, talents, and gifts that make us more likely to be successful in certain environments and roles.

For example, an extrovert may have the qualities of a leader. You have few problems in your social environment and communicate confidently. With that in mind, they probably don’t have to work as hard as an introvert to get in touch with their peers, co-workers, and executives.

However, an introvert can build the same skills through exposure and experience. With this in mind, an introvert can face the situation in more intimate settings.

In addition, leadership is a constantly evolving concept. While trait theory was initially the most popular way of seeing leadership, other theories have evolved to expand our understanding of it.

For example, discussions about psychological safety have only recently become more important in the workplace. Managers are now being trained to create an environment in which employees feel safe to share ideas, concerns and mistakes.

As our understanding of what works best to motivate teams, leadership styles also evolve. As such, there will always be an educational component to being a leader.

There is no right or wrong theory when it comes to leadership. All theories give an insight into what it takes to be a successful leader.

While trait theory offers a rubric for the qualities of a leader, process theory focuses on how to cultivate relationships. The situational leadership model regards leadership as a flexible concept that is heavily dependent on the environment.

As you work towards leadership, consider these models and use them as building blocks to find your own style.