TRAIT THEORY OF

LEADERSHIP
 TRAIT THEORY
• Trait theory of leadership differentiates
leaders from non leaders by focusing on
personal qualities and characteristics.

• Trait theory of leadership sought personality,

social, physical and intellectual traits.

• Trait theory assumes that leaders are born.

 Traits are classified into five categories:

1. Intelligence and scholarship,

2. Physical traits like age, height, weight, strength etc.
3. Social status and experience
4. Task Orientation
5. Personality characteristics:
• Ambition and energy
• Desire to lead
• Honesty and integrity
• Self confidence
• Job relevant knowledge etc.
 TRAIT LEADERS
• Trait theorist refers to people like Father of
nation M.K. Gandhi, Indira Gandhi, Margrat
Thracher, Nelson Mandela, Virgin Group CEO
Richard Branson, Apple Co-founder Steve
Jobs, Ratan Tata of the Tata Group, Azim
Premji of Wipro, Narayana Murthy of Infosys
etc.
 TRAIT THEORY AND MAHATMA
GANDHI
• Mahatma Gandhi was the born leader
according to trait theorist . He was the born leader
along with some qualities which he improves with the
situation and requirement of the society.
• Mahatma Gandhi had all characteristics of a trait leadership
like:
• Ambition and Energy: Mahatma had a big ambition to get
freedom. He made his objective or target to make INDIA as a
sovereign country. And he did so. He provides his all effort to
the people to make Unity in Diversity.
• Desire to Lead: The leader is that who has a desire to
lead the people. And Gandhiji leaded the Indian public.
When he gone to the South Africa and the see condition
of black people, he decided he will destroy these
inequalities.
• Honesty and Integrity: Gandhiji was very honest as we all
know and he was honest to his work, to his family, to his
goal and to the Indians. He saw all people of India equal.
It is very essential to a leader to have honesty towards
his goal and the work.
• Self confidence: Gandhiji was very confident that he will
succeed to provide the freedom to all of us. He worked
hard and so smartly to achieve his goal of freedom. He
did Dandi March in 1929 to make the salt in Gujarat that
shows his self confidence.
• Intelligence: Gandhiji was very intelligent leader. As
he gave principle of Truth and Nonviolent to the
people. He had a good negotiation skill. He was
well educated person. He used to take decisions
efficiently.
• Job relevant knowledge: M.K. Gandhi was clearly
knew that what should he do, when should he do
the tasks to achieve the objective. The leaders
should have the job relevant knowledge.
Besides it Gandhiji had done pune pact, Bharat
chhodo andolan, Sattyagrah etc. that shows his
leadership skill which him the greatest leader.
Today, also people follow him.
 Trait theory and E.Shridharan
• E.Shridharan is basically an engineer. Which the
greatest thing to the India as DELHI METRO. After
making the Delhi Metro he became famous. The Delhi
Metro shows his innovative ideas and leadership skill.
He manages the situations prepared the Metro very
quickly.

• He had an ambition to make Delhi metro quickly and

he is so energetic while doing his work. He had a desire
to lead the people and he initiate that shows his
leadership skill. E. Shridharan is a very intelligent
leader. He was honest towards his goal and work. He
led the people and things very fluently.
• He was very confident while taking the charge to
prepare the Delhi Metro which was very big
challenge for anyone but he was very confident
that he will prepare before the given time and he
did so. That made him a leader.
• He has a very good knowledge about his work
and he worked smartly. Because without the
knowledge about the job how will anyone do the
work.
So, both Gandhiji and Shridharan are the
born leader and have a good leadership skill that
influences the people. They are also coming in
the charismatic leadership categories.