In the wake of increased global competitiveness, leadership is vital to the success of every organization. This is because employees require an individual to look up to, grow with and learn from. Each leader has his or her leadership strategy and style. Thus there is no one single approach to effective leadership. Due to this realization, scholars have consistently explored the various approaches to leadership. One of the oldest approaches to leadership is the trait approach ( Carpenter et al., 2010; Fleenor , 2006). This paper aims at exploring the background and creator of this approach, its purpose and use, and the gender perspectives. Lastly, the paper will highlight the application of the approach to occupational health and relationships with co-workers, supervisors or patients.
Background and creator of trait approach to leadership
The trait approach to leadership has its roots in ancient Greece. This follows the description of personality traits by Hippocrates. The theory is based on the notion that certain personal characteristics and traits are associated with successful leadership. Research into this phenomenon is considered one of the oldest explorations into the concept of effective leadership. It was initially suggested in the mid-1800s by Thomas Carlyle in what he termed as the ‘great man' theory of leadership ( Fleenor , 2006; Moran, 199 2 ). According to Carlyle, people are born with the ability to lead, and thus, leadership skills cannot be developed. This postulation informed leadership research in the early days and thus the inquiry into this field was focused solely on inheritable traits. Consequently, it was believed that particular traits resulted in particular behavior patterns and consistency of these patterns was expected in different situations. Further, it was believed that individuals are born with these particular leadership traits ( Fleenor , 2006; Moran, 1992 ). This theory gained popularity in the 20 th Century. Notable inquiries include a 1948 study by Ralph Melvin Stogdill. Stogdill suggested that leadership was not determined by a set of traits that were predetermined but rather was as a result of the interplay between an individual and the social situation. In 1974, Stogdill carried out additional studies on the matter and concluded that both situation variables and individual traits played a role in leadership. Further, studies conducted in the 1980s established that the four top traits that were associated with good leadership were being inspiring, honest, competent and forward-looking ( Fleenor , 2006).
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The trait approach to leadership continues to gain popularity despite growing criticism. Early research on leadership paid particular emphasis on the differences between followers and leaders and assumed that individuals in leadership positions were more likely to portray more leadership traits compared to their peers in subordinate positions ( Fleenor , 2006). However, it was established that relatively few traits could be used to differentiate between followers and leaders. For instance, while leaders were expected to portray more of such traits as self-confidence, extroversion and height, the differences were found to be small. Another notable critique was that many people exhibit these traits yet not all of them become great leaders. Likewise, there are a significant number of great leaders who do not necessarily exhibit the said traits. These gaps in the trait theory informed the development and popularity of alternative narratives.
Purpose of the trait approach and why it is used in leadership
This approach to leadership gives more weight to a person's inborn qualities as opposed to those that they have developed or the relationships they have established with their followers. It thus postulates that individuals are born with particular character traits that automatically make them leaders. This is the notion that has led to the recognition of some people as ‘born-leaders.’ While these traits might not determine the overall successfulness of an individual as a leader, they play an instrumental role in making s leader effective ( Carpenter et al., 2010). Thus, by identifying individuals with certain traits, an organization is likely to increase its chances of success. It is for this reason that the trait approach has been found to be useful.
Various researchers have delved into this matter with increased attention to the specific traits that are likely to make someone a great leader. However, they have borrowed heavily from Stogdill. In his 1974 study, Stogdill argued that the traits that determined leadership included age, appearance and physique; responsibility; self-confidence; integrity; intelligence; knowledge; emotional control and social skills ( Carpenter et al., 2010; Fleenor, 2006)). This list has been expanded with time as more and more researchers have explored the matter. Notable inclusions include task competence; decisiveness; assertiveness; ability to motivate; people skills; trustworthiness; understanding the needs of others; courage; flexibility; physical vitality; and the need for achievement. The quest for these skills has resulted in the support for this approach even as other theories of leadership emerge.
Gender and the trait approach to leadership
The traits approach is conceptualized on the idea that leadership is determined by certain traits that are not only inborn but also fixed and universal. This was initially referred to as the great ‘man' theory of leadership, implying that leadership was primarily recognized as a reserve for men. Based on this it was argued that for women to succeed as leaders, they had to learn how to act like men (Moran, 1992). Women were expected to develop new skills if they wanted to succeed as leaders. Moreover, the traits that were considered to be closely associated with successful leadership were often male traits. Thus, according to trait theory, women were viewed differently from men. However, subsequent scholars argued that lack of power and opportunity was curtailing women's success as leaders as opposed to innate gender differences.
Today, women are increasingly becoming leaders at different organizational levels, including as top executives. Therefore, both men and women, irrespective of differences in leadership styles are essential components of the success of organizations. One the one hand, women leaders are likely to be task-focused, transformational, opt for a flat organizational structure, promote collaboration and cooperation, mentor and train others as well as embrace indirect communication. Men, on the other hand, men are likely to be transactional, focus on performance, embrace hierarchical structure, create competition and communicate directly. In her study, Richardson (2004) confirmed the existence of differences between the leadership styles of men and women. However, these differences did not support the notion that male leaders are more competent than women leaders.
A pplication of trait approach to leadership in the field of o ccupational t herapy
Recently, research has focused on the argument that individuals with a given set of traits may be effective leaders in certain situations and less effective in others. Thus, there is no universal list of traits that successful leaders possess that guarantee them success in all leadership situations. One field where certain traits are vital for success is occupational therapy (Maslin, 1991) . This is because as opposed to other health professions, occupational therapy is broader than just the treatment of patients. Occupational therapy is client-centered and focuses on enabling patients to carry out their routine activities. Thus, t herapists have to embrace a holistic approach to treatment by concentrating on adjusting the patients’ tasks, acclimating their clients’ environment while encouraging them. For example, in the case of a patient with an injured arm, a physical therapist uses manual therapy or acupuncture to treat the patient. However, an occupational therapist is required to help the injured man to make the best out of the situation as well as adapt to the situation so as to ensure a quality life. This is done in addition to offering physiotherapy services regularly. This requires a specific set of traits.
Leadership in occupational therapy may be carried out by a single individual or by a group. For instance, in an organization, leadership can be undertaken by the head occupational therapist or the most senior person in a specific unit. Nevertheless, the performance of leadership functions is vital in ensuring proper coordination and success of occupational therapy services. Based on the trait approach, prospective leaders should portray such in-born traits as enthusiasm, charisma, self-confidence and drive among others. Two kinds of leaders are likely in this case. These are the authoritarian leader and the democratic leader (Maslin, 1991). The authoritarian leader believes that control and direction ought to be centralized and shouldered by one individual. Thus, a head occupational therapist may be deemed authoritarian if he or she purports to be the originator of all decisions. However, an authoritarian leader in occupational therapy may discourage the staff from voicing their opinions and views. A democratic occupational therapy leader believes that individuals can self-actualize. Therefore, a democratic head of occupational therapy believes in collective responsibility and decision making. Nevertheless, execution of this form of leadership is bound to result in time-wastage and frustrations. Effective leadership in occupational therapy is closely associated with the tenets of a democratic leader. In support of this, Fleming-Castaldy & Patro (2012) concluded that effective occupational therapy leaders were characterized by such traits as the ability to enable, model, encourage, challenge and inspire their staff.
Application of trait approach to leadership in relationships with co-workers, supervisors or patients in the field of occupational therapy
Besides leadership, the trait approach is applicable in guiding relationships with co-workers, supervisors and patients in occupational therapy. The relationship between supervisors and workers is vital in determining performance in the workplace, job satisfaction as well as workplace stress. This relationship is informed by individual traits, thus justifying the application of the traits approach to occupational health. Five key traits are likely to influence this relationship. These are agreeableness, conscientiousness, extraversion or introversion, neuroticism, and openness to experience ( Camps et al., 2016) . Agreeable occupational therapists are likely to be kind, helpful and considerate. They are also sociable, cooperative and good at regulating their feelings of anger. This ensures that relations in the workplace are harmonious and in case of conflicts, a compromise can be reached. Less agreeable persons are however likely to portray less concern for their colleague's welfare and more likely to depict aggressive tendencies. Conscientious individuals, on the other hand, are persistent, goal-oriented, hardworking and neat. This leads to increased performance, lowered levels of interpersonal defiance and the adoption of more effective coping mechanisms.
Extraversion is associated with being assertive and sociable. Assertive individuals are also more likely to experience positive emotions. They also portray enthusiasm and excitement. Due to these traits, extraverted individuals are likely to emerge as effective occupational therapy leaders. Since extraverts are friendly and enjoy the company of others, they are more likely to foster warm relationships in the workplace. High levels of neuroticism lead to increased anxiety, insecurity and susceptibility to stress ( Camps et al., 2016) . Therefore, the level of neuroticism is likely to portray high levels of negative emotions, irritability and use of inappropriate coping mechanisms. Consequently, they may foster interpersonal hostility in the workplace. People who are open to experience exhibit intellectual curiosity, active imagination and willingness to embrace new experiences and ideas. Thus, open individuals are less authoritarian and are likely to support the input of others. Lastly, the relationship with patients is likely to be defined by such traits as good communication skills, personal skills, problem-solving skills, physical strength, organizational skills, empathy, patience , creativity, compassion and flexibility (Braveman, 2016; New s om, 2000). This is particularly because occupational therapy is client-centered, and therefore the needs of the patients come first in the relationship.
References
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Fleming-Castaldy, R. P., & Patro, J. (2012). Leadership in occupational therapy: Self-perceptions of occupational therapy managers. Occupational therapy in health care , 26 (2-3), 187-202. doi: 10.3109/07380577.2012.697256
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Richardson, A. M. (2004). Characteristics Related to Female & Male Leaders. Retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED497750.pdf
