Assessing Leadership Style: Trait Analysis

The Psychological Assessment of Political Leaders

tions tend to be equally aggressive. The following excerpt from an
interview with Dan Rather illustrates Hussein's aggressive engage-
ment of the interviewer.

Rather: You invaded a weak neighbor who is no threat to you.
Hussein: Do you realize how wicked those in authority in that
country, which you call weak, were? As a U.S. citizen who
should honor his U.S. citizenship by telling the truth, you
must know how wicked the al-Sabah family were.
Hussein's low qualifiers score indicates careful preparation for his
interviews. Careful preparation reflects a need to control the human
environment, a fear of being caught in an unfamiliar situation. The
Iraqi leader's low qualifiers score also suggests an unimpaired ability
to make decisions. His moderate retractors score indicates an ability
to reconsider decisions. A moderate retractors score also suggests an
absence of impulsivity. Hussein's low me score indicates an active
temperament, a proclivity to master situations rather than to react
passively to events. A moderate negatives score indicates an ability to
withstand pressure but does not suggest a paralyzing stubbornness.
Hussein has a rather high explainers score. His responses to
reporters' questions have a certain didactic flavor. A high explainers

TABLE 16.1. COMPARISON OF SADDAM HUSSEIN'S AND U.S. PRESIDENTS'

USE OF VERBAL CATEGORIES

Category

Personal Pronouns

l

We

Me

Qualifiers

Retractors

Negatives

Explainers

Feelings

Direct references

Adverbial intensifiers

Creative expressions

Nonpersonal references

Hussein

(9,461 words)

5.6

11.9

0.6

2.5

6.4

14.0

8.5

0.5

4.8

17.5

1.3

793.6

U.S. Presidents

(20,000 words)

31.6

18.3

2.2

11.2

7.6

13.7

5.0

3.3

2.5

14.1

2.0

742.2