From what we know about them, successful people are usually knowledgeable about their industry, are satisfied with the steps they have taken in managing their careers and are confident about their ability to market themselves effectively. They also tend to be articulate, adaptable and respond well to change. So, does personality have an influence in determining career accomplishment? Or more specifically, are certain personality types more attuned for success than others? Prof VGT has the lowdown.
In a study published in the Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, psychologist Nikos Bozionelos evaluates the relationship between the ‘Big Five’ personality factors and career success, both extrinsic and intrinsic. (Extrinsic success is defined by factors such as remuneration, ascendancy, job level and employability, while intrinsic success is defined by feelings of self –worth, job, life and career satisfaction.)
The ‘Big Five’ personality traits are five broad dimensions that are thought to influence individual personality and behaviour. They refer to personality factors such as Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness, Agreeableness and Conscientiousness that appear to play an important role in a person’s ability to perform and succeed in a work environment.
Extraversion refers to a positive outlook and energetic approach to the world around and consists of traits such as sociability, activity, assertiveness, and expressiveness. On the other extreme are introversion, extreme shyness and reserve.
Agreeableness describes the tendency to conform and concur with others, even at the cost of one’s own interests and priorities. Related traits include trust and modesty. On the other end is extreme aggressiveness and headstrong behavior.
Conscientiousness is the ability of an individual to practice self-discipline, act dutifully, and facilitate task and goal-directed behavior, such as thinking before acting, delaying gratification, following rules, planning, organizing and prioritizing. The opposite of conscientiousness is carelessness and negligence.
Neuroticism is the display of negative emotions, such as feeling anxious, angry, nervous, sad, and tense. In contrast, on the other end of the scale is emotional maturity and stability.
Openness to experience as against close mindedness describes the depth, originality, and complexity of a person’s thinking and a willingness to experiment and adapt to change.
Three of the Big Five traits – conscientiousness, neuroticism and extroversion – are believed to consistently relate to an individual’s ability to perform and succeed.
Conscientiousness and extroversion have a positive correlation with performance and success (particularly extrinsic success) while neuroticism and agreeableness are believed to have a negative correlation. Reason: Neurotic people tend to be over anxious and have lesser confidence levels, which make ambitious career plans less likely. On the other hand, people who tend to be easygoing and agreeable may not be aggressive enough, often assigning lower priority to their own career interests in order to assist peers.
People who open themselves to new experiences often consider themselves successful, are more confident and better satisfied with their work, life and career situations when compared to people who stick to a narrow, closed, career path, making openness a major factor in influencing intrinsic success.
Whether you are looking for a new job, building your career, or simply aiming for a better working relationship with your manager and colleagues, an understanding of what makes some people more successful than others can go a long way in helping you understand and focus on your own definition of success.
