Question

Define the Big Five and State the two Great Man theories.

Answer 1

• The Big Five is a research-driven approach in psychology which derives from the notion that the most common personality traits can be captured by five core dimensions: Openness to Experience. Conscientiousness. Extroversion. Agreeableness and Neuroticism.These five factors are assumed to represent the basic structure behind all personality traits.
• The factors are on a continuum,they represent a range between two extremes.For example, extraversion represents a continuum between extreme extraversion and extreme introversion. In the real world, most people lie somewhere in between the two polar ends of each dimension.
• The traits are:
• Openness – Openness to experience describes a person’s degree of intellectual curiosity, creativity, and preference for novelty and variety. Some disagreement remains about how to interpret this factor, which is sometimes called intellect.
• Conscientiousness – Conscientiousness is a tendency to show self-discipline, act dutifully, and aim for achievement. Conscientiousness also refers to planning, organization, and dependability.
• Extraversion – Extraversion describes energy, positive emotions, assertiveness, sociability, talkativeness, and the tendency to seek stimulation in the company of others.
• Agreeableness – Agreeableness is the tendency to be compassionate and cooperative towards others rather than suspicious and antagonistic.
• Neuroticism – Neuroticism describes vulnerability to unpleasant emotions like anger, anxiety, depression, or vulnerability. Neuroticism also refers to an individual’s level of emotional stability and impulse control and is sometimes referred to as emotional stability.
• According to the Great Man theory,leaders are born,not made.These individuals come into the world possessing certain characteristics and traits not found in all people.
• The Great Man Theory centers on two main assumptions:
• Great leaders are born possessing certain traits that enable them to rise and lead.
• Great leaders can arise when the need for them is great.
• Great leaders like,Gandhi,Lincoln,Queen Elizabeth etc. all were natural born leaders.They definitely possess high levels of ambition coupled with clear visions of precisely where they want to go. These leaders are cited as naturally great leaders, born with a set of personal qualities that made them effective leaders. Even today, the belief that truly great leaders are born is common.
• Earlier leadership was considered as a quality associated mostly with the males, and therefore the theory was named as the great man theory. But later with the emergence of many great women leaders as well, the theory was recognized as the great person theory.
• A leader is a hero who accomplishes goals against all odds for his followers. The theory implies that those in power deserve to be there because of their special endowment. Furthermore, the theory contends that these traits remain stable over time and across different groups. Thus, it suggests that all great leaders share these characteristic regardless of when and where they lived or the precise role in the history they fulfilled.
• Prompted by the great man theory of leadership, and the emerging interest in understanding what leadership is,this gave rise to the early research efforts to the trait approach to leadership.
• The trait model of leadership is based on the characteristics of many leaders - both successful and unsuccessful - and is used to predict leadership effectiveness.
• These traits are not responsible solely to identify whether a person will be a successful leader or not, but they are essentially seen as preconditions that endow people with leadership potential.
• Among the core traits identified are:
• Achievement drive: High level of effort, high levels of ambition, energy and initiative
• Leadership motivation: an intense desire to lead others to reach shared goals
• Honesty and integrity: trustworthy, reliable, and open
• Self-confidence: Belief in one’s self, ideas, and ability
• Cognitive ability: Capable of exercising good judgment, strong analytical abilities, and conceptually skilled
• Knowledge of business: Knowledge of industry and other technical matters
• Emotional Maturity: well adjusted, does not suffer from severe psychological disorders.
• Others: charisma, creativity and flexibility
• The traits approach gives rise to questions: whether leaders are born or made; and whether leadership is an art or science. However, these are not mutually exclusive alternatives. Leadership may be something of an art; it still requires the application of special skills and techniques. Even if there are certain inborn qualities that make one a good leader, these natural talents need encouragement and development.