Making sense out of leadership literature can be
difficult. Sometimes using a meta-analysis of other people’s research can help
in creating stronger understanding. Derue, et. al. (2011) reviews the need to
integrate leadership into a more cohesive framework by testing four concepts of
leader effectiveness, group performance, follower job satisfaction and satisfaction
of leadership. Understanding how traits and behaviors match to create
effectiveness is important for determining the overall abilities of the leader
to meet goals.
Leadership effectiveness is often predicted from the
demographics, personality traits, skills and abilities of the leader (Eagly,
et. al., 1995). The combination of these factors meshed together into
leadership behavior may be most successful.
Therefore, successful leadership relies on both behavior and traits to
be effective.
Leadership behavior creates overall effectiveness (Judge
& Piccolo, 2004). Behavior is most often goal-oriented in the sense that it
focused on specific outcomes that seek manifest a vision the leader has.
Without action there cannot be change within the environment or movement toward
higher forms of performance.
Leadership can be categorized into traits or
behaviors (Bass & Bass, 2008; Derue, et. al., 2011):
Traits:
demographics, task competence, and interpersonal attributes.
Behaviors:
task processes, relational dynamics or change.
Traits are inherent within the individual and can be
enhanced or learned over time. Behaviors are the outward actions that focus on
the completion of goal seeking behavior. These are the tasks one completes on a
daily basis, the activities of other they engage with or the behavioral
activity focused on change. When the traits are matched with certain behaviors
they can create effective leadership.
The researchers Derue, et. al. (2011) reviewed 13
meta-analysis and 46 primary studies to find patterns toward model integration.
It was their way of systematically analyzing previous research to determine how
effective leadership is developed. Leadership traits like conscientiousness
appeared to have the highest predictive value for effectiveness. When
leadership traits were matched with task competence effectiveness appeared to
be higher. Interpersonal attributes were associated with relationship-oriented
behavior that increased employee satisfaction. Where task competence and
interpersonal attributes matched, there was a higher degree of change oriented
action. As expected the “do nothing” or passive leaders were least effective.
The findings further our understanding that
leadership traits pair with behaviors to create effectiveness. Leaders are
likely to rely on both innate and learned traits to direct their goal seeking
behavior. It is this goal directed behavior that creates task completion that
results in effectiveness. It is a life-long process of development where traits
and successful behaviors match to make the dynamic combo many leaders seek. How
that is manifested in terms of being people or task oriented will determine the
type of leadership style used. Despite these preferences leaders still have the
ability to use both as the situation demands to be even more effective.
Bass ,B & Bass, R. (2008). TheBass
handbook of leadership: Theory, research, and managerial
applications. New York, NJ:
Free Press.
Derue, D., et. al. (2011). Trait
and behavioral theories of leadership: an integration and meta-analytic test of
their relative validity. Personnel
Psychology, 64 (1).
Eagly A., et. al. (1995). Gender
and the effectiveness of leaders: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin,
117, 125–145.
Judge T, & Piccolo R..
(2004). Transformational and transactional leadership: A metaanalytic test of
their relative validity. Journal of Applied Psychology, 89, 755–768.
