Leader traits, transformational leadership and leader effectiveness : A mediation study from the Czech Republic

This study explores the mediation effect of transformational leadership in the relationship between leaders’ personality characteristics and effectiveness. Data from 210 students in a managerial role, and from 3,766 students in a subordinate role, were obtained during a four-month-long Management Simulation Game and analysed using multilevel structural equation modelling. Transformational leadership mediated the effect of leaders’ agreeableness and conscientiousness on group performance, perceived leader effectiveness, and leadership emergence. Extraversion, openness to experience and neuroticism were not linked to transformational leadership or any indicator of leader effectiveness. Intelligence predicted neither transformational leadership, nor group performance and leadership emergence. Along with other studies, this study emphasizes conscientiousness as the personality characteristic that influences leadership and leaders' effectiveness in various cultures and situations. Agreeableness may be an important leader trait in specific conditions and its influence may be moderated by context. The results must be interpreted with the knowledge that they were obtained in a simulation game environment on a sample of students