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Ideas Library Five Traits of the Better Leader

10.13007/044

Ideas for Leaders #044

Five Traits of the Better Leader

Key Concept

Becoming a good leader requires having to work hardon yourself, even if good leaders make it look easy.The same traits - or dimensions - that are traditionallyconsidered essential for executives to grow can in factbecome a hindrance for them. Executives shouldpractice self-awareness, and learn to adapt whenneeded.

Idea Summary

How can leaders recognize and manage theirpsychological preferences and personality traits? Thisis the question the authors explore in this article.Interviewing over 2,000 international executivesattending leadership programs at Duke University,London Business School and IMD, they identify themost common leadership pitfalls.

The authors found that even the most successfulexecutives have had to work hard on themselves, andneed to understand their natural inclinations in orderto modify or compensate for them. In addition,executives need to recognize their outlier tendenciesand learn how others perceive those tendencies.

The authors compare the common pitfalls they foundagainst the ‘Big 5,’ which they describe as the fivebroad dimensions comprising a cluster of traits thathave been identified by psychologists as distinguishingindividuals from one another. These dimensionsappear so robust that they have been dubbed the BigFive.

Highlighting each of the Big 5, the authors explain howthe same traits that are generally considerednecessary for good leadership can becomedetrimental - in other words, “too much of a goodthing.” The objective, they say, is not to undergo apersonality change, but to be yourself with more skill.Successful leaders have to work on themselves inorder to manage potentially career-limiting traits.

Business Application

ShareAuthors

Toegel, GinkaBarsoux, Jean-Louis

Institutions

IMD

Source

MIT Sloan Management Review

Idea conceived

2012

Idea posted

January 2013

DOI number

Subject

LeadershipEmotional IntelligenceOrganizational BehaviourPsychology

10/18/2015 Five Traits of the Better Leader | Ideas for Leaders

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Business ApplicationThe authors highlight how the Big 5 traits can becomea source of problems for executives, even if they areworking for them right now:

Need for Stability: though emotional stability can be a valuablequality for executives, it has its drawbacks too. Being “toocomposed” may make you come across as unduly confident. Onthe other hand, those who struggle to deal with their anger mayreflect a high need for stability, but may only be suppressing itrather than effectively dealing with it.

Extraversion: this reflects our desire to be with other people andto draw energy from them. The authors advise avoiding being tooassertive or too energetic. For executives with a tendency todominate proceedings, there is the “four sentence” rule: whateveryou have to say, limit yourself to four sentences. Then ask: “do youwant me to carry on?” Similarly, those that can be too introspective,they advise relaxing (and smiling), as both have been shown tohave a physiological impact not only on the executive but also oncolleagues, who tend to mirror the emotion.

Openness: this includes tendency to show intellectual curiosity,independence of judgment and big-picture orientation. However,these dimensions don’t necessarily help the leader connect withothers. You can be too innovative or too complex, or you can betoo conventional.

Agreeableness: this is a measure of the importance people placeon getting along with others. Executives who score low onagreeableness provide edge and a results focus that is invaluable inbusiness. As such, the authors warn against being too rational,competitive and watchful. Similarly, executives with a strongcompetitive streak can come across as ruthless, uncooperative orlacking in larger perspective. On the other hand, you can be tooconsiderate; highly agreeable executives must ask themselves:“Why do I have this need to be liked?”

Conscientiousness: reflects the extent to which we want tostructure and organize our lives. Drive, reliability and persistenceare important qualities for leaders, but they can provedysfunctional if they are not properly channelled. The authors warnagainst being too thorough or, on the other hand, making decisionstoo quickly.

The inevitable starting point, say the authors, is self-awareness, and executives must first understandwhere their natural inclinations lie in order to boostthem or compensate for them.

In this respect, they provide examples in their article ofexecutives that have successfully exercised self-awareness, ranging from the CEO of PepsiCo to theThomas Cook Group.

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References

How to Become a Better Leader. Ginka Toegel &Jean-Louis Barsoux. MIT Sloan Management Review(Spring 2012).

Further Reading and Relevant Resources

Ginka Toegel’s profile at IMD

IMD’s profile at IEDP