Leadership Theories and Individual Differences Flashcards

Flashcards about leadership theories and individual differences for exam preparation.

What is a leader?

A person who is assigned or delegated to be the head of a group, team, or organization.

What is leadership?

Refers to the action, not the position of the individual.

According to Northouse (2010), what is leadership?

A process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal.

What are some top qualities of leadership?

Excellent organization skills, good at encouraging others, strong morals and ethics, promotes connection and teamwork, strategic thinking.

What is the central idea behind the Great Man Theory of leadership?

Leaders are born and endowed with heroic potentials; they possess inherent greatness and cannot be taught to be effective leaders.

What is the core concept of the Trait Theory of leadership?

Effective leaders have particular personality qualities that distinguish them from non-leaders.

According to Stogdill's 1948 study, what relevant traits are associated with leaders?

Intelligence, self-confidence, alertness to others’ needs, understanding of tasks, initiative and persistence, desire to take responsibility, hold positions of dominance and control.

What is the main idea behind the Behaviorist Theory of leadership?

Leaders are not born but made; reinforcement of leadership behaviors (rewards & punishments) determines who will become a leader.

What are the key components of the Transactional Approach to leadership?

Social systems work best with a clear chain of command where rewards or punishments are given to followers depending on performance.

What is the central focus of the Transformational Approach to leadership?

Leaders inspire and motivate followers to achieve their potential through an inspiring vision and building interpersonal relationships.

According to Bass & Avolio (1990), what are the components of transformational leadership (TL)?

Idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration.

In the Social Identity Approach to leadership, how do leaders influence group members?

Leaders influence group members through individuals’ social identities.

What are the four principles of Social Identity Leadership (SIL) as proposed by Haslam et al. (2011) and Slater et al. (2014)?

Leaders as in-group prototypes, champions, entrepreneurs of identity, and embedders of identity.

How is openness in the Big 5 personality traits related to leadership?

Linked to creativity, imagination, and insight, helping leaders visualize an exciting future.

How is conscientiousness in the Big 5 personality traits related to leadership?

Leaders are disciplined in the pursuit of goal attainment and clearly define role expectations.

How is extraversion in the Big 5 personality traits related to leadership?

Assertive, energetic, enthusiastic, and charismatic; the strongest predictor of leader emergence.

How is agreeableness in the Big 5 personality traits related to leadership?

More considerate and empathetic, able to promote cooperation and helping behaviors within the group.

How is neuroticism (emotional stability) in the Big 5 personality traits related to leadership?

Leaders are likely to stay calm and relaxed in moments of crisis and recover quickly from failures.

How does narcissism in the Dark Triad traits relate to leadership?

Strong egoistic focus, viewing others as inferior; generally viewed negatively by peers, results in poorer group performance.

How does Machiavellianism in the Dark Triad traits relate to leadership?

Cold, calculating, long-term oriented, and strategic style; less likely to share knowledge with others.

How does psychopathy in the Dark Triad traits relate to leadership?

Impulsive and antisocial style; negatively related to job performance and least explored in leadership research.