Beyond personality: exploring the role of motivations, self-evaluations and values in leadership emergence within an organizational setting

Abstract

The current research explored the relationships between personality and non-personality traits with leadership emergence. Managers in a UK insurance company completed a self-report survey on leadership behaviours and individual differences (i.e., traits). Analyses of over one hundred participants found significant associations between their emergence as a leader and many variables (e.g., extraversion, motivation, and leader-member relationships). Practical implications include the use of trait measures in leadership selection and recommendations for mentoring and training in regards to leadership development. Further research combining situational factors in leadership emergence is advised, as are longitudinal studies employing multiple methodologies across a diverse sample.