Scientists reveal secrets to be a great leader

Updated on: Saturday, September 18, 2010

What are the secrets of a great leader? Traits like being sensitive to followers and respecting them make a person a good leader, scientists say.

The study, which sheds light on the rise and fall of some influential leaders of the century including Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher, found seven personal traits that are common among most of the successful leaders.

For the research, Professor Alex Haslam and Dr Kim Peters at the Exeter University spent a year distilling the wisdom of 85 self-help books and biographies.

The most common secret they found was to be sensitive to followers -- a trait cited by 57 per cent of the books.

More than half of those studied were "positive and inspirational", while 48 per cent treated followers with respect.

Other so-called secrets included meeting staff expectations and avoiding arrogance, the Daily Mail reported.

Dr Peters said the findings clashed with conventional ideas that the best leaders were driven individuals with domineering personalities.

"Actually, it's someone who is always looking to their followers and who is concerned about their relationship with them," she said.

Their findings also revealed most leaders have a natural shelf life and that over time they tend to become so isolated they fall out of favour.

The researchers identified a "leadership trajectory" which eventually sees leaders fall from grace.

This happens when, instead of recognising that their success depends on keeping a good relationship with their followers, they begin to believe their own hype and the decline in popularity begins.

Good leaders must also hide the fact they are trying to be "one of the people".

Britain's former Tory leader William Hague lost credibility when he boasted about drinking up to 14 pints a day as a teenager.

The findings were presented at the British Science Festival in Birmingham.

Scientists reveal secrets to be a great leader

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