We have all heard of the Big Five personality traits. They are easy to explain, easy to compare, and give the impression of covering a lot of ground. But broad coverage is not always the best way to predict. In a meta-analysis published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, Baker, Scott, Nye, Chernyshenko, Park, and Omori show that certain specific personality facets predict leader effectiveness better than the broader traits they belong to.
The researchers combined 203 data sets containing 4,815 correlations between personality dimensions and leader effectiveness or emergence. They examined 21 facets associated with the Big Five. The main finding is that facets within the same trait are not equally useful. For conscientiousness, for example, achievement motivation, order, and self-discipline were associated with leader effectiveness at around ρ = .23, while responsibility and rule following were closer to .11. In other words, averaging all these facets together dilutes some of the useful information.
When the researchers combined the facets and weighted them according to their predictive value, the difference became more pronounced. For predicting leader effectiveness, the predictive validity of conscientiousness increased from .26 to a multiple R of .36. For openness, it increased from .08 to .19.
The problem is that a detailed assessment of many facets can quickly make tests longer, which runs counter to the current trend toward reducing the amount of time candidates are asked to spend on assessments. The authors therefore suggest focusing on the most relevant dimensions rather than systematically administering complete measures of every broad trait. For organizations, this also challenges the common practice of buying a complete test from a publisher and administering it as a package. Perhaps the better question is no longer, “Which personality test should we use?” but rather, “Which facets are really worth the time we are asking candidates to spend on the test?”