Beware the Personality trap.
Personality can get you authority but it won’t help you make better decisions.
Popularity or Power can be achieved by managing Perceptions.
By Personality.
Is the key to leadership in how you interact with others?
Empathy, assertiveness, listening, inspiring, or dominating?
Maybe it is?
If personality is the key, why then is there no single combination of personality traits that correlate to leadership success?
Why are leaders all different?
Research has found that certain personality types such as extroversion or dominance have improved likelihood of being promoted to leadership roles.
People who speak up or a show more self confidence are more likely to be viewed as having leadership potential.
This is probably true, especially in western cultures where individuality is prized and rewarded.
Maybe less so in other cultures where selection prefers different types.
The accepted wisdom in the Leadership Industry is also that empathy and listening are traits that leaders should develop.
Is there a contradiction here?
Should leaders minimize the traits that get them promoted?
“ Personality can get you authority but it won’t help you make better decisions…”
Personality type isn’t the key to leadership.
Understanding your personality type and using your strengths and weaknesses to get results is.
Leaders have to decide between popularity or perception on the one hand, and using what they have to get results.
Left handers aren’t inherently better or worse than right handers at any physical task, but they require different techniques.
Different personality types aren’t inherently better or worse leaders, but they require different techniques.
Leadership Actions and the Culture you build are what count.
Results count.
Know your personality, your strengths and weaknesses.
Don’t try to change who you are.
Adapt who you are to lead effectively.
That’s what all good leaders have to do.