2. Personality predicts leadership
The second lesson concerns personality and leadership. The data are clear: personality is the best single predictor of leader performance that we have. For example, Jim Collins published a milestone study of 11 Fortune 1000 companies which had 15 years of below average performance, followed by a transition year, and then 15 years of performance substantially above their industry average. Collins found that, in each case, a new CEO had turned the company around and that these 11 highly effective CEOs combined extreme personal humility with a fierce and relentless drive to win. This contrasts with their high profile, publicity-seeking counterparts in poorer performing companies. Personality is important in both cases, and we can also say good-bye to the view that CEOs need charisma to be effective.
Author: Robert Hogan, PhD, professor of I/O psychology
Six lessons on leadership – part 1
