This question has been debated for decades. Experts have claimed that leadership traits are innate or ingrained in our DNA. Some include the following personality traits as beneficial to effective leadership: integrity, intelligence, confidence, sociability, persistence, motivation and influence, risk-taking crucial to effective leadership, communication, and vision. The assumption about these traits is either you have them, or you don’t.
On the other hand, unlike traits, skills conducive to effective leadership can be developed over time including:
1) Communication Skills: The ability to articulate ideas clearly and listen actively.
2) Emotional Intelligence: The ability to understand and manage one’s own emotions and the emotions of others.
3) Strategic Thinking: The ability to see the big picture and plan for the future.
4) Decision-making: The ability to make thoughtful and timely decisions.
5) Problem Solving: The ability to identify problems and find solutions.
6) Adaptability: The ability to adjust plans and strategies when circumstances change.
7) Delegation: The ability to assign tasks to others and empower them to take ownership of their work.
8) Visionary: The ability to create a compelling vision and inspire others to work towards achieving it.
9) Intuition: The ability to make informed decisions based on experience, insights and intuition.
10) Positive Attitude: The ability to remain optimistic, resilient and focused in challenging situations.
These skills are essential for effective leadership in any industry and organizational setting.
The specific combination of traits and skills required for effective leadership may vary depending on the situation, industry, and organizational culture.
Research has shown that it’s not an either-or factor, both traits and skills impact leadership effectiveness. Additionally, some research showed that even if one might be born with natural leadership traits, environmental factors had more influence in how they are employed.
I personally think that focusing on traits matter little, as there’s nothing you can do if those traits are not yours. Highlight the ones you do have and develop the leadership skills required to succeed as a leader. This can be done through reading, coaching, mentoring and of course practicing. The C-suite, Directors and HR departments benefit not only by hiring those who demonstrate leadership traits and skills but commit to leadership development programs that improve their teams’ leader bench. This will not only result in better leaders overall, but also an increase in job satisfaction, commitment and performance.