Trait Based Theory

In short, the Trait Based Theory says that great leaders are born with the natural ability to lead. It says leadership is not something that can be made or learned, it is simply a trait you are born with. I am somewhere in the middle when it comes to this theory. I do believe some people are born with natural abilities, for example: some are born extroverts which makes it easier for the leader to come out as opposed to someone who is an introvert. I do believe those quiet introverts and people who may not have all of the traits you may think a leader should have are capable of being leaders. I think anyone can be a leader given the right situation and attitude. A leader doesn’t have to be someone who is in an authoritative position or leads a corporate team of 50. A leader can evolve from almost any situation and I think everyone can be a leader if they truly want to be. I wouldn’t consider myself a natural born leader, but I want to be a leader and throughout these classes have become more confident and able to possess leadership qualities. I think building confidence and believing in what you are doing can change how a person handles things. I am a leader in small ways and each time I’m put into the situation I feel more confident, so I think leadership can be learned as long as the person wants to lead.  Some pros to the trait based theory is that people have the natural ability to be a role model. People with this trait are trained to be confident, and it’s a possible way to sort people into two categories of the leaders vs. the non-leaders. On the other side the cons to this are that is discourages people who may not have the natural ability, it labels people into groups, and is too general, not specific to each individual.