A factor analysis of the personality of high school leaders

Abstract

This chapter attempts to determine what of a large number of psychological traits, presumably associated with personality, are related to ability to lead, and to see whether such ability is more definitely associated with certain clusters of traits (or "personality types" if you will) than with certain other clusters. The subjects were seventy-one girls of the Horace Mann High School for Girls, Teachers College, Columbia University, comprising the junior and senior classes. The author asserts that the method of factor analysis utilized in this research has hopeful possibilities for revealing types of leaders found in a particular group. In the group studied here, there seemed to be four types of leadership ability--the entertaining, the brilliant, the cultured-talented, and the just. However, for the highest scores on our criterion of leadership, a personality embracing qualities from among all the types is necessary. The qualities basic to leadership as we found them are liveliness, wide interests, intelligence, good sportsmanship, ability to amuse, athletic prowess, a pleasant voice, and the absence of modesty. The author concludes that with these eight traits, leadership is not guaranteed, but without a majority of them leadership is improbable. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)