Module 4 Discussion: Leadership Traits Effectiveness

1) Describe two traits that are associated with leadership.  Discuss both the "bright" and "dark" sides of these two traits. Are these traits consistent with the qualities of effective leaders you have observed either at work or in the public sphere? Discuss an example.

2) How necessary do you think charisma is to effective leadership?  When might it be more or less needed?  Support your answer. 

3) Describe a limitation discussed in the text or article in attempting to link personality to leadership effectiveness.  Given this limitation, do you think it is useful to discuss leadership in terms of personality traits? Explain why or why not.

4) Do you believe organizations should incorporate personality testing into their hiring and promotion of individuals for leadership positions? Should they use other approaches (e.g. interviewing) to attempt to assess traits?