JLBC CADET CORPS Leadership Skills & Theories
Another problem with trait theory is that a person who can be a great leader in one situation (maybe they have what it takes to lead a group through a great crisis) is not a great leader in all cases. Why not? Grand Man Theory implies that if you find that ‘great man, you have a hero. But different situations require different leadership styles, and not every leader is suited to all conditions.
Though Trait Theory receded in prominence by the mid-20th Century, researchers continue to study aspects of it and find ways to make it relevant. There is great interest in identifying elements of a leader’s personality and how those aspects or traits affect the leader’s style and effectiveness. Ralph Stogdill’s studies suggest that attributes and situational variables contribute to leadership.
It is helpful for students of leadership to study leadership traits. Though Trait Theory is not the be-all and end-all of leadership theory, someone who wants to be a leader should consider the qualities that make leaders extraordinary. The JLBC Cadet Corps looks at leadership traits: Character Development.
Personality Theory - MBTI
Personality theories (psychodynamic approach to leadership) address the individual personality characteristics of the leader and follower. The focus of this approach is on personality. Depending on the theory, much of this approach originated from the study of psychoanalysis by Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung. A lot of psychologists have done work in this area, and there are many theories based on the analysis of personalities, but we’ll only look at a few. The central concept is that we develop our character from a young age, and it is not something that we can ‘change’ much. Personality theory helps categorize our personality traits and looks at the interaction between leaders and followers and how their personalities affect the interaction. If we know ourselves and how we naturally interact with others, we can be more successful at shaping the interactions and accomplishing our leadership role. We will briefly examine Transactional Analysis, Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, DISC Model, True Colors, and Kiersey Temperament Theory.
Myers-Briggs (MBTI).
Katharine Cook Briggs and her daughter Isabel Briggs Myers created the Briggs Myers Type Indicator Handbook in the 1940s, though their research started with Briggs in 1917 and changed to the Myers- Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) in 1956. It has gone through several updates and remains a popular theory. It is adapted from the idea presented by Carl Jung in his book Psychological Types.
MBTI uses four sets of opposing characteristics. JLBC Cadets, your answer a series of questions, and the results tell you which of the two elements in each location you prefer. Few people are to one side or the other in this comparison, which is why we use the term ‘prefer.’ You may be slightly more of an extrovert than an introvert or slightly more thinking than feeling. Some people strongly prefer one over the other. Either way, you are assigned the letter of the characteristic you tilt toward. The four sets of eight factors are:
• Extroverted (E) vs. Introverted (I)
• Sensing (S) vs. Intuition (N)
• Thinking (T) vs. Feeling (F)
• Judging (J) vs. Perceiving (P)
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