A new study from Michigan State University found that the personality characteristics that get you promoted to a leader aren’t necessarily the qualities that make you a good one.
The study, published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, found that a number of characteristics are important for effective leadership including achievement motivation, order, self-discipline and optimism.
However, the employees who tend to become leaders are often not the people with the characteristics to be successful in those roles. For example, people who are assertive are more likely to become leaders. However, assertiveness was not associated with effective leadership.
“Leadership can have a substantial impact on organizational effectiveness and employee morale. Therefore, it is important that organizations know what to look for when hiring leaders or helping current employees develop into leadership roles,” said Christopher Nye, co-author of the study and professor in MSU’s Department of Psychology.