Assessing Leadership Style: Trait Analysis

William Jefferson Clinton's Leadership Style

research in the social sciences on how these characteristics affect lead-
ership, elaborated in chapter 8.

Does the Leader Respect or Challenge Constraints

in the Political Environment?

In considering leaders' responsiveness to political constraints, we are
interested in how important it is for them to exert control and
influence over the environment in which they find themselves, as
opposed to being adaptable to the situation and remaining open to
responding to the demands of domestic and international con-
stituencies and circumstances. Scores on the belief one can control events
and on the need for power provide us with information with which to

TABLE 13.1. CLINTON'S SCORES ON SEVEN TRAITS
Clinton's
Average
Characteristic Profile Score
Belief can control events .47

Need for power .52

Conceptual complexity .62

Self-confidence .72

Task vs. interpersonal focus .61

In-group bias .32

Distrust of others .27

Compared to

Moderate

Moderate

Leans high

(18 North

American

leaders); high

(122 world

leaders)

Leans high

Moderate

Leans low

(18 North

American

leaders); low

(122 world

leaders)

Leans low

18 American

Leaders

Mean

Low

High

Mean

Low

High

Mean

Low

High

Mean

Low

High

Mean

Low

High

Mean

Low

High

Mean

Low

High

= .41

< .28

> .55

= .49

< .35

> .64

= .52

< .39

> .66

= .56

<.36

> .75

= .61

< .50

> .72

= .38

< .30

>.47

= .42

< .20

>.63

122 World

Leaders

Mean =

Low <

High >

Mean =

Low <

High >

Mean =

Low <

High >

Mean =

Low <

High >

Mean =

Low <

High >

Mean =

Low <

High >

Mean =

Low <

High >

.45

.33

.57

.50

.38

.62

.45

-32

.58

.57

.34

.80

.62

.48

.76

.43

.34

.53

.38

.20

.56