Pros and Cons of Trait Theory

The Trait Theory and the Great Man Theory are very similar in their ideals. Both revolve around the idea that great leaders are born more than made, and that these leaders are born with certain traits that predispose them to being a great leader. As listed in the Article "Leadership: Do Traits Matter?", by Shelley Kirkpartick and Edwin Locke, these key traits include drive, leadership motivation, honesty and integrity, self-confidence, cognitive ability, and knowledge of the business. Looking at these traits, it is easier for bystanders to recognize who a will be a “great leader”. These traits provide a baseline for leaders to be evaluated by for us to determine who will, and will not, be a great leader.

However, we must also consider the cons to these theories. When looking at the Great Man theory, it specifies that men specifically who are born with these traits will be the great leaders. It does not account for women at all, nor does it include the idea that traits can be developed in a person and do not necessarily need to be inherited. The Trait based theory does include the notion that traits can be developed over time, but it still is not a completely accurate theory. Both of these theories do not include some other traits that can be considered important in a leader such as spirit of optimism, passion, adaptability, etc. In different situations, leaders need to have different qualities to help them succeed. Who is and is not a great leader is not an exact science, so it is hard to say that every great leader will have exactly the same traits that make them great. As the Cornel Hospitality Quarterly article "Leadership in the Service of Hospitality" states, “After a decade of research, studies by Stogdill and others concluded that no single characteristic distinguishes effective leaders from less effective ones”.