MSLD 511 - Module 2 - Reflecting on Leadership Traits - Madeline Campbell


The Traits Based Leadership Theory assumes leaders are comprised of ingrained characteristics and not characteristics that are developed over time (Northouse, p. 19, 2016). This theory was one of the very first academic leadership theories that attempted to answer why certain individuals are effective leaders and why others are not. Characteristics woven within the Trait Theory of Leadership are: Intelligence, Self-Confidence, Determination, Integrity and Sociability (Northouse, p. 23, 2016)

Traits that I employ to be an effective leader would be my honesty/integrity, and sociability. For example, if I had a follower who was incorrectly doing their work, I would not send them a passive aggressive email or tell them in a rude or abrupt manner that they are a bad employee. I would simply approach them and train or re-train them in the correct manner, applying positivity and encouragement. I am an active leader who tries to foresee potential issues and aid in the process of creating a level playing field. I stand behind who I am, my actions, words and work. I am personally driven when I work toward goals and objectives I am passionate about. I think it is paramount for a leader to not only respect their team members but also make an effort to truly know them and their characteristic nuances. This will help make each member of the team feel valued, as well as provide key insight to how each individual respond to different leadership styles. Something I struggle with, however, is self-confidence as I tend to over-think my leadership actions, or revisit past conversations and doubt my course of action. Part of this is due to humility, as I do not want to become overconfident or dominating as a leader, but this can also negatively impact my productivity in leadership situations as I struggle to make command decisions.

Leadership traits make up who a person is within their leadership role. Great leaders must find a balance amongst their leadership traits and have active involvement for their team to operate as smoothly and seamlessly as possible.  Leadership traits that are important to my leadership style are:
  • Humility
  • Transparency
  • Integrity
  • Cooperation
  • Vision


These traits are woven within who I am as a person and how I act daily with my managers, co-workers and “clients”. If I have done something incorrectly, I want to know and work to correct and improve my actions. I am fully transparent and will never lie to make myself look better because I have strong personal and work ethics. I live everyday with purpose to better serve others in my job and want to always focus on the vision I have for my team and the well-being of the company.

References
Northouse, P. G. (2016). Leadership: Theory and practice. Los Angeles, Calif.: SAGE.

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