New study finds personality is key in hiring effective leaders

A new study from Michigan State University reveals that the personality traits that lead to promotion into leadership roles do not necessarily correspond to the qualities that make someone an effective leader. Published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, the research highlighted several important characteristics for successful leadership, including achievement motivation, order, self-discipline, and optimism.

However, the study found that individuals who exhibit assertiveness are more likely to become leaders, yet assertiveness does not align with effective leadership. Christopher Nye, a co-author and professor at MSU's Department of Psychology, emphasized the significance of organizational effectiveness and employee morale, stressing the need for organizations to understand what to look for when hiring leaders or developing current employees into leadership positions.

The study's findings also indicated that the traits of effective leaders differ across various types of leadership roles, such as student leaders, lower-level managers, and upper-level managers. The researchers conducted a meta-analysis, analyzing multiple studies on the connection between personality traits and leadership effectiveness or the emergence of leadership.

Lead author Nathan Baker, an assistant professor at Wright State University, expressed hope that the study's results could assist organizations in more effectively hiring or developing successful leaders in the future.