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Two Personality Traits Predict Future Leaders

KEY POINTS

  • Compared to others, leaders-to-be are more extraverted, open, stable, conscientious, trusting, risk-taking, and more likely to feel in control.
  • When preparing for their role, future leaders seem to gradually feel more in control and become more open, extraverted, and risk-taking.
  • After being promoted into a leadership position, leaders-to-be become less extroverted, risk-taking, and conscientious, but more self-confident.

In a recent study published in the Journal of Personality, Asselmann and colleagues investigated how leaders-to-be compare with non-leaders, in addition to how they change before and during their tenure.

They found, “leaders-to-be were more extraverted, open, emotionally stable, conscientious, and willing to take risks; felt to have greater control; and trusted others more than non-leaders.”

Plus, “while approaching a leadership position, leaders-to-be (especially men) became gradually more extraverted, open, and willing to take risks and felt also to have more control over their life.” However, “after becoming a leader, they became less extraverted, less willing to take risks, and less conscientious, but gained self-esteem.”

Psychology Today

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