Definition
Montgomery Van Wart suggests that the basic idea of “trait theory” is that there are certain kinds of attributes that leaders have which improve the functioning of organizations as well as improving the stature of the leader (Van Wart and Suino 2012, p. 54).
Introduction
The concept of trait theory draws its origins from the “Great Man” theories, as propounded by Thomas Carlyle in his 1841 book On Heroes, Hero-Worship, and the Heroic in History. This book suggests that one can learn how to do leadership if one studies the lives of great men. Some of the first versions of this approach emphasized the idea that if people demonstrated masculine traits and dominant behavior, then they could become leaders (Kinicki and Fugate 2012, p. 365).
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References
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Swan, W. (2016). Trait Theory of Leadership. In: Farazmand, A. (eds) Global Encyclopedia of Public Administration, Public Policy, and Governance. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-31816-5_1909-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-31816-5_1909-1
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