The relationship between personality and transformational leadership

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose was to find if the relationship between personality and transformational leadership exists, when the appraisals are from leaders themselves and from their subordinates.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach taken was quantitative analyses of 439 leaders and 380 subordinates.

Findings

Results indicated that the relationship between personality and transformational leadership exists. Subordinates' and leaders' ratings did not converge. According to leaders' self‐ratings, the extraverted, intuitive and perceiving preferences favour transformational leadership. On the contrary, subordinates' ratings indicated that leaders with sensing preference are associated with transformational leadership.

Research limitations/implications

Even if sample size is relatively extensive, it represents mainly middle‐level leaders. More data would be needed to gain the overall picture of this topic in all leadership levels.

Practical implications

Results of this study can be used in training and development, when trying to enhance mutual understanding. Also when leaders are appraising themselves they can have more realistic picture when knowing their tendencies due to the personality.

Originality/value

The results provides further information of this field, where the earlier results have been somehow contradictory. Paper shows how different personalities tend to over‐ or underestimate themselves when comparing to subordinates ratings.

Citation

Hautala, T.M. (2006), "The relationship between personality and transformational leadership", Journal of Management Development, Vol. 25 No. 8, pp. 777-794. https://doi.org/10.1108/02621710610684259