A study conducted by Gartner indicates that 68% of business leaders face performance issues due to not having the right personality for the job. Great leaders have a very specific personality profile.
To better understand what makes a leader great, we first need to go over the tools that help us measure personality.
The most rigorous, science-based personality assessment survey to this day is called the BIG 5, also known as the OCEAN personality test. This test was developed in the early 1990s and was perfected through the years. What makes the Big 5 model better than any other personality test out there is that it can be applied cross-culturally and that it can reliably predict future behaviors.
Quick note, the Myers Briggs personality test, that seems to be very popular in HR circles, is actually outdated and has no scientific basis. So please stop using it!
The Big 5 test measures 5 specific traits: Openness to Experience, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness and Neuroticism. Each of these 5 traits have 2 subtraits. Let’s briefly go over them.
- Openness to Experience
Openness to experience consists of subtrait Intellect and subtrait Openness (Creativity).
People who score high on the Intellect scale are people who are interested in ideas and the abstract; they are curious and always happy to learn new things; they enjoy dealing with high-complexity issues and function very well in high-paced ever changing environments.
Those who score high on the Creativity scale are inclined to daydream often; they have the ability to generate a big number of original and practical solutions to the issues that they encounter; they have an interest in the fine arts, beauty and aesthetics. - Conscientiousness
Conscientiousness consists of Orderliness and Industriousness.
People who score high in Orderliness value physical and moral purity, they enjoy routine, they enforce rules, and have a low tolerance for disorder.
Industrious people are those who value efficiency, always deliver as promised; they are very reliable, dedicated and don’t get easily distracted. - Extraversion
The 2 subtraits of Extraversion are Enthusiasm and Assertiveness.
Those who score high on the Enthusiasm scale are people who enjoy being in the spotlight; they tend to talk more and laugh more than most people; they are gregarious and can make friends easily.
Assertive people have very strong beliefs, they always speak their mind; they have a talent for influencing people; they take charge and are always the first to act. - Agreeableness
Compassion and Politeness are the 2 subtraits that make Agreeableness.
Compassionate people care about others’ feelings; they are kind and are genuinely interested in the wellbeing of others; they are interested in people rather than things.
Politeness is a personality subtrait that is associated with respect for rules and authority and conflict avoidance. - Neuroticism
Neuroticism has 2 subtraits: Withdrawal and Volatility.
People who are high in Withdrawal are fearful about the future; they are risk averse and prefer to walk the well-beaten path.
Those who rate high on the Volatility scale get irritated easily and are emotionally unstable.
There are 2 types of leaders
Alright, we now have a general understanding of what behaviors are associated with the 5 personality traits. Let’s see what is the ideal combination between these that builds a great leader.
Before we go any further, we need to split leaders into 2 categories: Front-line leaders and C-level leaders. We need to make this distinction because what makes a great front-line leader doesn’t necessarily make a great C-level one.
The personality profile of a Front-Line Leader
Team leaders and managers are usually considered to be front-line leaders. They manage the team directly and address any issue hands-on. They are not policy makers, but rather enforce an existing set of rules and support an existing system.
Great front-line leaders score above average on the Openness to Experience scale. They enjoy tackling more difficult and complex tasks, and get energized when working in a fast-paced environment.
Also, they score very high in Conscientious. They are dedicated to the cause, they always take a project to completion in due time; they pay attention to detail, and ensure that work gets done exactly as prescribed.
A successful front-line leader scores high on the Extraversion scale. They are gregarious, like to surround themselves with people, take charge, and inspire the team to reach the goals set by C-level leaders.
A good team manager will also score high in Agreeableness. They enjoy working with people, they are patient and listen to their team’s concerns, and show a lot of respect for authority and rules.
Emotional stability is a mandatory requirement for any manager, therefore they would score below average on the Neuroticism scale. Great front-line leaders demonstrate the ability to emotionally restrain themselves and act professionally under stressful conditions.
The personality profile of a C- level Leader
C-level leaders are the highest ranking leaders in an organization. I’m referring to CEOs, CFOs, COOs and so on.
The role and responsibilities of a C-level leader can differ vastly from those of a front-line manager, therefore their personality profile is constructed differently.
Making impactful changes to the organization is the C-level leader’s priority, so one would only succeed at this if they scored very high in Openness to Experience. They innovate, create policies and can quickly generate a big number of feasible solutions.
The C-level leader is above average in Conscientiousness, so they would score lower than a front-line leader on this personality trait. They would still value taking tasks to completion and would honor their commitments, but wouldn’t be very bothered by disorder; in fact they would even thrive in a disorganized environment.
As expected, the successful C-level leader scores very high on the Extraversion scale. They are charismatic, have great presentation skills and can easily influence the people they work with.
Great CEOs are known for their ability to make hard decisions like laying off employees when the business is struggling financially, therefore they score low on the Agreeableness scale. Their focus is on the overall health of the organization, and not on the individual. They are highly skeptical, competitive and constantly challenge the status quo.
High ranking leaders score very low on the Neuroticism scale. They are not afraid to take risks, they are optimistic and emotionally stable. In their job, there is no room for anxiety or anger; their decisions are made on data and not on feelings.
Practical advice
What can you do if you find yourself in a leadership position and you realize that your personality doesn’t meet the job requirements? In that case you have 2 options:
- Switch your job to something that better fits you
- Keep the job, but start investing in developing your leadership skills
So, can leadership be learned from scratch? YES! Research shows that with sufficient training one can develop good leadership skills – the road to success will be long and hard, but you can get there eventually. Then again, someone who has a natural talent for being a great leader will almost always outperform someone who doesn’t have the genetic predisposition for the job.