Personality characteristics of future military leaders

Abstract

Relatively little is known about the personality characteristics of military personnel, particularly those who are most successful in military careers. This study evaluated the personality characteristics of 530 third- year midshipmen at the U.S. Naval Academy. Participants completed the Hogan Personality Inventory and a demographic questionnaire. Class ranking data were also obtained as an indicator of success at the Naval Academy. The results indicated that compared with national norms, midshipmen scored somewhat higher on scales of ambition, sociability, intellectance, and school success and lower on scales of adjustment, likability, and prudence. Ambition, prudence, intellectance, and school success were each significantly positively correlated with class standing. The implications of these findings for understanding personality correlates of success in military leadership are discussed.