Trait Theory of Personality Explained: 4 Trait Theory Examples

In psychology, the trait theory of personality posits that the differences between individuals lie in the potency of their basic personality traits. This approach lists a number of traits and individual differences between human beings and then assesses how they might add up to form somebody’s personality. Trait theory differs from other personality and social psychology theories, like Fred Fiedler’s contingency theory and Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalytic theory. In business, people occasionally rely on trait theories to see if someone has the right characteristics to take on a leadership role.

Most trait theories present a series of binary personal characteristics (like extraversion and introversion) and then chart a person on a spectrum between these two extremes. For example, very few people are introverts to the point of seeking total solitude or extroverts to the point of wanting constant sociability, so taking a more realistic and humanistic approach like this helps zero in on what makes every individual unique.

The study of personality psychology has led to a variety of behavioral theories. Here are just four of the most prominent trait theories of personality:

1. 1. The five-factor model of personality: Also known as the Big Five personality traits test, the five-factor model of personality tracks agreeableness, conscientiousness, extraversion (or extroversion), neuroticism, and openness to experience. Where you rank on each of the five metrics combines to form your entire personality.
2. 2. Gordon Allport’s trait theory: Trait theorist Gordon Allport broke down personality characteristics into three main categories: cardinal traits, central traits, and secondary traits. In this trait approach, cardinal characteristics refer to defining attributes like narcissism or humility, central ones to common behavior patterns like perfectionism or impulsivity, and secondary traits to incidental behaviors (e.g., impatience in traffic despite being patient in most other scenarios).
3. 3. Hans Eysenck’s three dimensions of personality: The psychologist Hans Eysenck crafted his human personality assessment with three key metrics in mind: introversion vs. extraversion, neuroticism vs. emotional stability, and level of psychoticism. By determining the lattermost metric, Eysenck hoped to crystallize whether or not a person might be living with a personality disorder.
4. 4. Raymond Cattell’s sixteen-factor model: Through factor analysis, Raymond Cattell set out to discern how an individual’s personality type forms based on sixteen different traits. Cattell asked people to self-report information on a questionnaire he designed to help him assess their personalities.

The trait theory of leadership is an overarching assumption about the personality factors and qualities that make a person a good leader. Philosopher Thomas Carlyle often receives credit for creating the first official trait leadership theory. His Great Man Theory asserts that certain people—political leaders, CEOs, military top brass, and so on—are born with all the right personality traits to attain position, power, and authority. Detractors of this theory believe it’s too autocratic in execution and unrealistic in its basic assumptions.

Since then, multiple psychologists have proposed various other leadership models. One such theory is that great leaders can take on the traits necessary to guide their followers later in life. In other words, non-leaders can become leaders with enough practice.

Additionally, trait theories of leadership can help point out why certain people might adopt specific leadership styles in comparison to others.

Different personality traits make for excellent leadership qualities. Here are just seven characteristics common to the average good leader:

1. 1. Confidence: Effective leaders generally possess a high level of assertiveness and self-confidence. Even if a leader tends toward introversion or practices an easygoing style of leadership, having faith in themselves is a fundamental aspect of convincing others to have faith in them as well.
2. 2. Emotional stability: Potential leaders must make an effort to develop a large reservoir of emotional resiliency. Leaders must possess a level head and a steady hand to guide people through good and bad times. As such, cultivating emotional stability is an essential aspect of leadership development.
3. 3. Empathy: To develop your leadership potential fully, make an effort to cultivate a high level of emotional intelligence. Leaders need interpersonal skills and a lot of understanding to get things done. Showing people you care about them will make them more open to taking your advice and direction.
4. 4. Intelligence: A high level of intelligence is one of the core indicators of leader emergence in general. People in leadership positions need a certain amount of intelligence to navigate unexpected situations, which may mean knowing when to rely on their intuition and when to seek out the opinions and advice of a mentor.
5. 5. Responsibility: Leadership effectiveness depends partly on a given leader’s ability to accept responsibility. Learning to be responsible is an essential aspect of all types of personality development, but it’s crucial for successful leaders. With this sort of responsibility comes a great deal of stress, so learning how to cope with pressure is also a necessary leadership trait.
6. 6. Sociability: Even if you have all the necessary leadership skills, they might still come to naught if you don’t know how to be sociable. As a personality factor, sociability lays the groundwork for your ability to relate to others. If you can’t converse with others, it’ll be difficult to guide them in a situational leadership scenario.
7. 7. Trustworthiness: As you cultivate your various leadership abilities, make a reputation for yourself as a person of integrity. When your team trusts you, that’s when you can expect truly transformational leadership to take place.

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