When thinking about leadership and the traits that make a person a “Great Man” or Great Woman, I think about how well people cope, behave, relate, and deal with individuals in a situational context and also how individual(s) deal with the situation itself. However, I feel like the central principals of the Trait Theory can influence the way people cope with a situation. The Trait Theory stems from the concept of an individual possessing a set of “special” characteristics that make them more “gifted,” or cause them to be more likely to be a talented individual when compared to someone that is simply seen as an “average person.”
As a result, this makes “ordinary folk” believe “gifted people” to be more suitable and thus more ideal to hold a leadership role or title. This set of characteristics that are more prominently seen in a “leader” include traits such as intelligence, self confidence, determination, integrity, and sociability. However, although I believe all of these traits can be seen in a large part of the population, I believe that the way in which people cope, and react to a particular situation truly defines whether or not they are a leader given an isolated circumstance.
By this I mean even if someone is great at being a “leader” in terms of dividing up the work, designating tasks and maximizing time set up, and the execution of the paper work, I think the very same person can display a different form of leadership when it comes to actually presenting the presentation in front of a group of people.
This being said, I do not mean to say that the person who presents the presentation is anymore or any less of a leader than the person who organizes the presentation itself but simply that these two types of leadership reveal two different types of leadership styles. By both individuals exhibiting their leadership strengths and abilities in different ways depending on the situation it shows that both are equally qualified yet are leaders in two totally different ways.
I can see this with myself, in the sense that in high school I was the volleyball captain one year and was able to motivate, cheer on and encourage my team through games yet when it came to public speaking I would get nervous and would prefer to have someone else take over. Yet, with that being said, I do not believe that made me any less of a leader just a different type of leader. Furthermore, I have also realized that I enjoy leading smaller groups rather than larger classes where there are more people and I feel like more expectations. Thus, when merging the knowledge I have of the trait theory and my personal experience, I would say that the past has shown me that I like to be a motivator and prefer to guide in small situations, (sports teams, group activities) than to lead and be an outspoken public speaker. Ultimately, making me realize that I do not lack the ability to be a leader but simply need to improve on those traits that are not my strongest (i.e, public speaking.)
Caroline, I liked how you were inclusive and used "Great Woman" along with Great Man. Also, I felt I could relate to your story. Although I was never the captain of any sports teams, I found leading in smaller group settings to be more suited to my leadership style. I have learned even in small group settings, I tend to get nervous when speaking. By making people think you're confident, it will portray as such. :)
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