Module Catalog →
Module Catalog →
Leaders possess identifiable, measurable traits.
Luther Lee Bernard (1881–1951), a Chicago-school sociologist; Walter Van Dyke Bingham (1880–1952), founder of the first applied psychology program at Carnegie Tech; and Ordway Tead (1891–1973), editor and Columbia lecturer, each catalogued the qualities thought to mark leaders. Ralph Stogdill's 1948 review found no universal trait set, redirecting the field toward behavior and situation.
The trait theorists catalogued the qualities that set leaders apart — intelligence, self-confidence, determination, integrity, sociability. Stogdill's later reviews found no universal trait list, but the search itself professionalized leadership research.
The era: Traits & Rank — Multiple forces — traits, nature of the group, and the event; leadership defined by organizational rank.
Leaders possess identifiable, measurable traits.
This theory sits in the Traits & Rank era of the map: Multiple forces — traits, nature of the group, and the event; leadership defined by organizational rank.
Name the traits your culture rewards and check them against what the work actually needs.
Use trait language descriptively, never as a ceiling on someone's growth.