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There is a long history of debate in academic circles about the extent
to which leadership can be taught and to which extent it is a consequence of
personality traits.  The consensus at the
moment seems to be that being a leader is not an inborn quality and people do
have considerable influence on how well they do in business leadership
positions.  However, it would be naïve to
believe that character features and other factors that determine our behavior
do not play a role.  This is not to say
that mindset or behavior cannot be changed by effective management leadership
training.
What personality traits are typically attributed to great business
leaders and can they be trained or encouraged?
1. Intelligence
Even though it is a largely inborn quality, it would be wrong to assume
that only a fraction of the population is mentally equipped to handle complex
problems normally face by business leaders.  In fact, studies show that after a certain level increases in IQ stop
being an advantage, which means that you only have to be intelligent enough to
do well in leadership positions.  Extra
prowess is always welcome, but it is definitely not a prerequisite to
management success.  Management
leadership training can help channel your intellectual strength in directions
that benefit business.
2. Adjustment and openness to experiences
Great leaders need to be capable of adapting to changes, which are part
and parcel of any enterprise.  Being too
rigid or defensive might translate into missing opportunities and failing to
get ahead with the market.  Organizations
need leadership to be forward-looking and open to novelty.
3. Extroversion
It is true that we are born extrovert or introvert, but most people have
the potential to move along the scale of social involvement to a certain
extent.  This is how relatively
inward-looking individuals can bring out the deposits of extroversion in
themselves and become comfortable with social situations.
4. Self-efficacy
Effective leaders have to see a road to achieving objectives in a
systematic way and believe in their methods.  It is a very specific form of self-confidence that companies benefit
from enormously.  Again, it is a distinct
combination of inborn self-esteem and executive refinement received throughout
one's professional career.  Well-designed
management leadership training can help enormously
5. Self-discipline and attention to detail
Most leaders are hard-working and reliable individuals, taking extreme
care to complete tasks to the maximum of their abilities and to maximum
effect.  They refuse to compromise on
details that other might deem immaterial, seeing their excellence as a way to
generate competitive advantage.
Business Educators is a premier network of US-based business
professors.  Browse its resources and
solutions, including leadership training programs, to find the ideal executive
education package for your organization.
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