Organizational Behavior (Stephen Robbins)

What Types of Traits Sre Preferred in Leaders?

Remember the GLOBE study we discussed in Chapter 3? As part of that study, researchers

surveyed managers in 62 countries to find out what attributes they liked and disliked in

leaders. The study uncovered 22 leader attributes that were universally liked, 8 that

were universally disliked, and 35 over which there was a lot of disagreement.^10 Exhibit

8-3 identifies some of these different attributes.

The results of this study suggest that

• Universally liked attributes should be used by leaders working in any culture


• Universally disliked attributes should be avoided by leaders


• Attributes over which there is a lot of disagreement should be used cautiously,
  based on specific cultures

260 Part 4Sharing the Organizational Vision

Quality

Communication skills

Ability to motivate people

Honesty

Ability to listen

Team-building expertise

Analytical skills

Aggressiveness in business

EXHIBIT 8-2 What CEOs Identify as Key Leadership Traits

CEOs Rating It Most Important (%)

52

47

34

25

24

19

10

Source:Survey conducted by American Express for the National Quality Institute. Reported in R. Nutt,

“Survey Finds Leadership Key,” Vancouver Sun,June 1, 2000, p. D6.

EXHIBIT 8-3 Leadership Attributes: A Cross-Cultural View

Source: D. N. Den Hartog, R. J. House, P. J. Hanges, S. A. Ruiz-Quintanilla, and P. W. Dorfman, “Culture Specific and Cross-culturally Generalizable

Implicit Leadership Theories: Are Attributes of Charismatic/Transformational Leadership Universally Endorsed?” Leadership Quarterly10, no. 2

(Summer 1999), pp. 219–256.

Leader Attributes Universally

Liked

■ Trustworthy

■ Dynamic

■ Motive arouser

■ Decisive

■ Intelligent

■ Dependable

■ Plans ahead

■ Excellence oriented

■ Team builder

■ Encouraging

Leader Attributes Universally

Disliked

■ Noncooperative

■ Irritable

■ Egocentric

■ Ruthless

■ Dictatorial

■ Loner/self-centred

Leader Attributes Over Which

There Was Most Disagreement

■ Subdued

■ Intragroup conflict avoider

■ Cunning

■ Sensitive

■ Provocateur

■ Self-effacing

■ Willful