Pros and Cons of Trait Theory

“Great Man Theory” is a popular leadership theory from the 19th and early 20th century that claims leaders are born, not made. I can think of only one pro to this theory: it was the starting point for developing and discussing leadership theory and attempting to outline which traits make great leaders. That is it; I guess we all have to start somewhere. Now for the cons, and there are so many cons but I will only list the main one for the sake of time and space. Great Man Theory makes it seem like leadership is an exclusive club or clique. According to the article “Do Traits Matter,” by Kirkpatrick and Locke, this theory “asserted that leadership qualities were inherited, especially by people from the upper class.” It infers that there is no way anyone could learn and practice the behaviors and traits needed to become a leader. Tough luck to anyone who did not have a miraculous birth or was ordained by God to rule. Luckily, this theory eventually evolved into something a little less exclusive: Trait Theory. Similar to great man theory, “trait theories assumed that certain characteristics and personalities made an individual a better leader and consequently sought to identify those qualities,” according to the article “Leadership in the Service of Hospitality”, by Judi Brownell. One of the cons about trait theory was that it was still assuming that one was born with the traits listed, that they could not be practiced or developed. Another con was that it assumed these traits were universally associated with effective leadership and did not account for situational factors. However, there were also pros to this theory. First, it started to more clearly outline defining leadership characteristics and behaviors instead of just saying that either you were born a leader or you weren’t, which was definitely an improvement over Great Man Theory. This eventually opened the door for further developed leadership theory. Today, trait theory is making a comeback, but the difference now is that the traits are a precondition. According to Kirkpatrick and Locke, “Leaders who possess the requisite traits must take actions to be successful.” We now accept in today’s society that leadership is definitely something that can be learned, practiced, and developed.