Introduction
Leadership is a multi-faceted term that encompasses more traits, behaviours, and styles. One of the most popular models for educational leadership is the trait approach, which assumes that certain personality traits and differing qualities distinguish leaders. The leadership trait questionnaire (LTQ) mirrors the leadership traits of an individual through self-assessment and other assessments. This paper aims to analyze the LTQ results, evaluate the impact of trait preferences on leadership style, explore the genesis of these traits, and reflect on the lessons learned from this exercise.
Analysis of Trait Preferences
LTQ (Leadership Trait Questionnaire) results disclose great information on the perceived traits of the Leader from both the Leader’s standpoint and the opinions of five well-aware individuals of the Leader. By reviewing the scores of the ten traits tested, patterns are teased up that would eventually bring out the areas of strength, neutrality, and potential areas for growth.
Something remarkable is evident from the group of high scores (5.0 – Strongly Agree): These traits include Perception, Self-confidence, Self-assurance, and Trustworthiness. This score indicates that the Leader is seen as a person who can read and evaluate the situation very well, accompanied by solid trust in themselves and certainty not weakened by droughts or insecurities. In addition, the Leader is considered trustworthy overall, doing everything that could make people confident.
Combining those virtues, perceptiveness, self-confidence, and trustworthiness can be a formidable resource to a leader as it allows him to make informed choices, project confidence, and win the trust of his teammates and stakeholders. Such leaders are regarded as “decisive, dependable and resourceful” and capable of managing complex situations with certainty and confidence.
Moving to the rest of the scores (4.0 – Agree), the traits of Articulate, Determined, and Dependable demonstrated a trend showing the Leader as an effective communicator, decisive and sure, and reliable and consistent. These traits are critical for a good leader who uses them to guide clear communication, unshakable pursuit of our goals, and the sense of trustworthiness the team can expect when in trouble.
On the other hand, the lower score (2.0 – disagree) implies that the Leader is not associated with adjectives such as talkative, outgoing, and good with people. This feature is of little importance in some leaders’ contexts. Still, it can be beneficial when forming a team’s spirit, organizing collaboration, or building good interpersonal connections.
Also, the scores of the traits Persistent and Friendly being Not Quite Strong (3.0) mean that at this moment, both traits do not give an impression of solid features, but at the same time, negative ones hardly happen. The neutral ratings are due to the varying points of view among the raters, or it may indicate that the traits subject to evaluation do not have this consistency, and conspicuousness is suggested.
The variations in scores within outcomes of self-judgments and assessments of others can be traced to a range of factors, including differences in expectations, experiences, or situations when the Leader has been seen. These dissimilarities can offer chances for personal reflection and dialogue or serve as a path to continuous growth and improvement as a supervisor. In general, LTQ analysis allows us to see the whole picture of a leader’s preferences and traits; there, we can shortlist what he is good at and where he could improve by looking at situational circumstances and his teams.
Impact of Trait Preferences on Leadership Style
The way a leader shows a specific pattern of trait preferences, as exposed in the Leadership Trait Questionnaire, can profoundly impact their attitudes and general effectiveness as a leader across different settings. Some characteristics fit specific types of leadership. It is, however, crucial to acknowledge that they have both advantages and disadvantages.
Strengths:
These high scores in traits like perceptiveness, self-confidence, self-esteem, and trustworthiness imply that the leadership style fits nicely in situations that require decisive creativity and can inspire faith among the followers. Indeed, these features can create the basis for such leadership, where the Leader can inspire and encourage people with a clear vision, set high standards, and be an example for people to follow.
The charismatic style of transformational leaders with such traits can quickly drive the rest of team members beyond their interests for the more excellent reckoning of the organization (Prabhu & Koodamara, 2021). Their skill at recognizing and taking advantage of emerging opportunities is directly correlated with their self-belief and standing in their decision-making. On top of this, the moderateness of scores in traits like articulateness, ambition, and loyalty ties this transformational leadership style together by stressing the importance of effective communication, committed pursuit of goals, and trustworthiness – all the factors that are crucial in motivating teammates with a similar view and realizing all project goals.
Limitations:
Although the qualities of the Leader prove this approach is practical, it is essential to consider possible drawbacks that may occur in some circumstances. The relatively low score on the ” Outgoing ” trait indicates problems in establishing meaningful personal links and creating an environment where team members are stimulated to speak their minds and share their thoughts and experiences.
Effective leadership mainly relies upon adjusting one’s style to the situation’s demands and team dynamics. When team factors such as joint work, problem-solving, and team member engagement are essential, a highly directive and authoritarian approach will likely hinder team performance and motivation (Dinsmore et al., 2022). The Leader would need to put more effort into developing a participative or consultative leadership style, actively seeking out the opinion of his team members and allowing them to express themselves freely. Aside from that, neutral in “Friendly” also implies the need for the Leader to be more proactive in showing warmth, kindness, and approachability. While job-oriented traits are essential, the ability to relate with team members personally creates an environment of trust, respect, and positive team culture, which can ultimately boost effectiveness.
By recognizing these possible hurdles, the manager can actively look for opportunities to advance and develop through leadership training, coaching, or mentoring (Massie, 2023). Constantly enriching and growing the set of their skills and competencies, with both soft and hard power skills, will allow them to successfully deal with various leadership situations, building on their strengths and addressing the gaps.
Ultimately, successful leadership is between task and people-oriented traits and the skill to adapt to a particular situation and team dynamics. Through acquiring the mindset of growth, individualizing the leadership, and continuously improving it, the Leader can create an environment that is inspiring, motivating, and empowering for the team.
Genesis of Traits
The origin of a person’s desired character traits can be accredited to different reasons such as their childhood, values, beliefs, attitudes, and experience.
The Leader in question might have scored high in self-confidence and self-assurance because of a supportive home ground that developed self-esteem and perseverance. These two traits could be rooted in a value system emphasizing integrity, honesty, and accurately viewing situations before making a judgment.
Another factor that could have been influential in the making of the Leader’s traits is their experiences, either personal or professional. Overcoming obstacles and difficulties could make them more resilient, while successful leadership experiences can boost their self-confidence and decision-making. (McIntosh et al., 2020). Besides, one should pay attention to the role of society and culture in forming traits. The peculiar traits may be preferable or encouraged in specific contexts; through it, an individual can perceive the meaning of effective leadership.
Reflection
The Leadership Trait Questionnaire I completed and evaluated the results has served as a meaningful learning tool. It has been a window for me to look into my leadership potential from the perspective of others.
The primary lesson here is self-awareness and being open to colleague feedback. There is an equally important thing for self-perception, which is considering the viewpoints of others. They might have some new points to share, which could help you reflect and improve. In addition, this exercise showed me the value of flexibility, adaptation, and a proactive approach. The Leader’s valued qualities have an impact on the style of leadership. Still, exceptional leadership involves the flexibility to transform one’s preferred pattern to adapt to various contexts and the team’s composition.
Moving forward, the Leader can use his strengths, which include perceptiveness, self-confidence, and trustworthiness, keenly working on areas of development that include improving interpersonal skills and showing care and kindness. Taking chances for personal development and professional growth, including leadership development training or coaching, could be worthwhile for improving these domains. Also, the Leader can endeavor to have a diverse team that is not made up of the same trait preferences but instead of unique strengths, which can be brought to the table and create a well-rounded and successful leadership dynamic.
Conclusion
The Leadership Trait Questionnaire has given essential inputs into the Leader’s favorite traits, the influence of these traits on leadership, and the possible origins of traits. Through the examination of sameness and variation of self-perception and others’ perceptions, a leader can gain insight into what lies in strengths and weaknesses. Although the exercise has allowed the Leader to identify the main predispositions with the directive-questioning leadership style, it has also shown the importance of flexibility and mixing different traits in order to match the requirements of different cases and group dynamics. Overall, this experience demonstrates the necessity of self-awareness and has taught me to accept feedback and never-ending learning and growth to become an effective leader.
References
Dinsmore, C., McLellan, J., Bavington, G., & Donnelly, C. (2022). High-Performance Teams : Leading Successful Teams. Ecampusontario.ca. https://doi.org/bc3442ad-0c19-4421-baf7-42fc3e2394c0
Massie, M. (2023, October 27). Council Post: Unlocking Leadership Growth: The Power Of 360-Degree Feedback. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2023/10/26/unlocking-leadership-growth-the-power-of-360-degree-feedback/
McIntosh, T., Antes, A. L., & DuBois, J. M. (2020). Navigating Complex, Ethical Problems in Professional Life: a Guide to Teaching SMART Strategies for Decision-Making. Journal of Academic Ethics, 19(2), 139–156. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10805-020-09369-y
Prabhu, N., & Koodamara, N. K. (2021). Relationship among transformational leadership, workplace spirituality and team effectiveness: A conceptual framework. International Journal of Public Sector Performance Management, 8(4), 346-360.
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