Individual Differences and Traits

After studying this chapter, you will be able to: ● Explain the role of individual difference characteristics in leadership ● Describe the difference between the past and current approaches to leadership traits ● Discuss the role demographic characteristics play in leadership ● Identify the impact of values on leadership
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Individual Differences and Traits NGHỆ THUẬT LÃNH ĐẠO MSMH: NS301DV01 Chapter 3: Individual Differences and Traits Purpose After studying this chapter, you will be able to: ● Explain the role of individual difference characteristics in leadership ● Describe the difference between the past and current approaches to leadership traits ● Discuss the role demographic characteristics play in leadership ● Identify the impact of values on leadership ● Present the relationship between emotional intelligence and leadership ● Highlight the role of the “Big Five” and other personality traits that are relevant in leadership Content ● Elements of individual difference characteristics ● The demographic characteristics of leaders ● Values ● Abilities and skills ● Relevant personality traits ● Using individual characteristics Chapter 3 3.1- Elements of Individual Difference Characteristics 2 Elements of Individual Characteristics ● 2 determinants of individual characteristics: Heredity and Environment ○ Heredity: consist of individuals’ gene pool, gender, race, end ethnic background. ○ Environment: include physical location, family, culture, religion, education, and friends. ● Interaction between heredity and environment ○ Environment and social conditions can reinforce generic patterns to influence a leader’s personality, the education system, and parental upbringings. 4 Individual Difference Characteristics ● Demographic factors: such as age, and ethnic background ● Values: are stable, long-lasting beliefs end preference about what is worthwhile and desirable (Rokeach, 1973). ○ Values are closely related to personality. Personality refers to a person’ character and temperament; whereas values are principles that a person believes ○ Like personality traits, values guide a leader’s behavior and are influenced by a combination of biological and environmental factors (Zaccoro, 2007), values are shaped early in life and are resistant to change. Individual Difference Characteristics ● Personality: is a stable set of physical and psychological characteristics that make each person unique. ● Abilities and Skills: ○ Ability, or aptitude, is a natural talent for doing something mental or physical, such as intelligence. ○ A skill is an acquired talent that a person develops related to a specific task. ○ Ability is somewhat stable over time, skills change with training and experience from one task to another. ○ You cannot train leaders to develop an ability or aptitude; but you can train them in new leadership skills. Organizations, therefore, recruit and hire leaders with certain abilities and aptitudes, and then train them Multiple Perspectives and the Impact of the Situation ● When situations provide little guidance and are loosely structured, a person’ individual characteristics can have a strong impact (Barrick and Mount, 1993; Mischel, 1973; Weiss and Adler, 1984) ● When situations provide strong behavioral cues – that signal what behaviors and actions are expected and appropriate – most people behave according to those cues regardless of their personality traits or other individual characteristics. Individual Characteristics Provide a Range Each individual characteristic provides a behavioral zone of comfort. ● The zone of comfort includes a range of behaviors that come naturally and feel comfortable to perform because they reflect individual characteristics. Behaving outside of that zone is difficult, takes practice. ● Although individuals are ease in their behavioral comfort zone, they learn and grow by moving to zones of discomfort. The behaviors outside of the comfort zone challenge them and push them to their limits. Individual Characteristics and Behaviors Leaders’ Individual Characteristics and Leader Behaviors Kirkpatrick and Locke (1991) list a number of traits that facilitate a leader’s acquisition of needed leadership skills: ● Drive, which include motivation and energy ● Desire and motivation to lead ● Honesty and integrity ● Self-confidence ● Intelligence ● Knowledge of the business Leaders’ Individual Characteristics and Leader Behaviors and drive, cannot ● Some of the traits, namely intelligence be acquired through training. Others, such as knowledge of the industry and self-confidence, can be acquired with time and appropriate experience. ● The trait of honesty is a simple choice. ● Integrity, or a lack of it, is cited as a key factor in leadership. Bad leadership contain elements of lack of trust, dishonesty, and unwillingness to be held accountable on the part of the leaders. ● Just as some traits are necessary for leadership, they can be detriment when carried to an extreme. ○ A leader with too much drive may refuse to delegate tasks, and a desire for too much power can work against a leader’s effectiveness (Bennis and Nanus, 1985) Chapter 3 3.2- The Demographic Characteristics of Leaders Homogeneity Homogeneity of the executives ● Although education opens the door for diverse people to reach leadership positions, and although there has been progress in the number of women and people of diverse nationalities in leadership positions, the leadership path is still primary influenced by birthplace, nationality, religion, education, social class, gender, and race (Mayo and Nohria, 2006) ● Formal organizational leadership is still heavily dominated by males. Homogeneity ● Homogeneity in demographic background does not necessarily lead to similar approaches in managing a business and lea ...