Some people may think that good leaders and people of influence are simply born that way–and according to science, they may just be right. According to an in-depth meta analysis by Timothy Judge, Ph.D., a professor at the Mendoza College of Business at the University of Notre Dame, researchers found that “extroversion is the best predictor of leadership effectiveness,” with conscientiousness as another major indicator.
An article in Business Insider continued to explain that ‘Psychologists define extroversion as sociability and enthusiasm, while conscientiousness refers to your organization and work ethic.’ There has been much research on conscientiousness people recently, and all have had similar results: “[it’s one of] the only major personality traits that consistently predict success.”
Extraversion and conscientiousness are highly social traits, which are believed to help people inspire and motivate others; hence, better leaders. These studies are not to say that an introvert or more reserved people can’t succeed–not at all. But extroversion and conscientiousness have proven to be reliable indicators when studied. There are a few other traits that help people succeed, too, though. Check them out below:
