Abraham lincoln as a trait,situational ,and transformational leader Assignment - 1

Abraham lincoln as a trait,situational ,and transformational leader - Assignment Example In astudy to determinethedistinctivetraits, a couple of researcheshavebeenconductwith theemphasis on identifyingthequalities of greatpersonalities. In 1948, Stogdill did a research on thetraitapproachandidentified ten leadershipcharacteristics(Northouse, 2010, p. 20).A similarstudywasdone by Mann (1959) but with littleemphasis on situational factorsandsuggested six traits that distinguish a leader from a non-leader. The two researchers realized five maintraits of an exceptionalleader. Abraham Lincoln as a lawyer, businessperson, andpoliticianexhibitsthesetraits, which includeintelligence, integrity, self-confidence, determination, andsociability. Northouse (2010) argue that an intelligent leader is one who portrays traits such as â€Å"strong non-verbal ability, perceptional, and their reasoning appears superior† (p.22). Abraham Lincoln is such leader. He was a well read, intelligent and an inspirational leader, which is evident through his devotion on the constitution and the rights of individuals (p.23). The second trait is his integrity nature, which is a quality of honesty and trustworthiness. According to Northouse (2012), such leaders take responsibility of their action and this bestows confidence in their followers (p. 24). Lincoln as a businessperson, became to be known as â€Å"Honest Abe† a nickname he earned when he pledgedto payall the debts realized from his failed business. Thethird traitdepicted by Lincoln is self-confidence; the ability to be sure of one’s proficiency and skills. Such ability influences others and thus, a leader feels confident that the efforts to influence others are justifiable. Lincoln with confidence, he appointed and swapped some Army commanders andhe defended his decisions against public attack and defended each one of the commanders.The forth trait is determination; the ability to get the task done through initiation,